preview

Eugene O’Neill: Pessimistic American who Showed Dark Social Realities of the modern Life and Started Modern American Drama

Good Essays

The optimist sees the rose and not its thrones; the pessimist stares at the thrones, oblivious to the rose. There are two types of people in the world—optimistic and pessimistic. Optimistic persons always look the positive side of the thing even in tragic consequences and live a cheerful life. On the other hand, pessimistic persons always look at the dark side of a thing even in happy conditions. The negative attitude of these persons makes their life tragic and full of tension. Economic depression, rapid social change, disillusionment and pessimism became the dark social realities of the modern age. It is in the twentieth century that man’s faith in the accepted values and established institutions of life were shattered with the …show more content…

He chose New England names for his characters resembling Greek counterparts. The dramatist converted his autobiographical experiences into art. Many of his characters reveal his own thoughts and experiences and give expression to his views and ideas. Tragedy is concerned with suffering and defeat. O’Neill’s tragic heroes are not men of high social position like other traditional heroes. They are not titans and supermen whose death can affect millions but they are always common persons like us. Andrew and Robert in Beyond the Horizon are the sons of farmer. In Straw, Eileen, because of the heavy burden of the family, is unable to complete her education. Anna in Anna Christie is a prostitute. The tragic protagonist in Desire Under the Elms is also associated with farm. Brutus Jones in The Emperor Jones is not an ‘emperor’ but a Negro porter. Yank in The Hairy Ape is just a poor worker with no place in any social set-up. A never-failing spirit of defiance is the chief quality of O’Neill’s tragic-heroes. Characters face life-and-death struggle but they never accept defeat or give up fighting. O’Neill’s vision of life was essentially tragic, but he was not a born tragedian. In an interview at the posthumous presentation of Long Day's Journey into Night, Mrs. Carlotta Monterey gives us a very personal and revealing assessment of O'Neill as a young

Get Access