The Convergence of Psychoanalysis and Environment in Desire Under the Elms

Abstract

Eugene O’Neill’s Desire Under the Elms intertwines complex psychological dynamics with a harsh, unforgiving rural environment to explore human desire, repression, and trauma. This paper will discuss the psychoanalytic underpinnings of O’Neill’s characters, particularly the patriarchal figure of Ephraim Cabot and his sons, as they navigate the oppressive forces of familial legacy, guilt, and yearning. Drawing on Freudian and Jungian concepts of the unconscious, repression, and desire, the study examines how the characters’ inner conflicts manifest in their interactions with the land and each other. The environmental setting of the play, as an extension of the characters’ psyches, becomes a powerful symbol for their emotional and psychological states. The convergence of psychoanalysis and environment not only shapes the tragic fate of the characters but also reflects broader themes of inheritance, power dynamics, and the inescapable pull of the past. This paper argues that the interplay between the psyche and the environment in Desire Under the Elms reveals a deeply intertwined relationship where the characters’ desires and their surroundings both shape and confine their destinies, offering a poignant critique of the human condition.