O’Neill_Desire_Under_the_Elms 榆树下的欲望 (美国文学)

DesireUndertheElmsbyEugeneO’Neill(1924)Background•Inthelate19thandearly20thcentury,thecapitalistprimitiveaccumulationandthedevelopmentofpersonalitystimulatedthedesiresofluxriousliving,money,loveandpossession.Peoplecrazilypursuedthematerialwealth.Thesatisfactionofthesedesiresstronglyimpactedontraditionalreligion,ethicandmorality.Thesecausedallsortsoftragedyatthattime.CharactersEphraimCabot75yearoldfatherAbbiePutnam(histhirdwife)Simeon,Peter(hissonsofthefirstwife)Eben(hissonofthesecondwife)TheloversDesireUndertheElmsThe75year-oldfatherCabot['kæbət]AbbiePutnam['æbi:]AbbieandEben['ebən]SimeonandPeter:TwosonsofCabot’sfirstwifeDesireUndertheElmswasperformedinNewYork’sBroadwayTheaterforthirty-sixweeksonendintheyear1925.ThisplayisO’Neill’sfirsteffortatwritinginthestyleofGreekTragedy.However,hedidnotfollowtheGreektraditiontochooseagreatfigureofnoblebirthaboutwhomfateswouldunravel(解开)theirmystery.HedeliberatelychoseaNewEnglandfarmerandhisfamilymembersastheprotagonistsofhisdramatotellastoryofordinarypeopleinthemoderntime.PlotDesireUndertheElmstellsastoryofaruthlessstruggleforfamilyproperty,afarmandthemansion,betweenfatherandsons,betweenhusbandandwife,betweenbrothers,andbetweenlovers.The75year-oldfatherCabotisaruthlessimageofaPuritanofthattime.Hehimselfisdiligentandhardworking.Heseesmaterialpossessionstobemorevaluablethananythingelse.SothechildrenofoldCabothatehim.Bothhisfirstandsecondwivesdiedbecausehehadcompelledthemtolabortoohard.Healsomakesthethreesonsworkpainstakinglyforhimonthefarmwithouttheintentiontoletanyoftheminherithisfarmandthemansion.SimeonandPeter,thetwosonsofCabot’sfirstwife,whocannotseeanyhopetoinheritthefarmandthemansion,selltheirsharestoEben,thesonofCabot’ssecondwife.WiththismoneytheygoawaytoCaliforniaforgoldrush.Ebenstaysandcontinuestoworkonthefarm,hopingtoinheritthefarmaswellastoavengehisdeadmother.ButnowoldCabotbringshomeathird35-year-oldwife,AbbiePutnam,whoisenergetic,passionate,andselfish.ShehastheobviousintentiontoinheriteverythingfromoldCabotassoonasshecomeshere.AfterAbbiecomeshere,shegraduallydevelopsapassionateloveforEben.Unabletoconstrainthemselvesfromthestrongpassionwitheachother,thestepmotherandthestepsonmakeincestuous[ɪn‘sɛstʃuəs]乱伦love.Theirsonisborn,whicholdCabotthinkstobehisheirtothefarm,thusleavingthesecondwife’ssonEbenadriftintheworld.Whileadanceinhonorofthenew-bornchildgoesoninthekitchen,thefatherandEbenquarreloutside.EbenmistakenlybelieveshisfatherwhenhehearsthatAbbiewantedasononlytocheathimoutofthefarm.Ebenoutrageouslyreviles[rɪ‘vaɪl]辱骂Abbie.ToprovetoEbenthatitwasthegenuineloveofhimratherthanthedesireforthefarmthathaddrivenhertohim,Abbiekillsthebaby.Onhearingsuchacrime,Ebeniswildlyangrywithherandrunsoffforthesheriff.Knowingthepresenttruth,thepainedCabotbecomestotallydisillusioned.Heturnsallthelivestock(牲畜)looseinthewoodsandplanstogoawayfromthefarm.Butwhenhefindshisstoredmoneygonefromitshidingplace(Ebenstoleittobuythesharesofthefarmfromhisbrothers),hebelievesthatGodhaswilledthathestandbythefarmratherthangoawayfromit.NowEbenreturnsfromthesheriff.Hefallsatthekneesofthewoman,begginghertoallowhimselftotakepartoftheblameandsharethepunishment.Atlast,theygoawaytogethertoprison.EndThemeAnalysisTheplayusesancientGreekthemesofmurderandfatefulretribution(报应)uponthesinners.JustasfateleadstoaGreektragedy,theemotionalforcesofsuchhumandesiresasjealousy,resentment,lust,andincestuousloveresultinthefataltragedyinDesireUndertheElms.DesireforwealthmakespeoplelosebalanceofahealthymindInthisdrama,everycharacterappearingonthestageshowsadesireforwealth.CabotisatypicalrepresentativeofPuritans.Hewasselfish,cheap,cruelandhard.Hegotpropertiesthroughhismarriageandforcedhistwoex-wivestoworkextremelyharduntiltheywereabusedtodeath.DesireforwealthdroveSimeonandPetertoCalifornia.ItalsodroveAbbietomarryCabot,aratheroldman,sothatshecangetCabot’sproperty.Itisfromherdesirethatallthetragedybegin.Evenanunrelatedpersonlikethesheriffdesiredtopossessthefarm!Hesays,“It’sajim-dandy（一流的）farm,nodenyin’.WishedIownedit!”Itisfunny,butthereliessomethingnotsolightheartedbehindit.Thebitternessandsarcasmcanbesensedbysensitivereaders.Thatis,itishumannaturetodesireforwealth.Desirefortruelovecantranscendanyotherhumandesires.“Desire”inthetitleofthedramanotonlyreferstodesireforwealthbutalsoincludesdesireforlove.ThisthemeismostlyimpliedinAbbieandEben.Atfirst,Abbiedesignedacunningplanforgettingwealth.ButwhenherloveforEbenisdeveloped,shedecidestodoanythingtokeepthislove.ShedevelopsincestuouslovebyseducingEbenwhoisherownstep-son.ShekilledherownsontoprovehertrueloveforEben.Duetomisunderstanding,lovebetweenEbenandAbbiegoesthroughmanyup-and-downs.Butfinally,EbendidrealizethetruelovebetweenAbbieandhimself.Attheendoftheplay,hedecidedtosharepunishmentbygoingtoprisontogetherwithher.Afterthought(1)EugeneO'NeilldevotedhimselftodepictingtherealisticpicturesofthedistortedAmericansandthetroubledAmericansocietyinthe20thcentury.Thetragedyoccurringinthisfamilyrevealedhowpeople’snaturalemotionsweredistortedinamoney-dominatedsoc