American-Drama

EUGENEO'NEILLEUGENEO'NEILL(1888-1953)1936NobelLaureateinLiterature“forthepower,honestyanddeep-feltemotionsofhisdramaticworks,whichembodyanoriginalconceptoftragedy.”EUGENEO'NEILLO’NeillisAmerica’sgreatestplaywright,thefirstuniversallyrecognizedworlddramaticAmericanproduced.HevirtuallyestablishedthemodernAmericantheatre.O’Neill’sliterarycareerThreeperiods:Theearlyperiod(1916-1920):BoundEastforCardiff(1916)BeyondtheHorizon(1920)AnnaChristie(1920)Thesecondperiod:TheEmperorJones,1920;TheHairyApe,1922;AllGod'sChillunGotWings,1924;DesireUndertheElms,1924;TheGreatGodBrown,1926;LazarusLaughed,1928;StrangeInterlude,1928;MourningBecomesElectra,1931;DaysWithoutEnd,1934;TheThirdPeriod:TheIcemanCometh,1946;LongDay'sJourneyintoNight,1956;AMoonfortheMisbegotten,1957;.MajorthemesinhisplayMen’sstruggleswithhisownfateLossofselfAlienationTheHairyApeO'NeillexplainedTheHairyApebysayingthatitwasasymbolofman,whohaslosthisoldharmonywithnature,theharmonywhichheusedtohaveasananimalandhasnotyetacquiredinaspiritualway.Thus,notbeingabletofinditonearthnorinheaven,he'sinthemiddle,tryingtomakepeace.Throughouttheplay,Yankisstrugglingtofindtheplacetowhichhebelongs.Thestruggleofthiskindisthestruggleforone’sidentity.InthisplaywecansaythatinYankweseemodernmandesperatelyinsearchofhisidentitywithinindustrialsociety.LongDay’sJourneyintoNightLongDay’sJourneyintoNightisanautobiographicalplay.ThestorytookplaceatthehomeoftheTyrone.CharacterIntroductionEdmundTyrone:SonofMaryandJamesTyrone.BrotherofJamieTyrone.EdmundisEugeneO'Neill'sdouble,asensitive,sicklyandmorbidyoungman.Edmund,asapart,hasnomorestagetimeorlinesthananyoftheotherTyrones.Butheisnonethelessthecenteroftheplay:hisforgivenessofhisbrotherandfatheraretheplay'sclimax.Hehasaspirationsofbecomingawriter.MaryTyrone:WifeofJamesTyrone.MotherofEdmundandJamieTyrone.Maryisamorphineaddict,andthroughoutthecourseofthedaywewatchasshesinksfartherandfartherintoamorphine-inducedfog.Herhandsarenervous,andtheyrevealherconstantlyagitatedstate.SheisindeepdenialaboutEdmund'sillness.Astheplayprogresses,sheretreatsfartherandfartherintothepast.JamesTyrone:HusbandofMaryTyrone.FatherofEdmundandJamieTyrone.JamesTyroneisaBroadwayactorandalcoholic.HeisareligiousCatholic,althoughhenolongerattendsChurch.Heisappallinglystingy,andhismiserlinesshasleadtomanyproblemsfortheTyronefamilyovertheyears.JamieTyrone:SonofMaryandJamesTyrone.BrotherofJamieTyrone.Jamieisacynicalalcoholic.HeistenyearsolderthanEdmund,buthehasneveramountedtoanything.HespendshisdaysinNewYorkchasingwhoresanddrinking.MainThemesThePast,asrefugeandburdenForgivenessBreakdownofcommunicationReligionDrugandalcoholabuseIsolationTennesseeWilliams(1911-83)Playwright,poet,andfictionwriter,TennesseeWilliamsleftapowerfulmarkonAmericantheatre.Attheirbest,histwenty-fivefull-lengthplayscombinedlyricalintensity,hauntingloneliness,andhypnoticviolence.HeiswidelyconsideredthegreatestSouthernplaywrightandoneofthegreatestplaywrightsinthehistoryofAmericandrama.ImportantPlaysWrittenbyWilliamsTheGlassMenagerie(1945)AStreetcarNamedDesire(1947)CatonaHotTinRoof(1955)AmandaWingfield:OnceaSouthernbellewhowasthedarlingofhersmalltown'ssocialscene,AmandaisnowanabandonedwifeandsinglemotherlivinginasmallapartmentinSt.Louis.Shedreamsofherpastandofherdaughter'sfuture,butseemsunwillingtorecognizecertainharshrealitiesofthepresent.Sheisalovingmother,butherdemandscanmakelifedifficultforLauraandunbearableforTom.LauraWingfield:Crippledfromchildhood,Laurawalkswiththeaidofalegbrace.Lauraispainfullyshy,unabletofacetheworldoutsideofthetinyWingfieldapartment.Shespendshertimepolishinghercollectionoftinyglassanimals,herglassmenagerie.Herpresenceisalmostghostly,andherinabilitytoconnectwithothersoutsideofherfamilymakesherdependentonTomandAmanda.Jim'snicknameforher,BlueRoses,suggestsbothheroddbeautyandherisolation,asbluerosesexistnowhereintherealworld.TomWingfield:TomisanaspiringpoetwhoworksintheContinentalShoemakerswarehouse.Heisthenarratoroftheplay:theactionoftheplayisframedbyTom'smemory.Tomloveshismotherandsister,buthefeelstrappedathome.Theyaredependentonhiswages,andaslongashestayswiththemhefeelshecanneverhavealifeofhisown.Nightly,hedisappearstogotothemovies.JimO'Connor:Thelong-awaitedgentlemancaller.Heisoutgoing,enthusiastic,andbelievesinself-improvement.HekissesLauraandraisesherhopesbeforerevealingtoherthatheisengaged.Tomdescribeshimasapersonmoreconnectedtotherealworldthananyoftheothercharactersare,butJimisalsoasymbolfortheexpectedsomethingthatwelivefor.ThemesTheDifficultyofAcceptingRealityTheImpossibilityofTrueEscapeTheUnrelentingPowerofMemorySymbolsLaura’sGlassMenagerieTheGlassUnicorn“BlueRoses”SymbolicMeaningofGlassMenagerieAsthetitleoftheplayinformsus,theglassmenagerie,orcollectionofanimals,istheplay’scentralsymbol.Laura’scollectionofglassanimalfigurinesrepresentsanumberoffacetsofherpersonality.Likethefigurines,Lauraisdelicate,fanciful,andsomehowold-fashioned.Glassistransparent,but,whenlightisshineduponitcorrectly,itrefractsanentirerainbowofcolors.Similarly,Laura,thoughquietandblandaroundstrangers,isaso