The First Man by Eugene O'Neill
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"The First Man" by Eugene O'Neill is a play written in the early 20th century. The drama revolves around the complex relationships within the Jayson family, particularly highlighting the character of Curtis Jayson, an anthropologist who is preparing for an important expedition while grappling with the emotional fallout from his past and a significant change in his life. The opening of the play introduces Curtis, his wife Martha, and their friend Edward
Bigelow, setting the stage in their home. As they discuss Curtis's upcoming expedition—the chance to uncover the origins of mankind—tensions surface when Martha reveals she is pregnant, which complicates Curtis's plans and deepens the existing emotional turmoil. The dialogue highlights Curtis's preoccupation with his work and the unease he feels about the changes the pregnancy represents. Martha, understanding the implications, wishes to embrace this new chapter, contrasting with Curtis's conflicted feelings about fatherhood and his commitment to their intellectual life together. This dynamic sets up the core conflicts of the play, suggesting themes of sacrifice, love, and the struggle to balance personal desires with social expectations. (This is an automatically generated summary.)
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About this eBook
| Author | O'Neill, Eugene, 1888-1953 |
|---|---|
| Title | The First Man |
| Credits |
Produced by Charles Franks, Robert Rowe and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team. HTML version by Al Haines. |
| Reading Level | Reading ease score: 78.8 (7th grade). Fairly easy to read. |
| Language | English |
| LoC Class | PS: Language and Literatures: American and Canadian literature |
| Subject | American drama -- 20th century |
| Category | Text |
| eBook-No. | 4026 |
| Release Date | May 1, 2003 |
| Last Update | Dec 27, 2020 |
| Copyright | Public domain in the USA. |
| Downloads | 292 downloads in the last 30 days. |
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