Name: Samiya Kagdi
Masters In: English Linguilang
Sem:3(Part-2)
Institution Name/Submitting To: S. B. Gardi, Department of English, MKBU.
Role No: 22
GmailId:samiyakagdi313@gmail.com
Mourning Becomes Electra as based on the Orestia, a cycle of three Greek Tragic play, written by Aeschylus, based on modern concept. Where Ezra Mannon becomes Agamemnon, Christine(Clytemnestra), Orin( Orestes), Adam Brant (Aegisthus)
) and Lavinia(Electra). This tragic play also unfolds the same story of Clytemnestra as being involved with Aegisthus, and wife of Agamemnon, who later on treacherously kills her husband to marry her lover. But unfortunately the entire conspiracy behind murder is revealed and the revenge is taken by killing Aegisthus through reunion of Orestes and Electra.
A Brief Introduction to the Novel
The novel, 'Mourning Becomes Electra' by Eugene O' Neille picturizes many of the characters as mentioned above. But in this novel, though repeating the same ancient story but if one is to see through the femininity and sexual desire lens, it seems as in this novel the mentioned inclinations are repressed on the female part, besides this Oedipus complex is given more importance. While the story is same in nature as Orestia Greek Tragedy published in 5BC by Aeschylus.
Definition of Psychopathology
In a more general sense, psychopathology is characterized with any experience or behavior, which causes impairment, distress or disability, particularly If it is thought to arise from a functional breakdown in either the cognitive or neurocognitive systems in the brain. It has a probability as classified with psychopathology.
E.G: WHEN SOMEONE IS DISTRESSED WITH HIS/HER BELONGING ONE'S DEATH, HE IN FRUSTRATION AND DESPAIR TRY TO FINISH HIS/HER LIFE. BUT SOMEWHERE IT HAPPENS THAT WHEN ONE TRY TO INSCRIBE SUCH EXPERIENCE ON PEN AND PAPER, THE PERSON WILL HAVE SOMEWHAT LIGHT AS HE HAS SHARED SOMETHING, WHICH WAS TORMENTING HIM/HER.
{Virginia Woolf: As not able to cope up with life, had tried to do away with her life after his marriage with Leonard and also is being criticized of indulged in 'homosexual relationship with Vita Sackville. But when she mediated her life through writing, she got his way out from tormentation, while it is altogether a different matter that she drowned to death}.
{T.S. ELIOT: Who was badly distressed of Verdenal's death and in his memory he had written an elegy, which was attributed to his friend. An entire fourth section of the wasteland is dedicated to him, named "Death by Water"}.
On the contrary if one is to see then those who are unable to copeup with their lives, has to succumb to life badly as being considered life as a puppet, that where it will lead one has to go and ultimately has to end where the life stop, its lead. Similarly we will see the character of Lavinia.
How Psychopathological aspect is connected in novel
The entire novel is based on 'psychoanalytic feature' through which one can study the characters. Where 'psychopathology' as an element is given more prominence. Though it is regarded with Freud's Psychopathology of everyday life, It has other aspects to be considered. Through one of the references, named "masking becomes Electra: O'Neill's, Freud and the Feminine by S. Georgia Nugent. Where it is saying, mainly focusing on Electra's character that Frued is trying not to Illumine the character of Lavinia but rather trying to place her in dark. Where it is camouflaged with Oedipus complex(not only the character of Lavinia but others too). Where Lavinia, during ongoing discussion on marriage proposal by Peter, she retorts as..
"MY FATHER NEEDS ME MORE."
As we saw already in the novel, that Christine blames Lavinia she would have come out, out of disgust in the world. Why she doesn't love her, but hate her. And as we have seen Rousseau's notion: Trauma in childhood could have negative implications later in adulthood. The idea influenced Austrian psychoanalyst, Sigmund Freud in Nineteenth Century.
