Long Day's Journey Into Light

Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953), is the most outstanding American dramatist in the 20^th century. His career is marked by bold experimentation with dramatic form and theatrical techniques, such as the use of mask, long monologues reflecting the characters' inner thoughts, chorus, expressionism, symbolism, stream of consciousness, and so on. As for themes, Eugene O'Neill adds some modern elements: personal alienation, materialism, aloofness, adultery, incest, greed, loss of religious faith, the breakdown of the family, racial tensions, addictions and violence, which are very common in the modern society. Therefore, his plays dig the roots of American society and expose the sickness of it, as well as express the inner feelings of individuals. The achievements of his plays win the worldwide reputation for American theatre and literature. Many critics think that O'Neill's literary eminent creations concentrate on his late plays. They concern less on his early plays. This thesis involves O'Neill's three creative stages to give a general interpretation and criticism on Eugene O'Neill himself and his plays. Scanning O'Neill's plays, it can be said without exaggeration that most of his plays are tightly related with his personal experiences, tragic feelings and traumas from his childhood. During his lifetime, O'Neill makes all his efforts to try to find answers to two questions. Where is the right and proper place he can belong to? What is the behind-life force? Through his long day's journey of searching and by way of writing plays, he finds the answers to these two questions and hence he recaptures and develops the idea of tragic spirit, which is deeply rooted in the Greek tragedy, but has disappeared for a long time in the modern drama, and therefore he establishes his status as a giant not...