In the play "Desire Under the Elms," by Eugene O'Neill, the characters of Ephraim Cabot, Abbie Putnam, and Peter Cabot are all deeply flawed and driven by their own desires. These desires ultimately lead to their downfall and the destruction of their relationships with each other.
Ephraim Cabot is a harsh and miserly old man who is obsessed with acquiring land and wealth. He is willing to go to great lengths, including manipulating and mistreating those around him, in order to achieve his goals. Ephraim's desire for power and control ultimately causes him to reject his own son, Peter, and drive a wedge between him and his second wife, Abbie.
Abbie Putnam, Ephraim's second wife, is a younger woman who is trapped in a loveless marriage to a man she hates. She is desperate for love and affection, and becomes attracted to Peter, Ephraim's son from his first marriage. Abbie's desire for love and affection leads her to betray her husband and risk everything for a chance at happiness with Peter.
Peter Cabot is Ephraim's estranged son, who returns home after a long absence. He is angry and resentful towards his father, and is determined to take back the land that Ephraim had taken from him. Peter's desire for revenge and retribution ultimately leads to his own downfall and his inability to repair his relationship with his father.
Overall, the characters of "Desire Under the Elms" are driven by their own selfish desires, which ultimately lead to their destruction. Ephraim's desire for wealth and power destroys his relationships with his son and second wife, Abbie's desire for love and affection leads her to betray her husband, and Peter's desire for revenge destroys his chance at reconciling with his father. These desires highlight the dangers of allowing oneself to be controlled by one's own desires and the importance of considering the consequences of one's actions.
Desire Under the Elms Analysis
She promises to endow him with a son, which thrills him. At the end of the play, Mr. He has poor eyesight, though, and does not notice what is happening around him. Upstairs, Eben goes into the adjoining bedroom to view the baby. All of the characters in Desire, then, want something they cannot have. His Oedipal search for a mother in Abbie is very hard to miss.
Abbie Putnam Character Analysis in Desire Under the Elms
Our academic writing service relieves you of fatigue, pressure, and stress. He is merely stating what every other character has stated albeit in a lighter fashion; it is also an ironic statement, as people have killed for this piece of land. He also plays Oedipus, the Greek tragic hero who kills his father Laius Ephraim, though Ephraim survives and marries his mother, Jocasta Abbie. Two huge elms droop on either side of the house, maternal but oppressive. Not only visiting Min, the village prostitute, but in having a passionate relationship with Abbie, Eben competes against his father and his hatred and anger is deep. Overhearing the discussion from the kitchen window, Eben remarks he wished their father were dead instead, then calls them in for supper. After the main elements of this theme are revealed, we discuss the farmhouse as an important setting in the play where all major events unfold.
Desire Under The Elms By Eugene O'Neill
GradeSaver, 27 December 2015 Web. Lastly, the dialect used by many of the characters and the simplicity of their words illustrate their uncomplicated social environment. He brings home Abbie, his new wife, after a journey he undertakes ostensibly for religious purposes. Simeon and Peter chide Eben for saying that about their paw. Thus, the complicated relationships between step mother and son, lovers, and competitors determine their tragic fates. He and Simeon both sells their share of the farm to their half-brother, Eben, in exchange for funds to travel to California.
