Relations Between the Characters as their Construction Basis in Eugene O'Neill's 'Desire Under the Elms' and 'Long Day's Journey into Night'

Master's Thesis from the year 2011 in the subject American Studies - Literature, grade: 1, University of Gdansk, language: English, abstract: The relations between the characters in Desire Under the Elms and Long Day's Journey into Night provide an extensive opportunity to analyze the characters' personalities, because only in such relationships do they present their most personal features. The framework of a relation with other character on the stage allows to express their own views and feelings, which gives the opportunity to the readers/viewers to understand their motives. The construction of the characters is based on the context of their relationships, and the relations between the spouses, and between the parents and their children were the subject of an analysis in this dissertation. The comparison of Desire and Long Day's Journey showed that although both plays are dealing with similar topics of family relations, there is a visible change in the author's attitude to the topic. While Desire already has some elements of the author's autobiography, it still remains a naturalistic play, focused on the theme of possession and desires to achieve it. Whereas Long Day's Journey is a very psychologically profound play in which O'Neill managed not only to confront his own personal demons, but also presented a universal picture of a family with all its intricate problems, mutual dependencies and feelings of love and hate. Therefore, the comparison of the two plays proves the author's maturity and development as an artist, as well as presents the influences which shaped him in the given time [...]