摘 要

《榆树下的欲望》是尤金·奥尼尔的一部伟大悲剧作品，它深刻地揭示了在金钱占统治地位的社会里，人的自然的情感与本性是如何被压抑和扭曲的，因而产生了贪婪，狡诈，邪恶，虚伪。奥尼尔也向人们展示了人性中美好的一面，当爱情的火花迸发而出，冲破对金钱的占有欲时，为了得到一份真情，他们会奋不顾身地追求，正是这种疯狂造成了毁灭。本文将从马斯洛需要层次理论出发，分析剧中主要人物需求及其演变，最后得出结论，在这个物欲横流的社会，我们更应该时刻提醒自己，理性地看待身边的人和事物。

关键词：尤金·奥尼尔 ; 《榆树下的欲望》; 马斯洛需要理论；欲望膨胀；理性

Contents

1. Introduction.......................................................................................................1
2. Demonstration...................................................................................................1

2.1 Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory..............................................................2

2.1.1 The Background

2.1.2 Humanistic Psychology and Maslow’s Theory.............................................3

2.1.3 Application and Significance of Hierarchy of Needs Theory ......................4

2.2 A Detailed Analysis of the Main Characters’ Needs

2.2.1 The Social Background of Desire Under the Elms.......................................5

2.2.2 Ephraim Cabot, Simeon and Peter’s Lower-Order Need..............................5

2.2.3 The Need and Evolution of Eben and Abbie Putnam...................................6

2.3 The Conflict of Needs

2.3.1 The Conflict Between Eben and Abbie in Three Different Periods.............6

2.3.2 The Overexpansion of Desire......................................................................7.

2.3.3 Self-awaking in Conflict..............................................................................7

1. Conclusion......................................................................................................8

Works cited...........................................................................................................8

Bibliography..........................................................................................................8

Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs Theory in Desire Under The Elms

1.Introduction

Eugene O’Neil was a 19th-century American dramatist. O’Neil was the representative of expressionism. Critics once pointed out that, there was only theater before Eugene O’Neil, then appeared drama after him. O’Neil devoted himself to reforming drama. He set drama free from the traditional drama and made it take root and germinate in reality. It was his first time to apply the traditional methods of realism and naturalism into American drama. O’Neil had epoch-making influence on the development of American drama. In nineteenth century, there were other dramatists working hard but carefully keeping their business going. Although the achievements they had in American theatrical circles was very little. Until 1916, the one-act play Bound East for Cardiff went to stage which enjoyed the popularity among audience. Compared with poetry and fiction, American drama made much more achievements.

Desire Under the Elms was written by Eugene O’Neil, being regarded as the first great tragedy in America. The play was set in New England, depicting the strong conflict between a woman and two men. The cruel Cabot thought his son Eben was the weak and Eben was also hostile to his father. The charming woman Abbie fell in love with Eben and had a child. After that, Eben was skeptical about Abbie’s genuineness. In order to prove her sincerity, she killed the infant.The play profoundly and vividly illustrated the human tragedy of material desire and sexual passion. Material desire and sexual passion themselves did not have fault. It was human nature to have desires. However,the over-inflated ambitious could destroy everything like the atomic bomb exploded, leaving the world crying.The thesis would analyze the main characters’ desire from the perspective of Maslow’s Hierarchical Theory of Needs which was classified into five levels including physiological needs, safety needs, belonging and love needs,esteem needs,and the need for self-actualization. In the process of analyzing the motivation, we could comprehend that we ought to treat things more rationally in a materialistic society.