The Social Implication of Internal Instincts and Hidden Motives in O’Neill’s Mourning Becomes Electra

Subject Areas : Iranian Sociological Review

Azita Aryan ¹ , Narges Karimi Rahjerdi ^{2 *}

1 - Department of English Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran
2 - Department of English Literature, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Iran

Received: 2016-12-24 Accepted : 2016-12-24 Published : 2016-09-01

Keywords: Internal Instincts, Eugene Gladstone O’Neill, motives, social implication,

Abstract :

American playwright, Eugene Gladstone O’Neill (1888-1953) is presenter of truth withoutcomprising his beliefs. His works are dramatized by passion elements such as memories, dreams, and byawareness of forces. During mid-1920s he became interested in dramatizing complicated pattern of his family’slife. Mourning Becomes Electra, which opened on Oct. 26, 1931, and had fourteen acts, was O'Neill's greatestmasterpiece. In fact it is one of the most psychological works ever written in which all the characters resemblecomplexes introduced by great psychologist, Sigmund Freud. The power of irrational that is driven by theexistence of subconscious and the role of instinct, repression, suppression, influence of parents and above of all,inhibition is the formation of personality and in adults are the causes of suffering according to the importance ofsensual relationship which is based on their instinct. “Instinct is a continual internal stimulus, which producesspecific satisfaction if it obtains sufficient response. (Freud 129).