The illusion theme in nine plays by Eugene O'Neill.

The life-sustaining illusion is a recurring theme in O'Neill's plays. The playwright's various treatments of the theme serve as indications of his attitude toward life at the different stages of his development; for, although his writing was sometimes sensational or sentimental, he always tried to present honestly his view of life. The early plays considered in this thesis have in common romantic dreams which have a quality that transfigures the central characters. The dreams have value in that they ennoble the characters and that they perhaps represent a higher reality than the reality of appearance. The plays selected to represent the climactic period of O'Neill's career display a gradually increasing tendency to the rejection of the values of dreamers, this rejection reaching a high point in Lavinia's refusal to hope at the end of Mourning Becomes Electra. The plays of the last period seem to indicate that the nature of ultimate reality is death and nothingness, and that an illusion that will make living seem worthwhile is preferable to despair. As bleak as is O'Neill's final view of life, it is a true reflection of the early romanticism that he chose to call realism. The dreamer once in love with life in its stark ugliness was ultimately still in love with life, although one of the final illusions represented was a romantic death wish. His last plays show the struggle to continue life in the face of despair.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.A.

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Grantor

Baylor University.

Year dc:date.issued

1964

Author dc:creator

• Hill, Bette, 1934-

Advisor dc:contributor.advisor

• Long, E. Hudson (Eugene Hudson), 1908-1990.

• O'Neill, Eugene, 1888-1953 -- Criticism and interpretation.

Statement dc:rights

• Baylor University works are protected by copyright. They may be viewed from this source for any purpose, but reproduction or distribution in any format is prohibited without written permission. Contact libraryquestions@baylor.edu for inquiries about permission.

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/2104/14395

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:baylor-ir.tdl.org:2104/14395