Introduction
Eugene
O'Neill was born in Broadway hotel room in New York city on October 16,1888. He was
first American dramatist and receive
the Noble prize for literature. All of O'Neill play are written from a
personal point of view and reflect on the tragedy of the human condition. His
plays deal specifically with the American tragedy, rooted in American history
and social movements.
Eugene O'Neill
Yank is the protagonist of
the play who is portrayed as a British and laborer. Who search for a sense of
belonging in a world controlled by the rich like: Nazareth
steel. The play is divided into eight scenes and
there are many laborers like yank in the play with some high class characters
as well those characters are Mildred Douglas,
her Aunt, The secretary at
I.W.W. [Industrial works of the
world]. A Gentleman, Second Engineer etc.
Yank's follow workers are paddy, Long
and other firemen. So, from the very beginning O'Neill has started presenting
the class different with the use of language and other description.
O'Neill prominent concern
O'Neill real intention
behind writing such a mini play is to only figure out the situation of
oppressed industrial working people or class. No doubt, the play is the
representation of classification but it also demonstrates how the working class
people are treated by their upper class people. Mildred Douglas is from upper
class society and she behaves very ruddy with yank and call him "A filthy beast" Which
makes him undergoes a Crisis of identity.
Before that yank feels that he is the
master of the ship as he is the leader of his working group and engine of the
ship "Transantlantic Ocean
liner". This play also presents how the society is divided into two
parts specifically
The upper class and the lower class
Moreover, the rich are becoming richer while the poor are getting. Poorer
and O'Neill has drawn the reader's attention towards the major problem of the
working class with the portrayal of firemen that the world is having the only
desire to be master in life. It can be also considered as,
"The Master-Slave Mentality"
Because each character in the drama of life desires to be master in his or
her life. Master want to control their servant and slaves become conscious
about their condition and also try to suppress their slaves or the persons who
are inferior to them. For example, in the play,Yank, through he is a slave a
worker, tries to handle his fellow firemen by considering himself as a team
leader and the master of ship because he thinks that because of his stoking the
cool, the ship moves and he drives the huge ship. This is how he wishes to be a
master of slaves.
Eugene O'Neill has
perhaps, clearly demonstrated the American condition during his time.
That period it also called industrialized one as if was highly affected by it
and the the condition of laborers, because of this industries become pitiable.
They were not having their belongingness something special which they can call
their own or identity itself.
The masters are just like
the "Ring-Master" and
the slaves like yank, paddy, Long and other are just like their pet animals who
are played by their ring masters. People like
Nazareth Steel exploit their workers who belong to industrialist
society.
Throughout the play yank
searches for his real identity but finds none. O,Neill indirectly asks very
significant or suggestive question like: What is more important being dirty as
a slave or being filthy or the masters them selves? Where does their filthiness
come from? From their body or mind? It is mind then neither yank nor other
firemen but the upper class people are filthy. So for as their thinking regarding superiority is concerned.
As the low class people
do not have their own belongingness, if also shows the question which are raised
to their existence. All the workers like paddy, Long, yank etc. Consider that
transatlantic ocean liner as their house. They do not have their own house but
their work place become their livelihood is something serious problem caused in
their life. Though they are free they are bound by their masters so, it can be
said that they are:
"Free without
freedom"
conclusion
As the industrial environment is
presented as toxic ans dehumanizing, O'Neill present how the laborers are seen
by the master also presents how Humanity
is subsiding in this materialistic era. Yank has also been interpreted
as representative of the human condition, alienated from nature by his isolated
consciousness, unable to find belonging in any social group or environment. This
play also reveals how deeply and rigidly class is culture and the cultural and
financial bounderious it erects.
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