Analysis Of O'Neill's Expressionistic Techniques Employed In The Emperor Jones And The Hairy Ape

Eugene O'Neill (1888-1953) is one of the most renowned playwrights of the twentieth century. He is the father of modern American drama who won Nobel Prize in 1936. He produces 46 works in his life time. The Emperor Jones (1920) and The Hairy Ape (1921) are O'Neill's most typical expressionistic works.This paper not only points out and analyzes the expressionistic techniques employed in the two plays such as expressionistic setting, sound effects, masks, interior monologue and symbols, but also illustrates how the techniques reveal what happens inside a character's inner mind and what goes on within the soul. This paper also attempts to show what kinds of techniques are used when shaping the characters especially externalizing the inner activities. In this paper, a comparative study of expressionistic techniques and characters between The Emperor Jones and The Hairy Ape of the two plays is also conducted.This dissertation is divided into six chapters:the first chapter is the introduction, including the origin and development of Expressionism, O'Neill's acceptance to Expressionism, a brief introduction of the studying object, and the aim and significance of the research. The second chapter is a general literature review of Expressionism and the studying object---The Emperor Jones and The Hairy Ape, analyzing the research results and limitations of each paper. The following three chapters are central parts of this paper, and in each section of each chapter there is a comparative study of the techniques and characters between the two plays. In chapter three, the characteristics and employment of expressionistic techniques are studied and how these devices externalize the inner world of the characters is also analyzed. The fourth chapter mainly deals with the characteristics and classification of the expressionistic characters and explores how they are shaped and what kinds of techniques are expressed when shaping them. Chapter five illustrates how the expressionistic settings and atmosphere externalize the contorted minds and how the expressionistic sound effects and interior monologue visualize and dramatize the mental disintegration, inner fear and confusion of the protagonists. The last part is the conclusion, including a summary of the content, the importance and necessities to research about O'Neill's expressionistic plays, and the significance and limitations of this study.