Abstract Desire Under the Elms, an early masterpiece of Eugene O’Neill, presents a family ethical tragedy of incest and infanticide, which is driven by material possessiveness, sexual lust and revenge consciousness in a society dominated by Puritanism. Through the description of lost humanity, twisted family relationship and long-gone ethic principles, the play aims at revealing the morbidity of society and the significance of family ethics.29770
The paper is pided into six parts. The first part is the introduction. It includes a brief introduction to Eugene O’Neill and Desire Under the Elms, a literature review and the application of ethical literary criticism in analyzing Desire Under the Elms. Chapter One presents the ethic relationship between husband and wife. There is no mutual affection or love between them. It is Cabot’s excessive greed for possession and Abbie’s infinite desire for material security that bring them together. Chapter Two presents three kinds of ethic relationship between two generations, which are the incest between Abbie and Eben, indifferent relationship between Cabot and his three sons, and the cruel infanticide. Chapter Three comes to the analysis of routing the causes of this ethical tragedy. Not only the excessive material possessiveness, twisted sexual lust and revenge consciousness are served as the causes, but also the background of the society dominated by Puritanism accelerates tragedy in confining people’s thoughts and oppressing spiritual pursuit. Chapter Four explores the return of ethical norm and the pursuit of salvation. By observing traditional ethical rules, humanity is sublimated and the spirit is purified. In the process of salvation, love and death become the end of suffering and tragedy. The conclusion restates the significance of this play and the meaning of this research. Finally, it points out the limitations of this research that remains to be improved.
Key Words: Desire Under the Elms Eugene O’Neill ethical literary criticism tragedy ethical norm
摘 要美国剧作家尤金•奥尼尔的《榆树下的欲望》是其早期的剧作之一，展现了一部在清教主义思想统治的社会背景下，因物欲、情欲和复仇意识驱使而乱伦、杀子的家庭伦理悲剧。通过对迷失的人性、扭曲的家庭和伦理的缺失等方面的描写，揭示了家庭伦理价值观的重要性以及社会的病态性。
本论文在已有研究成果的基础上，将分为优尔个部分进行论述。引言部分包括对尤金•奥尼尔及《榆树下的欲望》的简要介绍，文献综述和运用理论框架文学伦理学批评分析剧作的方法和要点。第一章呈现剧中的夫妻伦理关系，卡伯特强烈的占有欲以及艾比对于物质安全感无止境的追求使这两个没有感情基础的人走到了一起。第二章呈现剧中出现的三种代际伦理关系，包括埃本和艾比之间背离传统母子关系的乱伦情缘，功利冷漠的父子兄弟关系和反伦理反人性的艾比杀子这一残忍行为。第三章分析得出除了过度的物欲、扭曲的情欲和埃本的复仇意识，作为当时社会统治思想的清教主义也是导致伦理悲剧的原因之一，其限制了剧中人物的思想，压抑个人精神追求，导致人性迷失，最终酿成了不可挽回的伦理悲剧。第四章探讨剧作埃本和艾比的救赎之路，反映了伦理规范的回归，他们通过死亡和爱获得心灵的救赎，启示读者通过呼唤并遵守传统家庭伦理准则，进而获得人性的升华和心灵的净化，达到真正的救赎。结论部分重申了该剧的意义和研究的价值，并指出本文存在的不足之处。
毕业论文关键词:《榆树下的欲望》 尤金•奥尼尔 文学伦理学批评 悲剧 伦理规范 从文学伦理学批评看奥尼尔的《榆树下的欲望》:http://www.youerw.com/yingyu/lunwen_25143.html