Eugene O’Neill’s Iceman Cometh: A Portrait of the American Underground
1. Introduction
Eugene O’Neill is considered to be one of the greatest American playwrights and a master of the drama genre. His work had a great influence on the development of American theater. In 1936, he was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature “for the power, honesty and deep-felt emotions of his works, which embody an original concept of tragedy”.
The play Iceman Cometh depicts events and social life American underground at the beginning of the 20th century. In this play, O’Neill creates vivid and bright images of characters and their life paths. The play is full of philosophical reflections on the meaning of life, death, love, and freedom.
2. Life and work of O’Neill
Eugene Gladstone O’Neill was born on October 16, 1888 in a hotel room in Times Square in New York City. His father was an actor named James O’Neill who achieved some success in his career. His mother was Ella Quinlan, an Irish immigrant who came to America when she was eighteen years old.
When Eugene was a child, his family often moved from one place to another because of his father’s work. As a result, he did not have a chance to receive a proper education and was mostly self-educated. When Eugene was fourteen years old, his father took him out of school and put him to work as an errand boy in a New York bookstore.
At the age of eighteen, Eugene ran away from home and started sailing around the world on different ships. He visited such countries as England, France, Spain, Cuba, Mexico, and China. These travels had a great influence on his later work.
In 1910, Eugene returned to America and started working as a journalist. He also began to write plays. His first play – “Ile” – was staged in 1916 but it was not successful. In 1920, his play “Beyond the Horizon” won the Pulitzer Prize and brought him fame as a playwright.
During his lifetime, Eugene O’Neill wrote more than fifty plays including such famous works as “Anna Christie”, “The Emperor Jones”, “Long Day’s Journey into Night”, “A Moon for the Misbegotten”.
Eugene O’Neill died on November 27, 1953 at the age of 65 years old.
3. O’Neill’s place in the American literature
Eugene O’Neill is one of the most important American playwrights of the 20th century. He is considered to be a pioneer of American drama and one of the founders of modern American theater.
O’Neill’s plays are characterized by their psychological depth and intensity of emotions. They deal with such themes as loneliness, despair, alcoholism, death, and betrayal. His plays are often autobiographical which makes them even more interesting for readers and viewers.
4. Themes and characters of “Iceman Cometh”
The play Iceman Cometh is set in 1912 in Harry Hope’s bar located in New York City’s Bowery district which was known for its poverty and crime at that time. The main character is Theodore Hickman – also known as Hickey – who is an insurance salesman with a wife and a child.
Hickey is a regular customer at Harry Hope’s bar. He is always cheerful and full of life. He is liked by everyone who knows him. However, Hickey is hiding a dark secret – he is an alcoholic.
The play follows Hickey’s arrival at the bar and his interactions with the other characters. These characters are all people who have lost hope in their lives. They are alcoholics, criminals, and prostitutes. They spend their days drinking and talking in the bar.
Hickey tries to convince them that they should not give up on their dreams and that they should start living again. However, his words fall on deaf ears. No one believes him.
5. Life in the American underground at the beginning of the 20th century
The play Iceman Cometh gives us a glimpse into the life of the American underground at the beginning of the 20th century. This was a time when poverty and crime were rampant in cities like New York.
People who lived in these conditions often turned to alcohol and drugs to escape from their problems. This is reflected in the characters of the play who are all alcoholics and addicts.
The play also shows us the dark side of human nature. The characters are all lonely and desperate. They have lost hope in their lives. Hickey tries to help them but his efforts are in vain.
6. Conclusion
Eugene O’Neill was a great American playwright who had a great influence on the development of American theater. His play Iceman Cometh is a masterpiece of American drama which gives us a glimpse into the life of the American underground at the beginning of the 20th century.