Three Uses of the Knife

Three Uses of the Knife: On the Nature and Purpose of Drama is a book by David Mamet that discusses playwriting.

[1] The essay, dedicated to Michael Feingold (a critic of The Village Voice), is divided in three chapters: "The Wind-Chill Factor", "Second Act Problems", and "Three Uses of the Knife".

Mamet begins his book by saying that people naturally dramatize everyday occurrences and that life itself is inherently theatrical: "Our survival mechanism orders the world into cause-effect-conclusion."

He goes on to explain that the ways in which we dramatize our everyday experiences are not different than 'true drama', particularly tragedy, which—along with myth and religion—creates awe within the audience.

True drama enables the spectator to achieve peace by realizing the fact that he or she is powerless to affect the natural order.