Desire Under the Elms

Drama | Eugene O'Neill

Analyze the Relationship Between the Father and His Sons in O’Neill’s "Desire Under the Elms".

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Analyze the relationship between the father and his sons in O'Neil's Desire Under the Elms Or Comment on the relationship between the father and his sons in Desire Under the Elms Eugene O Neill in his play Desire Under the Elms shows a painful and bitter relationship between the father Ephraim Cabot and his three sons Simeon Peter and Eben Their bond is full of hatred pride and misunderstanding Cabot s cruelty and hardness make his sons rebel against him Love and trust disappear from their family Through this broken relationship O Neill shows the conflict between generations power and human greed for land and control Cabot s Cruel and Hard Nature Cabot is a strict and selfish father He only cares for his land not for his sons He says God s hard not easy This shows his belief in hard work and suffering He forces his sons to

work like slaves on the rocky farm His pride and authority crush their hearts The farm becomes a prison not a home Because of his cruelty the sons see him as an enemy not a loving father O Neill presents Cabot as a symbol of heartless power Simeon and Peter s Rebellion Simeon and Peter Cabot s elder sons are tired of their father s control They work day and night but get no love or reward They say Here stones atop o stones These words show their hopeless life They dream of freedom in California s gold fields Their plan to sell their share of the farm and leave is a quiet rebellion against their father s rule They prefer a hard but free life over slavery under Cabot s command Eben s Hatred and Desire for Revenge Eben s relationship with Cabot is the most bitter He believes that Cabot killed his mother by overworking her He says Didn't he slave Maw t' death His heart burns with anger and revenge When Cabot marries Abbie Eben feels more insulted His love for Abbie begins as revenge against his father O Neill shows Eben as a son destroyed by pain and hate His revenge finally destroys both him and his father s peace turning their lives into tragedy Abbie s Arrival and Family Conflict The arrival of Abbie Cabot s young wife deepens the family conflict She becomes a reason for hatred between father and son Cabot sees her as a reward for his labor while Eben sees her as a chance for revenge She says Let me kiss ye Eben I ll be everythin she was t ye Her presence adds jealousy and confusion Through Abbie O Neill shows how broken family bonds lead to sin and suffering Loneliness and Final Realization Ultimately Cabot comes to realize his loneliness and the failure of his fatherhood When Abbie and Eben are arrested he says sadly God s lonesome hain t He God s hard an lonesome These words show his regret His sons have left him and his pride has given him nothing but emptiness O Neill ends the play with deep sadness The broken relationship between father and sons becomes a symbol of human isolation caused by greed and pride In termination we can say that O Neill shows the tragic bond between a father and his sons Cabot s pride and hardness destroy love and unity The sons rebel hate and leave him alone The play proves that without love and understanding family ties turn into pain O Neill s tragic family reflects the dark side of human passion greed and generational conflict

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