Machinal

“I had to get out in the air.” 

Helen’s desire to get out into the air, to get a breath of air, to feel anything other than claustrophobic, runs through the play and underscores her need for freedom, thereby illustrating that Helen, at least at the play’s outset, is still possessive of some sort of humanity and connection to the natural world. This humanity and connection to nature will be drained from her over the course of the play. 

“Hew to the line.” 

Here, the stenographer is commenting on the life they have in the office, one that is the same week in and week out and adheres to a strict hierarchy, one ruled over by Jones. 

“Love! What does that amount to? Will it clothe you? Will it feed you? Will it pay the bills?”

Helen’s mother may or may not understand love; either way, she certainly doesn’t believe in it as a tool for getting through life. The character of the mother puts the pragmatic so far ahead of the idealistic and/or romantic that she has given up on the latter concepts entirely. She encourages Helen to marry Jones because Jones is wealthy, and this matters first and foremost.