Hello and welcome to the Discourse. Mourning Becomes Electra was another drama written by Eugene O’Neill in which he imitated Greek tragedies in modern American settings. After Desire Under Elms (1924), he wrote Lazarus Laughed which was again based on Greek tragedies, and then in 1931, Mourning Becomes Electra was performed. As the title suggests, this play is based on the Ancient Greek Drama Oresteia by Aeschylus. The whole play is divided into three sections, Homecoming, The Hunted, and The Haunting. Homecoming mirrors Aeschylus’s Agamemnon while The Hunted depicts the story of The Libation Bearers. The Eumenides is described in the third section The Hunted. The title of the play suggests that mourning is natural for Electra as if it is her fate that she cannot avoid.
Mourning Becomes Electra is a complex tragic play that not only depicts Greek mythology as wholly based on fate, but Eugene O’Neill also included psychological aspects of the characters from a Freudian perspective. One can find traces of Sigmund Freud’s idea of the Electra complex and Oedipus complex within the play.
Characters of Mourning Becomes Electra:
Brigadier General Ezra Mannon is the son of Abe Mannon and the husband of Christine. He is a war veteran who returns to his family. He deeply loves his daughter Lavinia but has a complex relationship with his son Orin Mannon who hates him. Ezra Mannon is a handsome man liked by all the town’s people. He is good for all except that he doesn’t like Captain Adam Brant. He comes to know that his wife Christine is in an extramarital affair with Adam but that is not the cause of his hatred of Ezra against Adam. Adam is the son of his estranged brother David Mannon who fell in love with a french nurse Marie Brantome who came to their house for taking care of Abe Mannon during his illness. But when she got pregnant, David failed to convince his father to accept Marie as his daughter-in-law. Abe Mannon expelled David from the family and town and he became a drunkard and died in the violence. Marie asked for help from Ezra but he also refused to help her. Adam Brant seeks revenge against Ezra and he knows it. Lavinia is deeply connected with her father. She is a thin, weak, yet beautiful girl whom her neighbor Peter Niles loves and wishes to marry. Hazel Niles is the sister of Peter who loves Orin and wishes to marry him. Orin has just returned from war and he is suffering a deep impact of violence. He has an unhealthy fixation on his mother and when she commits suicide, he blames himself for her death. Later on, her sister’s sexual escapades further deteriorate his mental health and lead to his fall. Seth Beckwith is a gardener working at Ezra’s mansion. He is friendly to the Mannon family. He is loyal to Lavinia and tries to help her at all times.
Summary of Mourning Becomes Electra:
The play begins as the Civil War is at its final stage. Brigadier General Ezra Mannon and his son Orin Mannon, who fought in the Union army are expected to return soon. Lavinia is talking to Seth Beckwith who informs her about the many visits of Adam Brant at Ezra Mansion behind her back. Lavinia believed that Adam is trying to court her but now she realizes that he is having an affair with her mother. Lavinia is a beautiful but cold girl who is not very much liked by her mother. Seth informs her that Adam, who is a clipper ship Captain, is the nephew of her father Ezra Mannon. He tells her the story of David Mannon and how he was ostracized by her grandfather. Lavinia has an inkling that Adam Brant is trying to exact revenge against her family.
The next time when Adam visits Ezra’s mansion, Lavinia confronts him and blames him for his evil intentions. Adam angrily accepts that he is seeking revenge and no matter how he will get his revenge. Lavinia discusses this with her mother Christine who promises her to remain away from Adam. However, Christine has no love for Lavinia or Ezra and when Adam meets her again, she suggests he poison Ezra as he is about to return. She informs him that Ezra is suffering from heart disease for which he regularly takes medicine and they can easily change that medicine with some poison that will kill him.
Ezra returns a week later and when Lavinia sees him, she feels elated as she is intensely and passionately attached to her father. Ezra has heard of Adam visiting his house at his back from the townspeople. When he meets Christine, he tells him that he wishes to mend their relationship and have a new beginning. Christine pretends to be interested and Ezra takes her to his room for making love. At night, Ezra hears a sound that wakes him up. He sees that Christine is trying to go out of his room. He blames her for trying to get rid of him and they start quarreling. Christine shamelessly accepts that she is in love with Adam and that triggers heartache in Ezra. As he seeks his medicine, Christine changes it with poison and runs away. As soon as Ezr takes the medicine, he realizes his death. He calls for help and when Lavinia rushes into his room, he manages to say that the medicine has been changed with poison and Christine is responsible before dying. Lavinia is devastated by her father’s death. When she inspects the box of medicine, she finds the poison and is convinced of her mother’s crime.
After two days, Orin returns with his neighbor and friend Peter Niles from the war. He has heard of his father’s death but he is not that sad as he was never close to his father. Rather, he is more enthusiastic and energized. Lavinia tries to inform him about the evil-doing of their mother Christine and warns him not to be manipulated by her but Orin fails to understand. When he meets Christine, she hugs him warmly and Orin feels exuberated. Lavinia realizes that Christine will easily manipulate him. Orins asks Christine about Adam and she lies that he is courting Lavinia and removes any doubt. Orin says that now that his father is no more, he wishes to take Christine on a long sea journey as he dreamed of sailing to the South Sea Islands with her.
