Partita Of Sensibility And Rationality

Eugene O’Neill (1888-1953), an American quintessential dramatist, is recognized as the founder of modern American drama. There has been rich criticism about the female characters created by this leading playwright at home and abroad, ranging from feminism, expressionism, psychoanalysis, female image, female discourse, tragic destiny, dual personality, etc., with sensibility and rationality of the female characters away from the critical attention. This thesis, with four female characters from O’Neill’s influential plays as the examples, and Nietschean concepts of Dionysian spirit and Apollonian spirit as the theoretical basis, probes into sensibility and rationality of these female characters, in the hope of understanding O’Neill’s female characters comprehensively, and sounding the alarm for the modern man.Introduction includes the brief accounting of Eugene O’Neill, literature review, and the theoretical framework.Chapter One is about Nina, a woman of over sensibility in Strange Interlude. Absolutely dominated by Dionysian spirit, Nina is too perceptual and impulsive to do whatever she wants. Young Nina is demented and indulgent while middle-aged Nina is selfish and greedy. Having passed through many vicissitudes of life, Nina seems to have controlled and conquered the four men she loves and who love her, she seldom feels happy and gets old long before her time. In fact, Nina lives a bitter and grim life in low spirits and finally, her husband, lover and son leave her alone. After experiencing a "strange interlude", Nina ends up staying with an old man, a father-like figure. Being over perceptual is the root of her tragedy.Chapter Two focuses on Lavinia, a woman of over rationality in Mourning Becomes Electra. Absolutely dominated by Apollonian spirit, Lavinia is too rational and brutal. It seems that her every act is done through comprehensive consideration and planning. To maintain loyalty to her father and her family, Lavinia instigated her brother Orin to kill Mother’s lover Brant. Lavinia’s cruel coldness emerged from her ignorance of the value of life. Being overwhelmed with sorrow, Christine committed suicide. Frightened Lavinia showed unusual composure and self-restraint. Then, just like what she had done to her mother, she drove Orin to shoot himself. Facing Orin’s death, she could still control herself with a terrible effort of will and marched stiffly from the room. Under the sway of her own morality, sinful Lavinia carried out her killing plan systemically, discarding family affection, love and friendship, blindly striving for principles and family ethics to the point of brutality and insanity. And finally she entombed herself within the family mansion for the remainder of her life.Chapter Three deals with Ruth, a woman of sensibility and rationality in Beyond the Horizon. Ruth is a healthy out-of-door girl. Although engaged to Andrew, she unexpectedly accepts the love from Andrew’s brother Robert with pleasure. Years of dull life and setbacks make her feel disillusioned, remorseful about her wrong choice about marriage. But everything is beyond retrieval. Finally she is left alone in total inanition, incapable of saving herself. Ruth’s romance to pursue love and better life, and her norm to face difficulties are embodied in Apollonian spirit and Dionysian spirit. Unfortunately, she fails to bring sensibility and rationality into her character harmoniously. Her blindness to herself, messy marriage life and wrong choice make her a thorough failure in life.Chapter Four analyses Anna, a woman of rationality with sensibility in Anna Christie. Anna was placed in foster care with one relative as a child and she had to slave for all of them. Later she was sexually abused by her elder male cousin and driven to prostitution afterwards. Anna loved the sea which made her feel as if she was clean and out of things altogether. At one foggy night, she met a stoker named Mat Burke and fell in love with him. Admitting the suffering past with incredible pain, Anna made her father and Burke understand and accept her, which is a basic factor for her future happy life. Anna possesses the desire and passion of Dionysian spirit as well as the wisdom, logic and principle of Apollonian spirit. The harmonious co-existence and full cooperation of the two spirits enable Anna respond appropriately according to specific situations. Accordingly, Anna realizes her desire and takes into account the rational discipline of the society and convention at the same time. Thus sensibility and rationality are brought into balance in Anna, an ideal and receivable woman. Finally, the thesis comes to a conclusion that a woman of over sensibility or over rationality is not ideal, with the former appearing to be neurotic and the latter appearing to be relentless. This character flaw shuts happiness out of her life, and ever worse, she tends to destroy her future and her family. Both sensibility and rationality cannot avoid the reoccurrence of tragedy totally, and it is necessary to bring sensibility and rationality into balance, which is helpful for a woman to make a sensible decision. In this way her requirement for sensibility can be met while rational consideration is brought in simultaneously, and the achievement of her goal will be approved by others and the society. As the saying goes,"the combination of Apollonian spirit and Dionysian spirit creates real art," so an ideal woman character is born from the harmonious integration of rationality and sensibility.