Symbolic Image of Sky in Desire under the Elms

杜曼丽  石军辉（咸阳师范学院外国语学院  陕西咸阳  712000）

摘要：《榆树下的欲望》是美国剧作家尤金·奥尼尔的代表作之一。奥尼尔在《榆树下的欲望》中不仅以现实生活为蓝本, 更揉入了许多寓意深刻的象征成分。本论文从象征主义的表现手法方面分析欣赏奥尼尔的著名悲剧《榆树下的欲望》,通过对作品中天空的象征意象的研究，使我们加深对奥尼尔戏剧的创作思想及其作品的主题意义的理解，同时更有利于寻找现代悲剧的创作根源。

关键词:  奥尼尔；《榆树下的欲望》； 榆树；  天空 ；  象征意象

Abstract：Desire under the Elms is one of the master pieces of Eugene O’Neill. The work reveals a tragedy of spiritual and survival desire of human being. Under the influence of modernism which appeared in the early 20 century, O’Neill also adopt the symbolic techniques to disclose cruelty of real life in the play. The thesis will analyze symbolic images of sky，to highlight the destructive power of improper desires in Desire under the Elms,which can help us have a deeper understanding of O’Neill’s thoughts and the thematic meaning of his play.

Key words:  O’Neill  Desire under the Elms  symbolic images

1  Introduction

Desire under the Elms is the representative work of American playwright Eugene Gladstone O’Neill (1888—1953). The work reveals a tragedy of spiritual and survival desire of human being. Under the influence of mordenism which appeared in the early 20 century, O’Neill also adopt the symbolic techniques to disclose cruity of real life in the play. In the play, O’Neill revealed material and wealth desire in capitalist society in a roundabout way by applying symbolic images. With the help of many vivid symbols, he demonstrated abstract conceptions and unfathomable senses concretely, created fresh and stark images subtlety, set unexpected plots naturally, and made the drama successfully. In the tragedy, O’Neill applied many symbols to reveal the smothering Puritan life, Freudian psychology and American dream about wealth. This thesis tries to deal with the symbolic images in Desire under the Elms. It aims to give a more comprehensive and better interpretation of the play, find his motion of creation and try to find the root of tragedy of modern people.

2 Symbolic Images in Desire under the Elms

And in this famous tragic play, the symbolistic way is fully applied, especially the symbol of elms. The introductory words of the general scenery in the beginning of the play establish the overwhelming grim atmosphere of the whole play. The color of the stonewalls is“sickly grayish”，the green of the shuttles is faded，and above all，the two enormous elms standing on each side of the home imply the evil in the family: “They brood oppressively over the house. They are like exhausted women resting their sagging breasts and hands and hair on its roof. And when it rains their tears trickle down monotonously and rot on the shingles” People 1iving under these uncommon elms are possessed by two kinds of desires: desire of material Wealth represented by gold and farm and desire of sex.

2.1Symbolic Image of Sky in Desire under the Elms

As the father of American drama, O’Neill is the first man who proverb serious theme of the play and who test the traditional play. For him, the misfortune of mankind is not only the result of imbalance of the society.The tragedy scene which troubles O’Neill is not only embodied by a tragic ending in the play.He needs something more powerful and more mysterious in a form  which can state that man not only has relationship with society but also with the universe which is bigger than the mankind and society. O’Neill depicts and outlines the image of sky as the symbol of universe and God with a heavy writing. When Eben appears on the scène for the first time, he is described as: He puts his hands on his lips and stares at the sky.He sighs with a puzzled awe and blunts out with halting appreciation: “God!  Purty”. The sky symbols the true beauty, the great power and the eternal vast world which gives the hope, dream, even illusion to people on the earth. Ebben feels confused about life,he seeks into the nature in the hope to find out the mysterious power  which control the world.The sky in the play is the representation of universe, is the embodiment of the God. Compares with the time-transcendent universe and sky, the span of man’s life is shot, fragile and negligible.Man’s veneration and appreciation to the sky shows their constant pursue for supreme beauty and power, their longing for freedom, their reverence for the mysterious and vast universe, and their comply and devoutness to the God who lives in the heaven sky. So the main character of the play constantly looks at the sky and praise the beauty of the sky.The sky makes them think about the meaning of life.

