This document summarizes elements of Eugene O'Neill's play "Mourning Becomes Electra" that reflect aspects of his own life. It notes that O'Neill frequently wrote about themes of pessimism, death, and family dysfunction in his plays. Specifically in "Mourning Becomes Electra", it draws parallels between the suicides and murders that take place in the play and O'Neill's own experiences with death in his family. It also suggests the unhealthy family relationships portrayed in the play reflect issues O'Neill had with his own parents.

1. Auto-biographical elements in
“Mourning Becomes Electra”
• Paper: The American literature
• Presented By: Poojaba Jadeja
• Roll No.: 20
• Year: 2014, semester 3rd
• Submitted to: Smt. S.B. Guardy
Department of English, Maharaja
Krishnkumarsinhji Bhavnagar
University

2. Auto-biographical elements
in
“Mourning Becomes Electra”

3. Eugene O’Neill as an
auto-biographical writer
• Pessimism in his plays
‘Desire Under the Elms’
‘Long Day’s journey into night’
‘Mourning Becomes Electra’
• Death and Murders in his plays
Eight suicides,
Twelve important murders,
Twenty six deaths,
Eight cases of insanity

4. In Mourning Becomes Electra
O’Neill’s pessimistic life
• Deaths and Suicides
Dark, gloomy atmosphere of the
play
• Suicide of Christiana and Orin,
Murder of Adam, death of Ezra
Failure of relationships
• Parents marital problems
Unhealthy, relations in the play
• Oedipus, Electra complex
• Hatred among family members
Love for sea Sea journey in the play
• Orin & Lavinia’s voyage
• Orin’s dream island

5. Orin’s
Oedipus
complex
His
brother’s
devotion
to his
mother
Lavinia’s
survival
O'Neill's
survival

6. Characters Struggling for love