Freedom and Fixity in the Plays of Eugene O'Neill

One of the constant poles in O'Neill's plays is this desire for freedom, a word that has particular significance when related to the O'Neill canon. In fact, the first four definitions of "freedom" in the OED seem specifically written with O' Neill in mind: "exempti...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Modern drama 1988-03, Vol.31 (1), p.16-27
Main Author: Ben-Zvi, Linda
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
American literature
Drama
History & criticism
O'Neill, Eugene
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:One of the constant poles in O'Neill's plays is this desire for freedom, a word that has particular significance when related to the O'Neill canon. In fact, the first four definitions of "freedom" in the OED seem specifically written with O' Neill in mind: "exemption or release from slavery or imprisonment; liberation from the bondage of sin (figurative); the quality of being free or noble; and the state of being able to act without hindrance or restraint." O'Neill Freedom and Fixity in the Plays of Eugene O'Neill constantly creates personae who long to escape the imprisonment they feel within the microcosmic world of the family and the macrocosmic world of twentieth-century materialistic society; who feel the weight of sin, and desire surcease from its burden; who seek if not nobility at least a life of purpose; and who yearn to be unhindered and unrestrained.
ISSN:0026-7694
1712-5286
DOI:10.3138/md.31.1.16