To be concrete, in Cabort’s eyes, sky symbols as God from whom he seeks power, courage, guide and hope. Especially when he talks his past to Ebbie in dialogue,several times he mentions: “--Purty,hain’t it?--The sky feels like a wa’m  field up ‘thar.--God’s hard, not easy!”. To Simeon and Peter, Cabort’s two senior sons,the endless sky is the symbol of freedom for which they go to panning in California.In the first scene of the play, looking at the gorgeous sunset, Peter thinks the gold in western American.He also wants to pan for wealth in western to realize the dream of money success. Eben usually airs his depression to sky to seek console,help and dream.

 At the end of the play,the true love between Eben and Ebbie overcome the greedy material desire.Cabort step out of the farmhouse,looking at sky,his depressed feeling has been vent out: “—God o’the old!, God o’the lonesome!”.Eben once hopes Ebbie to escape,but Ebbie doesn’t agree: “I got t’take my punishment—t’pay fur my sin.”Eben says: “—then I want t’share it with ye—I get t’pay fur my part o’the sin!—I’want t’share with ye—Ebbie—Prison’r death r’hell’r anythin’!—I won’t feel lonesome,leastways.”When coming out from the farmland hand in hand, Eben points at the rays of the morning sun in the sky: “—Sun’s,a-rizin’.Purty,hain’t it??” “-- yes, it is” They stare at the ringing sun with uncertain and pious expression. The sky is the symbol of their beautiful image for happy life no matter what has happened or what would happen in their life.The sky is so mysterious to capture,so obviously, the image of sky hints the tragic ending of the play on some degree.

3 Conclusion

As talented playwriter, O’Neill shows his remarkable creativity in setting up his own art style to break up traditional idea of drama creation. In the play, O’Neill revealed material and wealth desire in capitalism society in a roundabout way by applying symbolism. With the help of many vivid symbols, such as elms, home, the land, the sky…, he demonstrated abstract conceptions and unfathomable senses concretely, created fresh and stark images subtlety, set unexpected plots naturally, and made the drama successfully.

References:

1. Lings, Martin. Symbol&Archetype: A Study of the Meaning of Existence. Kentucky: Fons Vitae,2006.

2. O' Neill, Eugene.Desire under the Elms.In Drama in the Modern World: Plays and Essays.Edited by Samuel A. Weiss printed in the USA, 1964.

3．李晓瑜: 《象征手法在< 榆树下的欲望> 中的运用》, 黄河科技大学学报, 2004年9月第6卷第3期。

4．张秀清:《论象征主义手法在< 榆树下的欲望>的运用》, 内蒙古财经学院学报出版社, 2006年9月第第3期。

5．曹明海.意象解读艺术论[J].文艺研究,1995,(2).

6. 翟士钊.美国文学选读[M].开封:河南大学出版社,1994.会科学，2006（12）

作者简介：杜曼丽，女，英语语言文学硕士，咸阳师范学院外国语学院讲师。

研究方向：英语语言文学   

石军辉，女，硕士，咸阳师范学院外国语学院讲师。

研究方向：英语语言文学  

《新丝路》是国家新闻出版广电总局批准的一本综合性社科类期刊，国内刊号CN61-1499/C，国际刊号ISSN2095-9923，邮发代号52-248。这是一份随国家“一带一路”发展战略应运而生的新型刊物，由由陕西省社会科学界联合会主管，陕西省社会发展研究会主办。

欢迎老作者、新作者踊跃投稿！

投稿邮箱：tougao85@163.com    tougao58@163.com

咨询电话：029—87362792         13309215487

编辑：孔延莉 QQ511860427    416480080