Interpretation Of Eugene O’neill’s Plays Under The Vision Of Social Gender Theory

Eugene O’Neill(1888-- 1953) is the “father of American modern drama’”. He has created a new situation in American drama.He swept past the haze of melodrama and farce.Gradually he helped the American drama to stand on the world stage.O’Neill was free from the fetters of the traditional stage and he didn’t write scripts not only for the stage. He only explored the plight of life, not for entertaining other.His life was with deep emotion for his family and friends.His thought reflected ideas, confusion and pursuit of ordinary people. O’Neill did extensive experiments on artistic styles and schools.This enriched the American modern drama’s performance practices. O’Neill won the Pulitzer prize 4 times, then 1936 he received a Nobel prize for literature. So far he is the only American playwright who receive this award.Transmitting "human spirit" is ancient Greek drama’s sole purpose.O’Neill inherited "human spirit" of the ancient Greek drama.He wrote many tragic drama which reflected America people’s life and soul. Whether it’s a personal tragedy or social tragedy, tragedy of the individual is concerned about specific people. Human development is the eternal topic.Sexual relations between men and women is the most basic human relation.Through delicate strokes and deep insight,O’Neill shaped many outstanding male and women images and showed their spiritual struggle and confusion.His open and universal love fits well with the theory of social gender’s goal. "Social gender" refers to men and women’s gender characteristics and differences which constructed by social culture,that is gender differences between male and female formed by social culture.Social culture forms the understanding of the male or female group ‘s characteristics and behavior.With “human spirit” of the drama guiding, author apply text reading, social and historical criticism and psychoanalytic criticism into interpreting O’Neill’s important works which base on the social gender theory as the breakthrough point.As a writer who is concerned about the overall development of humanity, O’Neill sympathizes the tragic fate of women, appreciates strong and resistance of women, describes the physical and spiritual dilemma of men who seem powerful.Whether self-improvement of female or weakness of male,they are sex traits which should not be poisoned by the traditional gender attitudes.Only accepting and practicing this idea, can men and women establish harmonious and friendly partnership.This essay has five chapters:Introduction briefly introduces Eugene O’Neill’s life and works, researchesO’Neill’s summary of domestic and foreign and introduces the theory of gender development and main ideas. Based on the concern of human, the essay explains the possible interpretations of O’Neill’s and gender theory.The first chapter analyzes the female in O’Neill’s plays.It describes them as "the other" or "the rebel".Women are weak and vain in the early days of the struggle.The second chapter describes the disappearance of heroes,.It bases on social gender theory to analyze the gender essence of men. Gender essentialism theory brings benefits to the development of male,but it bounds men. This article depicts men’s physiological dilemma and spiritual predicament.The third chapter starts to tell us gender identity in O’Neill’s play is ambiguous. This reflects on dislocation of gender discourse and variations of identity.O’Neill shows his sympathy and compassion for the men. Then the paper studies women’s spirit are from craze to the "human nature" regression. From the ambiguous gender relation of O’Neill’s play,it tells us his "human" consciousness and theme.Under the guidance of ancient Greek drama’s “humanistic spirit”, the paper summarizes the characteristics and significance of O’Neill’s dramatic creation. Only men and women respect each other,support gender equality, cooperate and give mutual assistance to each other,can human beings realize a better future.