The Influence Of Taoism On O'Neill's Late Plays

The critical studies of Eugene O'Neill range from general discussions of his work to discussions that focus on his theatrical techniques, his tragic vision, his sensitivity to the impact of black and immigrant minorities in American life, and the treatment of women in his plays. The study of Eugene O'Neill from the angle of Oriental influence is a comparatively less explored area. A minor branch as it is, it is yet significant in O'Neill criticism. Although O'Neill's Orientalism has been studied by some critics in both the East and the West, few monographs at home and abroad have specifically discussed the influence of Taoism, a particular school of Eastern philosophy, which, as O'Neill asserted, appealed to him more than other schools of Oriental thoughts. In order to compensate for this limitation, the present thesis sets out to provide a relatively thorough study of Taoist influence on O'Neill's art. The author focuses on the three plays O'Neill created in the last but the greatest path of his writing career - The Iceman Cometh, Long Days Journey into Night and A Moon for the Misbegotten - to examine the influence of Taoist principles.Taoism stresses spontaneity, simplicity, passivity and the suspicion that the self and the objective world are illusions. It emphasizes unity, peace and the spiritual rather than division, struggle and the material. Taoism points out the indefinable Tao, which regulates natural processes and nourishes balance in the universe and suggests yin/yang dynamic that explains the constant process of transformation and symbolizes the hidden, rhythmic unity of countless oppositions. Taoist philosophy deals with the pursuit of perfection, with the union of an individual human being with nature.Driven by the need to resolve the inner conflicts that resulted from his dualistic vision, O'Neill turned to Taoism. His Irish Heritage, Catholic school background and miserable childhood all contributed to this turn. The spiritual odyssey he began at an early age turned out to be a lifetime. His considerable reading in Taoism in the 1920s, together with the influence of his third wife, Carlotta, an ardent student of Chinese culture and thought, enabled his accurate and deep understanding of Taoistprinciples, and in turn helped him endure his last lonely suffering years. "Tao House" , the name O'Neill gave to the residence where he produced these three last and greatest plays is a good indication of his interest in Taoism at the time.Taoist element is evident in these final tragedies. Firstly, by examining the style and subject matter of the three final works in comparison with those of the plays O'Neill wrote in the early and middle periods, the present author intends to prove that Taoist view - "return to the root" and "return to simplicity" - has found its clear expression in the late plays. Secondly, O'Neill's interest in "the force behind" which is shown frequently through the words by his characters of these plays reveals the influence of the Tao, the basic concept of Taoism, on O'Neill. Thirdly, Passivity on the part of all the main characters is shaped by another principle of Taoism - "Wu Wei". Fourthly, the dynamic polarity - yin and yang helps O'Neill develop a dynamic vision of reality and harmonize the thematic oppositions between life and death, love and hate, past and future in the late plays. Fifthly, the theme of the pipe dream represents another major connection of O'Neill's late plays to Taoism. In the three works, Chuang Tzu's view of life as a dream or an illusion is shared by O'Neill's characters. Lastly but equally importantly, the union of an individual human being with nature pursued by Taoists is reached by Edmund, the protagonist in Long Days Journey into Night, who, in fact, is O'Neill himself. Although the experience of being united with the universe is transitory, O'Neill, a western writer, brought up against a dualistic western background, finally, through Edmund, found internal peace and satisfaction.Derived from the detailed analysis of these three...