Eugene O’Neill is a successfully talented playwright, who never ceased the search for a true meaning in life. The deeper he caved into his own mind and spirit, the less capable of surviving he became. His quest to find truth and meaning in life was due largely to his tragic childhood. Born into a family with a father, who was a talented actor, and a mother, who was addicted to drugs, particularly morphine, Eugene O’Neill suffered from lack of attention and nurturing. The reason for such lack of love from his mother was due largely to the death of his brother, Edmund. Eugene’s mother blamed herself for the incident and became addicted to morphine in order to detach herself from reality. From then on, it was as if Eugene did not have a mother. James O’Neill, Eugene’s father, was even less capable of being around his sons because of his acting career. Thus, Eugene was deprived of an enjoyable childhood.
Based on this tragic life, it is no wonder Eugene’s plays focus largely on typical themes such as maternal loss, sense of home, purpose for living, and the affirmation of marriage. In Desire Under the Elms, maternal loss is evident throughout the play. Peter and Simeon are not the only ones that do not have a mother around; Eben loses his mother at a particularly young age also. The presence of a marriage between Cabot and Abigail is used to introduce a mother into the family again to compensate for the loss of a mother. However, Abigail, a supposed mother figure transforms into Eben’s lover. The affirmation of marriage is then questioned. Abigail is unfaithful to Cabot. Thus, it is evident that Eugene is exploring the reason for marriage and its complications.
The transformation of a mother into a lover parallels the relationship between Eugene and Carlotta. Eugene constantly sees Carlotta as the mother he never had and thus, a suitable lover. She gave him the nurturing, care, and love that his mother never did– the love that he never received as a child. Thus, it was with Carlotta that Eugene found stability. Much of this relationship is explored in Desire Under the Elms between Eben and Abigail.
The sense of home is examined as all characters in Desire Under the Elms are in a constant rivalry for ownership of the farm. At first, Eben pays Simeon and Peter to buy the portion of their land that would be granted to them in Cabot’s will. However, Abigail comes along to take the land away from everyone, while Cabot is determined to keep it for himself and wishes that he could take it with him when he dies. What, then, is the purpose of living for these people? Is it to own a land they can call their own or is it to find true love? Eugene explores the meaning of life in Desire Under the Elms, for at the beginning, the struggle is to own land, but in the end, the struggle transforms into a search for true love– to love and be loved.
