『사생아를 위해 뜨는 달』에 나타나는 자기와의 화해 문제

Abstract

Eugene O`Neill`s first concern in his dramatic world was the relationship between man and god. Although the gods in both the mythological and Biblical worlds were dead, and science and materialism had failed to take their places, still, O`Neill was always acutely conscious of “the Force behind.” He kept trying to find this Force which would provide his heroes with universal and even divine significance so that his tragedies could bring about the same effects that Greek tragedies had on audiences of antiquity. O`Neill`s quest for “the Force behind” also has roots in his personal need to settle his traumatic love-hate relationship with his mother through his writing. His guilt-stricken feelings for his mother became the personal reason for seeking the “Force behind.” This study focuses on one of his last plays, A Moon for the Misbegotten, especially on how the play is related to the Orestes myth, how the myth helps us better understand the play, and finally, how O`Neill achieves his dramatic quest through the re-enactment of the myth in the play.