Name :- Zala Krutikadevi. D
Paper :- 10 ( The American Literature )
Topic :- Critical analysis on " Mourning Becomes Electra "
Submitted to :- Smt. S.B. Gardi
M.K. Bhavnagar University.
Eugene Gladstone O'Neill was born in a New York city hotel room. He was one of the most admired
playwrights of all time. He was the son of Mary Ellen “Ella” and James O'Neill.
His father was a stage actor. His mother developed an addiction to morphine.
Ella was also still grieving for Eugene’s older brother, Edmund, who had died
of the measles three years earlier. O'Neill spent much of his time on the road
with his father. Then he was sent away to boarding school, he spent years at
St.Aloysius Catholic upbringing. His heart wasn't in his studies.In 1960 O'Neill studies in Princeton university, after leaving Princeton, O'Neill floundered
for a time. O'Neill married to Kathleen Jenkins. He is finding inspirations
from such European dramatists s August Strindberg and later enrolling in a
writing class at Harvard university.O'Neill had
his first play produced in Province town, Massachusetts, in 1916 : Bound East
for Cardiff, a one act play that was staged in New York later that year. O'Neill took the theatrical world by storms
in 1920 with Beyond the Horizon, in which he won Pulitzer prize. He
again married with Agnes.Eugene O'Neill died of bronchial Pneumonia on Nov. 27, 1953 at the age of 65, in
Boston.
Masterpieces
of O'Neill :-
Long day’s
journey into night (1957)
Beyond the
horizon (1920)
Strange
Interlude (1928)
The iceman
cometh (1946)
Mourning
Becomes Electra (1922)
Desire under
the Elms (1924)
INTRODUCTION
OF THE NOVEL :
Mourning Becomes
Electra based on the use of the Greek Myths as a narrative base, their New
England scene, the intense psychological focus of the subject matter and also
with their historical perspectives.It is
considered O’Neill’s most famous work. As a ambitious play it is based on Greek
tragic Myth Oresteia to 19th cen. New England. As a play cycle it
ran for 150 performances before closing in March 1932. The story of this play
is a kind of retelling of the Oresteia by Aeschylus is a trilogy. Here in
Mourning Becomes Electra all characters ,most of parallel characters from the
ancient Greek play.Mourning
Becomes Electra comes as a Modern Tragedy, the play features murder, adultery,
incestuous love and revenge , weak relationship of family members. We can see
different minds of people , their secrets, hubris, fate and honor. The
characters of this play reflected as a unsuccessful strugglers of an individual
to escape a tragic fate and the dark nature of human existence. It is
considered with Freud’s circle of Human mind/nature-psychological theory as
well. Specially there are complexes of the characters of Oedipus and Electra.Mourning
Becomes Electra is divided into three plays with different themes.
TITLE OF THE
NOVEL :
As per the
title :” Mourning Becomes Electra” Mourning means :The
expression of sorrow for someone’s death,Grief ,
lament , lamentationBlack
clothes worn as an expression of sorrow when someone dies.“Electra”
means :Sparkling ,
the fairy sun“Becomes “
in the sense of “befits” Electra to mourn- it is her fate Mourning (Black)
(sorrow) is becoming to her, it is the only color that becomes her destiny.
CHARACTERS :
1.
Lavinia
Mannon :- Daughter of Mannon
2.
Christine Mannon :- Wife of Ezra Mannon
3.
Orin
Mannon :- Son of Mannon
4.
Brigadier
General Ezra Mannon :- Father of lavinia and Orin
5.
Captain
Adam Brant :- Lover of Christine
6.
Hazel
Niles :- Friend of Mannon
7.
Captain
Peter Niles :- brother of Hazel
8.
Seth
backwith :- Aged gardener of Mannon PLOT :-
Mourning Becomes Electra is divided into three plays :
HOMECOMING :
Act I :-
The starting part of the spring season, when the master of house
Ezra Mannon is coming from war. Another side Lavinia has just returned from a
trip. She suddenly knows about affair of Captain Brant and her mother, Christine.
Other side her friend Peter is proposing her for marriage again.
Act II :-
In that part , Lavinia appears her mother for adultery and
reveals that she followed her mother to New York and saw her kissing to Adam
Brant. At that time her mother says that she always loves her son, Orin and
Lavinia has always schemed to steal her place. Later Christine proposes to Adam
Brant that they will give poison to Ezra and attribute his death to his heart
trouble.
Act III :-
Ezra and Christine are alone and she assures him that he has
nothing to suspect with regards to Brant. And finally they kissed.
