A Comparative Psychoanalytical Reading of the Main Characters in Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night and William Faulkner’s Go Down Moses
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Date
2023
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Publisher
Mouloud Mammeri University
Abstract
This dissertation examines the intricate relationship between literature and the human
psyche, focusing on themes of trauma, the past, and the archetypal manifestations of the
collective unconscious as explored by two prominent American authors, Eugene O'Neill and
William Faulkner. Through a detailed analysis of O'Neill's play "Long Day's Journey into
Night" and Faulkner's short stories "Go Down, Moses" and "The Fire and the Hearth," this
study delves into the psychological underpinnings of these seminal works. Utilizing the
psychoanalytic theories of Sigmund Freud and Carl Gustav Jung, the research investigates
the characters' psychological disturbances rooted in their pasts and the broader implications
of the collective unconscious. O'Neill's personal struggles, including his tumultuous family
dynamics and battles with alcoholism and depression, profoundly inform his writing,
particularly in "Long Day's Journey into Night," which is often regarded as his most
autobiographical work. By comparing the psychological landscapes of O'Neill and Faulkner,
this dissertation aims to illuminate the complexities of familial relationships and the enduring
impact of trauma in American literature.
Description
52p. ; 30cm+(CD-Rom)
Keywords
Human psyche/ Trauma, Past/ Archetypes, Collective unconscious, Character analysis
Citation
Literature and Interdisciplinary Approaches