Eugene O’Neill’s portraits of women have occupied a position of prominence in his works and his efficacious handling of their psychological states, offers a comprehensive insight into the arena of their motivation and actions. Women in general play a huge role in the life of the American playwright Eugene O’Neill.
One of Eugene O’Neill’s earliest heroines is Anna Christie. The play Anna Christie, written in 1920 and first published in 1922, is an outgrowth of the earlier play called Chris Christopherson. In Chris Christopherson, Anna’s father dominates the play, whereas in Anna Christie the protagonist is a woman. It is the story of Anna’s regeneration through the love of a man and under the influence of the sea. Anna used to work as a prostitute but is now living happily on her father’s barge and says of herself to have preserved a virginal soul. On her father’s barge she meets Mat Burke with whom she falls deeply in love. Their passion develops rapidly up to a point where Anna confesses her past.
“[…] I wasn’t no nurse girl the last two years - I lied when I wrote you - I was in a house, that’s what!yes, that kind of a house - the kind sailors like you and Mat goes to in port - and your nice inland men, too - and all men, God damn’em! I hate ‘em! Hate ‘em!” (“Anna Christie” 339)
Mat’s reaction to this revelation is a violent one and he continuously rebels against the idea of marrying a woman with such a troubled past. However, Anna asserts that she never really loved any man before she met him. In a desperate attempt to get away from Anna, Mat gets drunk. He leaves and signs on a steamer for Cape Town. In the end, he realized that he cannot escape from his feelings and returns to Anna, willing to ignore his initial doubts.
“If I was believing - that you’d never had love for any other man in the world but me - I could be forgetting the rest, maybe.” (“Anna Christie” 350).
“[…] We’ll be wedded in the morning, with the help of God.[Still more
defiantly.] We’ll be happy now, the two of us, in spite of the divil! [He
crushes her to him and kisses her again.][…]” (“Anna Christie” 352)
Two years later, in 1924, when O’Neill wrote Desire under the Elms he still holds up to this theme of a prostitute helplessly trapped by circumstances. As I stated before, the prostitute Anna Christie was transformed through the true love of Mat Burke. [...]
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. A woman’s personae – The Jungian Classification
2.1 The Mother
2.2 The Hetaira
2.3 The Amazon
2.4 The Medium
3. The fairer sex
3.1 Anna Christie
3.2 Abbie Putnam
3.3 Conclusion
4. Eugene O’Neill’s women – an attempt of a final analysis
Objectives & Core Topics
The primary objective of this work is to analyze the psychological archetypes and representations of women in Eugene O'Neill’s plays, specifically focusing on the characters Anna Christie and Abbie Putnam through the lens of Jungian and Wolffian theory.
- The influence of Carl Gustav Jung’s and Toni Wolff’s archetype classifications on O’Neill’s character development.
- Examination of social and personal motivations behind female protagonists in early 20th-century American theater.
- Contrast and comparison of the "prostitute" and "mother/mistress" tropes in O'Neill's dramatic works.
- Analysis of the author’s personal experiences and their reflection in the portrayal of maternal figures.
- Evaluation of the protagonists' struggles for identity and reconciliation with society.
Excerpt from the Book
3.2 Abbie Putnam
Desire under the Elms (1924) also deals with a prostitute, who during the course of the play turns to a wife-mother. Abbie Putnam is the symbol of earthly desires and maternal affections a man seeks in a woman. She rises in her search from an inferior social position to the head of the household. Abbie is described in the beginning as a thirty-five, buxom, full of vitality (“Desire under the Elms” 335) with a sensual face, which is marked by strength and determination. From her first appearance in the play Abbie takes deep and full possession of everything including Eben, who becomes at once, in her eyes, a means to an end. To this end she tries to attract him by pointed references to the youth they share.