As Lavinia gets a chance to talk to Orin in solitude, she informs him about Adam and Christine’s affair and how they planned and killed their father. Orin gets furious but he doesn’t believe his sister as he has more trust and love for his mother. Yet, he agrees to keep an eye on Christine if she tries to meet Adam to examine the validity of Lavinia’s blame.
After Ezra’s funeral, Christine visits the shore at night to meet Adam at his ship and informs him that Lavinia knows how they murdered Ezra and tells him to take her away from the town. Adam agrees and says that he will prepare for a long sail to China where he will take her. Christine returns home. However, she was being watched by Orin and Lavinia. Now Orin is convinced of Lavinia’s charges and as he sees Christine going away, he shoots at Adam and kills him. Lavinia and Orin make the murder look like a case of robbery.
At home, Christine is worried about Adam as she also fears her own crime to be revealed. She calls Hazel to talk to her. As Orin and Lavinia return from the shore, they inform Christine that some robbers have robbed and murdered Adam. This breaks Christine’s heart. As she sees Lavinia and Orin together, she realizes that Lavinia has told him about their father and she gets feverish. Orin tries to calm her down and tells her that now she can happily live with him openly suggesting his sexual interest in her. However, Christine decides to retire to her room and she shoots herself.
Lavinia believes that justice has been achieved while Orin is sad about Christine’s demise and he blames himself for her death. To soothe him, Lavinia says that they must go to the South Sea Islands to have some time to get over the accidents. Orin agrees and he and Lavinia go on a long voyage.
After a year, Peter and Hazel are eagerly waiting for the return of Orin and Lavinia. Hazel dream of marrying Orin as he returns while Peter is excited for Lavinia. When they return, Peter notices that Lavinia is changed, unlike the thin, weak girl she was in past, now she is voluptuous, excited, and happy about herself. Peter likes her more than ever. Orin on the other hand appears dull and confused. Peter appreciates the changes in Lavinia and she suggests that now that she has returned, they should marry soon. Orin interrupts and reminds her of how much she enjoyed her Journey to the South Sea Islands and how she mingled with the native people in China. Lavinia gets irritated by Orin at this and tells him to leave the past behind.
A month passes but Orin remains the same bitter and angry at himself and Lavinia. He is guilt-ridden. When Lavinia tries to talk to him, he says that he has written a detailed manuscript about the crimes of Mannon and she holds a lengthy space in that manuscript. Lavinia gets angry as she never did any crime and Orin accuses her of lurid behavior with a native named Avahanni whom she met during the journey. Lavinia admits that lust took her over and she submitted to Avahanni, Orin attacks and abuses her.
Peter is concerned about Lavinia while Hazel worries for Orin. She complains to Peter that Lavinia is controlling Orin too much but Peter dismisses her concern. One day, Orin meets Hazel and hands her over the manuscript that he wrote. He tells her that Lavinia should not marry Peter and if Peter decides to marry her, Hazel must make Peter read that manuscript before marrying her. While Hazel is confused, Lavinia sees notices them and sees Orin giving the manuscript to Hazel. She doesn’t know what the manuscript contains. She goes to Orin and Hazel and says that she will do anything if Orin gives that manuscript to her. Orin takes the manuscript back from Hazel and tells her that there’s nothing left between them and tells her to go away. Hazel is confused, angry, and disturbed but she decides to leave.
Orin faces Lavinia and says that he cannot let her marry Peter and she must know what he wants. He openly demands an incestuous relationship with Lavinia that he couldn’t have with Christine as she died. Lavinia is appalled. She cries and shouts at Orin and says that it is not possible to which Orin says that it is the only way they can live together. Lavinia refuses to submit and says that she wishes he dies. This strikes Orin as he realizes what he is trying to do. He goes away to his room and shoots himself.
After his funeral, Lavinia closes herself in her mansion. After a week she returns to her past self, She is now dull, weak, and thin. Hazel sees her and confronts her. Hazel doesn’t know what happened between her and Orin but she blames Lavinia for his demise and tells her to remain away from Peter as she is affecting him too. Soon Peter notices Lavinia and comes to greet her. Lavinia clings to Peter and tells her to marry her as soon as possible. Peter is confused about her hurried behavior. As he hesitates, Lavinia tries to convince him and while doing so, accidentally calls him ‘Avahanni.’ peter questions her about the native man and she realizes that marriage and happiness are not her fate. Her fate is to remain alone and survive the curse on the Mannons. She orders Peter to go away and tells Seth to close the gates of Mannon Mansion. She goes inside the house and shuts the door as the play ends.
So this is it for today. We will continue to discuss the history of American English literature. Please stay connected with the Discourse. Thanks and Regards.
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