On the Modernity in Eugene O’Neill’s Tragedies

摘要：作为美国第一位产生世界影响的剧作家，尤金·奥尼尔一生共获得了四次普利特奖和一次诺贝尔文学奖。他的作品以严肃透彻的笔调指出了现代物质社会中人类的生存困境。传统针对尤金·奥尼尔的悲剧作品研究将其创作阶段分为三部分，分别是1912年至1920年的早期自然主义创作，1920年至1934年的中期现代主义创作和从1934年到1953年的晚期现实主义创作。本文认为尤金·奥尼尔的悲剧创作并非是这简单的三个时期的划分，而是持续渐进地向现代主义靠拢，其悲剧作品充满了现代性的特征。本文主要从尤金·奥尼尔悲剧作品中的语言风格、作品主题和创作技巧这三个方面来展示其悲剧作品中蕴含的现代性特征。85374

Abstract：As America’s first dramatist of world renown, Eugene O’Neill won four Pulitzer Prizes and one Nobel Prize。 He prolifically unfolded his literary and theatrical panorama with sober tone and deep concern towards human existence in a modern society which is afflicted with overwhelming materialism and desire。 Traditional research on Eugene O’Neill’s tragedies tends to pide his creation into three periods, that is, the earlier naturalistic period from 1912 to 1920, the middle modernistic period from 1920 to 1934 and the late realistic period from 1934 to 1953。 Yet through thorough examination, I hold that the creation of Eugene O’Neill finds its way to modernity continuously and skillfully。 And his late literary creation embodies more modernistic features than realistic ones。 In terms of language, the preference of repetition and the caprice in language make the text all the more modernistic。 Thematically, his works aims at exploring the pided and alienated inpidual in a modern American society, showing the distorted and morbid side of human beings under the lurking shadow of psychoanalysis。 Technically, the bold employment of mask and the adoption of the concept of persona add more modern aura to his literary creation。 源Q于W优H尔J论K文M网WwW.youeRw.com 原文+QQ75201.,8766

Key word: Tragedies; psychoanalysis; modern features; alienationContent

1。Literature Review 4

2。 Introduction 7

3。 Language Features 8

3。1 The Preference of Repetition 8

3。2 The Status of Caprice in Language 10

4。 Thematic Concern: Alienated Inpidual under Psychoanalysis 12

5。 The pursuit of Innovation 15

5。1 : The adoption of mask in Eugene O’Neill’s tragedies 15

5。2 The concept of “Persona” in Eugene O’Neill’s tragedies 16

6。 Conclusion 17

7。 References 19

8。 Acknowledgment 20

Literature Review

    The Cambridge Companion to Eugene O’Neill edited by Michael Manheim collected sixteen papers written by fifteen European and American scholars and critics, giving a quite through introduction, analysis and criticism of Eugene O’Neill, from “his psychological trauma, his philosophical/religious views, his theatrical techniques, his sensitivity to the impact of black and immigrant minorities in American life, and (most recently) the treatment of women in his plays and his desire to win favor with the influential forces of his time。” (Michael Manheim, 2000: 237)