Act IV :-
It is a scene of Ezra’s bedroom. Christine awaits for Ezra’s
death and also her freedom. Mannon rises in fury, threatening her murder and
then falls beck in agony, his heart clutching and he begging for medicine. Christine
gives a poison instead of medicine. After that Ezra realizes her trick and
calls Lavinia for help but suddenly he dies. Christine collapses in a faith,
Lavinia falls to her knees in anguish.
THE HUNTED :
Second play is divided into five parts.
Act I :-
In that part Peter, Lavinia and Orin are talking about Christine’s
lies. Orin disappointedly complains of his mother’s absence. Lavinia warns him
and at that time Christine comes and both mother and son embrace jubilantly.
Act II :-
In that part Orin asks his mother about Brant and then he
recounts his wonderful dreams about South Sea Islands.
Act III :-
Here, Lavinia convinces Orin about their mother’s treachery
and Orin finally agrees to watch the behavior of Christine and Brant.
Act IV :-
After Ezra’s funeral, Lavinia and Orin follow their mother, Christine
who goes to meet Brant in East Boston. Orin and Lavinia listen whole
conversation of them. Finally in a hurry Orin shoots Brant and make it seem
that Brant has been robbed.
Act V:-
Orin and Lavinia come and they revealing that they killed
Brant , Christine collapses. After that Christine leaves them and suddenly a
shot is heard from Ezra’s study.
THE HAUNTED :-
The Haunted is divided in four parts but Act I is divided in
two scenes.
Act I :-
Scene 1. :-
One year
later, Orin and lavinia return from their East trip. Lavinia resembles her
mother perfectly and Orin has grown like his father.
Scene 2. :-
Lavinia looks like Christine and Peter thinks
that it is ghost of Christine. Lavinia approaches him eagerly. Orin jealously
mocks her warmth towards Peter.
Act II :-
Orin is working at a manuscript in a great work, the Mannon
study, he has written a history of the family crimes as a last Mannon.
Act III :-
Hazel and peter arrives at Orin’s home and as Orin sees hazel
alone, he gives her an envelope and warning her to keep it secret from Lavinia.
She should open it if :1 Something happens to him or2 Lavinia tries to marry PeterFinally Orin commits suicide in room.
Act IV :-
At the last part of the play after three days Lavinia appears
dressed in deep mourning. Finally hazel knows that Lavinia does not marry with
Peter. Bitterness in his voice, Lavinia desperately flings herself into his
arms crying :“ Take me , Adam!!! “Now she is alone , no Mannon is left there to punish her. She
must leave happiness and lives alone in the old house with the ghosts of her
ancestors. She throws out the flowers and enters in the dark house alone and
shuts the door.
CRITICAL NOTE :-
1
In
the first part “ Homecoming” is not
actually home coming in a real sense, but going far away from home. General
Ezra is coming home after ten years. He is lucky one who saved his life from
war and now coming at home but he killed by his own wife Christine. Now his
family members become a weapon for Ezra. So we can’t say that Homecoming but it
is “ Far away from home”
2
Another
matter is about Ezra’s murder. Why Christine killed him ? If only because of
her affair ?So she can easily marry with Brant when Ezra was in war. But she
waits for Ezra and made a plan to kill him. The idea of killing scene with
poison is not much clear.
3
We
can say that there is a triangle relationship among Lavinia, Christine and
Brant. Lavinia wants to marry with Brant. Brant had affair with Christine and
Peter wants to marry with Lavinia.
4
Lavinia
wants to be like her mother and takes same place as Christine has in Mannon
family and in society also. She always crushes on Brant but she rejects Peter
two times. Here we can’t say Lavinia’s true love for Brant. She loves him
because her mother loves him. She always dislikes her mother.
5
Christine’s character is very impulsive rather
than Lavinia. Christine makes a plan to kill her husband and she succeed in
that plan. But the main question is that , really she gives a poison to him in
place of medicine ???
6
In
this play three women characters are mainly performed. Christine , Lavinia and
Hazel The play starts from the role of Lavinia and Christine and ends with
loneliness of Lavinia in the old house. Hazel’s role is also noticeable because
of Orin’s secret letter. So we can say that in this play “ Women are in the
centre “.
7
“
Male characters are marginalized” in this play. No male character is able to
play role till the end of the play. First Ezra killed by Christine. Orin committed
suicide than at last Peter also rejected by Lavinia. Peter couldn’t save his
relationship with Lavinia. Men are failed in that play.
8
Mourning
Becomes Electra is a modern play, shows moderns of Mannon family. Mannon family
is very rich and fashionable also. Mannon ladies have no privacy in their life
, they can go away where they want.
Thank you....
Interesting assignment topic... good images are used........
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