Review: Mourning Becomes Electra

24 september 2018

On 24 September, We have watched the film version of  Mourning Becomes Electra which was directed by Dudley Nichols (1947) at our Department of English. We cannot find any major difference between the film version and the original play. Most of the things, dialogues are same as in the original text.
Mourning becomes Electra is a play written by Eugene O' Neill. He has included many themes in this short play and also takes the base of Oedipus and Electra myths.

Themes of the play

i) Guilt
ii) Scattered relationship
iii) Oedipus Complex
iv) Electra Complex
v) War
vi) Inner conflict
vii) Death/ suicide
viii) Influence of past/ treatment of mask
ix) Conspiracy

Let us discuss each and every theme in detail-

i) Theme of Guilt

We can see the Guilt conscious in the character of Lavinia, Christine and Orin. Lavinia is the only Manon who survives till the end. But she is the most unfortunate one who is living like a dead. She remains all alone in the end. Then she realised her mistake, what harms she did to her family. She cajole her brother to kill Adam Brant, and also coax him against her mother. She also tries to cajole her father against her mother. In this way at last nothing remains, only guilt was there in her mind.
The guilt of Christine is reflected in the play when she commit suicide. She realised that she has done wrong or also feels herself all alone without her son Orin, who is now in the side of Lavinia and her Lover Adam Brant.
Orin treats her mother badly after the cajoling of his sister Lavinia. Then afterwards when Christine commit suicide, he realised his guilt and in the end he also did the same, committed suicide.

ii) Scattered relationship

There is no unity in the family of Manon. All relationships are scattered, husband-wife, brother-sister, father-son, mother-daughter. There is no peace inside the home, but peace outside. Ezra mannon after returning from war finds himself in more trouble than the problems he faced with the bitter experience of War. His relationship with his wife is also not happier one, even he ignores his daughter in front of his wife, but Christine didn't care much for him anymore. Christine also dislikes her own daughter Lavinia, because of her hatred towards Ezra Manon. Orin also treats his sister badly after realizing his guilt. In this way there are scattered relationships in Manon family.

iii) Oedipus complex

In the character of Orin, we find Oedipus complex. He is so much obsessed to his mother Christine. After returning from war, he spend all his time with his mother and didn't give time to his sister Lavinia. The way he is behaving with his mother, is not like son, but like her husband. He even didn't wants to marry with Hazel, because he just wants to be in company of his mother only.

iv) Electra Complex

The obsession of daughter with her father is seen as Electra complex. In this play the daughter Lavinia cares for her father very much and even she didn't want to leave him. She always portrays herself as an over protective daughter. When she comes to know about the extra marital affair of her mother then she became angry and started quarreling with her mother that how can she thinks of doing cheating with her loyal husband. Lavinia thinks of taking revenge against her mother only because of her father. As Christine murdered Ezra Mannon, just because she wants to live with her lover Adam Brant. These all things makes us aware about the strong bonding between daughter and father, rather than mother and daughter.

v) Theme of War

In this play both, father and the son came from war. But they are more insecure at their home rather than to remain, or fighting in war. Ezra Mannon after returning from war, comes to know about the extra marital affair of his wife. And feels like cheated. Christine justifies her act of unfaithfulness towards her husband, and also murdered Ezra, to stay happily with her lover Adam Brant.
On the Other side, Orin also returns from war and finds his home insecure, when he comes to know about the murder of his father. He started hating his mother Christine. But at the end he realized that it was only because of Lavinia, this all things happen and also realized his guilt after the suicidal act of  Christine. Then afterwards at the end he decides to commit suicide.

In this way war was not shown here as disastrous, or something terrible, out of which no one can rescue, no one can come out, but it  is the home which is reflected as more dreadful than war, where both the soldiers met to their final end of life. They won't be able to fight bravely, as like they did on the frontiers. The scattered relationship, unfaithfulness, among the family members is presented as more terrible than the war. Therefore here war comes as just a name, nothing is shown about it. No fights, no death, nothing.

vi) Inner conflict

There is always inner conflict going on in the mind of the characters. All characters are facing some kind of conflict inside. Christine thinks a lot what to do or what not to do. then finally she reveals her secret and murdered Ezra. She is also scared from her daughter, that whether she has told everything to Orin or not, about her act of murder. These all kinds of thoughts are coming in her mind. At last when Orin killed Adam. She thinks that now she became all alone and there is no one with whom she can stay, and this conflict leads to suicide, she attempt suicide and finds it as a solution to escape from the life.

vii) Death/ suicide

Two characters in the play commit suicide ( Christine and Orin) and two gets murdered (Ezra Mannon and Adam Brant). In this way death theme remains in the play. At the end no one survive except Lavinia, among the Mannon family.

viii) Influence of past/ treatment of mask

In the play, there always remains the influence of past over present. After the death of Ezra Mannon and Christine Mannon their daughter and son became same as they are. They make the past live into the present. They are not only bringing similarity by their look, but by their nature also. Lavinia resemble totally with her mother  and Orin with his father. Both are carrying same characteristics from their parents. In this way even after the death, their influence remains in the present in form of their daughter and son. The same look of son and daughter is also called the treatment of mask, as it looks like they have wear the mask of their parents.

ix) Conspiracy

The conspiracy is going on inside the Mannon house. Christine is conspiring against Ezra Mannon with her lover Adam Brant. Lavinia conspiring against her mother to take revenge of her father's death. In this way conspiracy among the characters, mainly women characters going on. male characters are not shown as doing conspiracy, but in a way they are following the women conspirators and also supporting them. Adam Brant support Christine to murder Ezra Manon, Orin support his sister Lavinia to murder Adam Brant.