Abbie plays a double role. She is mistress and mother at the same time by offering Eben maternal and sexual love. Abbie utilizes her sexuality to secure a position in the world. She has nothing else to offer so she must sell herself in marriage in order to stake a claim on the farm, her first real home. Abbie Putnam is only defined by her biological roles of a prostitute, wife, lover and mother. She engages in a search for something beyond her present existence but the search is limited to the quest for ideal love and so stops at personal relationship, a role that is eternal for a woman belonging to the O’Neill world. First, Eben furiously tries to resist her. Abbie, for her part, has to take his mother’s place to release his libido. Therefore she leaves her bedroom and boldly invites Eben to join her in his dead mother’s room. There, despite of himself he is drawn to her and Abbie succeeds in her seduction.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter outlines the role of female characters in Eugene O'Neill's work and introduces the plays Anna Christie and Desire under the Elms as primary study subjects.
2. A woman’s personae – The Jungian Classification: This section details the psychological framework of Carl Gustav Jung and Toni Wolff, defining the four archetypal feminine functional types.
2.1 The Mother: Discusses the maternal archetype as a primordial image and its role in influencing a child's later perception of women and feeling.
2.2 The Hetaira: Defines the Hetaira as an individual-oriented female archetype focused on interpersonal relationships rather than social expectations.
2.3 The Amazon: Analyzes the independent, functional archetype of the Amazon who relates to men as a competitor or comrade.
2.4 The Medium: Describes the Medium as the personality type through which the collective unconscious expresses spiritual and irrational elements.
3. The fairer sex: Examines how O'Neill’s personal family history and his relationship with his mother shaped his depiction of women in his plays.
3.1 Anna Christie: Provides an analysis of the protagonist Anna Christie, her transformation from a prostitute, and her search for identity.
3.2 Abbie Putnam: Evaluates the character of Abbie Putnam, focusing on her dual role as a mistress and mother within the patriarchal setting of the play.
3.3 Conclusion: Synthesizes the previous findings by classifying Anna and Abbie into the Jungian/Wolffian categories and assessing their ultimate fates.
4. Eugene O’Neill’s women – an attempt of a final analysis: Concludes the study by summarizing O’Neill’s general view of women as both sources of solace and destroyers of dreams.
Keywords
Eugene O'Neill, Anna Christie, Abbie Putnam, Jungian archetypes, Toni Wolff, feminine psyche, The Mother, The Hetaira, The Amazon, The Medium, prostitute, drama, psychology, literature, social roles
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this publication?
The publication examines the complex psychological portraits of women in the plays of American playwright Eugene O'Neill, specifically investigating the characters Anna Christie and Abbie Putnam.
Which theoretical framework is applied to the characters?
The author applies the psychoanalytic theories of Carl Gustav Jung and the refined classification system developed by his associate Toni Wolff regarding feminine archetypes.
What is the primary objective of the analysis?
The goal is to determine how O'Neill used his personal life experiences and psychological theories to construct his female protagonists and how these characters navigate their existence in a hostile society.
What methodology does the author use?
The work utilizes a literary analysis approach combined with psychological archetypal theory to compare and contrast the behavioral patterns and social motivations of the selected protagonists.
What themes are explored in the main body?
The main body explores themes of identity, maternal affection, prostitution, social stigma, and the struggle for redemption in a world governed by patriarchal structures.
Which keywords define this work?
Key terms include Eugene O'Neill, Jungian archetypes, feminine psyche, Anna Christie, Abbie Putnam, and structural character analysis.
How does the play "Anna Christie" demonstrate the concept of regeneration?
Anna seeks regeneration through the love of a man and the influence of the sea, transitioning from a prostitute to a woman who asserts her independence and purity of soul.
Why does Abbie Putnam murder her child?
Abbie murders her child as an extreme, tragic attempt to prove her love for Eben Cabot and to secure their relationship, reflecting her complex, dual-role nature as both mistress and mother.
What is the significance of the "mother" figure in O'Neill's work?
The mother figure serves as a source of both security and "sinister maternity," deeply influencing the male protagonists' psychological development and their search for wholeness.
- Quote paper
- Nadine Kröschel (Author), 2004, Eugene O'Neill and the fairer sex - Anna Christie and Abbie Putnam, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/58174