Which we explicitly see in the novel. As Lavinia was remained aloof from her mother's love, she is attracted towards her father. Though this kind of notion is idealized as 'Oedipus Complex' by Freud but somewhere It seems as some internal factors are working behind a person, which is shaping her to become as such. Not intended but the circumstances, the internal factors, lack of mutual understanding between parents had somewhere affected their psychology badly, and those are unable to express due to the age factor and in embryonic stage and so it repressed and later founding some solid foundation to contemplate their repressed feelings and desires. Which is so engrossly nurtured throughout the specific period of time, that it has now become a substance, which will now maturely see, from where and how to play with the substance with some fluid combination. This is what happens in Lavinia's case. She is just observing the things till now. But when she came to know by the servant that 'Adam Brant is the son of Marie Brantome' who is the son of David Mannon, her father's brother. Who had eloped with her and since then for all the family members, David Mannon is considered to be dead and so noone talks or discuss him. When the involvement of Christine with Adam Brant is revealed in front of her eyes and also confession of Adam Brant that 'her father himself is responsible for his mother's death' as when she was sick and starving to death, she had asked help from Ezra Mannon but she wasn't given and so considers all mannon alike according to this treatment.
She seems to be possessive for her father and also some hideous desires are going on, as wants to take position of his father in family.
As in one of the scenes, we have seen when she is about to reveal the truth of 'she saw Christine Mannon upstairs, saying "I love you to Adam Brant and kissing him". She sees her father's portray, staring at him fixedly and then goes from there, and placing her hand over one of his father's hands, lovingly, protectingly.
This is these surrounding factors working behind, which had impelled her to do so, If we consider psychopathology. That what you have repressed until now, is now trying to attract forcing you to think keeping fore your past and it has now developed into insidious emotions, though this seems to be collective unconscious but now it has become fluid and natural outletting in everyday life.
Character Study of the Novel
Thus the character here Electra/Lavinia seems to be the result of the systematic repression, which is finding outlet now, in the form of love towards her father. Which seems to be natural, if we see casually but in deep it has some hideous implications of over obsession towards the father. Which denotes her intentions of mere protecting and possessing a child-like love for father but her refusal of marriage to Peter saying: "Her father needs her more" seems to over obsession. Which in normal society, can't be taken normally but abnormally. As ideally the thing must be spoken by his wife rather than the daughter. But as it is based on the concept of 'modern psychology' the idea isn't much objected and criticised but adjusted into the prospect.
PERSONAL IMPRESSIONS PROCESS
It seems when we read the character of Lavinia that how she is, that she doesn't think about her life, and wants to abandon her life for the father. But when seeing her caressing his father's hand in portrayal, it seems as she isn't caressing his hand out of love and protection but something underneath is going on. May be she wants to take place of her father, the notion of power of patriarchy is bruising inside, and who knows, if it lies unconsciously in her mind. Though the other aspects of the novel, won't let us to interpret in such a way but it seems to be hidden though in fragmentary form.
She sometimes seems to be moralistic as she tramps on feet, when Adam is trying to seduce her for making love. But somewhere it can be interpreted as she lacks trust for outside males and only considers male in home and so she rejects Peter and also later on denies Adam Branton but makes love with Islanders, which seems to be the modernised idea. While on the other side it can be also interpreted that O'Neill has just produced this idea, in periphery. It isn't given more importance but the destined fate of the family, which is forced so that it will recur throughout the generations, though it is based on outside supernatural factors. In this novel Karmic Philosophy is refered indirectly.
Conclusion
Thus in this novel we got to learn that Jean Jacques Rousseau's notion of 'trauma of childhood could have later negative implications in adulthood' has influenced Freud in rightful manner, and these impacts we can explicitly observe in Lavinia's character.
Works Cited
- Eliot, S. Thomas. "The Wasteland: Death by Water." Published in 1922.
- Nugent, S. Georgia. “Masking Becomes Electra: O'Neill, Freud, and the Feminine.” Comparative Drama, vol. 22, no. 1, 1988, pp. 37–55. JSTOR, www.jstor.org/stable/41153316. Accessed 12 Dec. 2020.
- O'Neill, G. Eugene. "Mourning Becomes Electra." Published in 1931.
- Woolf, Virginia. "The documentary: Biography of Virginia Woolf."
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