40 pages 1 hour read

Eugene O'Neill

Beyond the Horizon

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1920

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Essay Topics

1.

The depiction of Rob’s illness is largely based on O’Neill’s own experience with tuberculosis, for which he was admitted to a sanatorium for five months. It was during this time that he sought comfort in writing and felt called to it as a vocation. Similarly, after his daughter Mary dies, Rob “stayed indoors and took to reading books” (184). Do poetry, literature and writing have a positive or negative influence in Beyond the Horizon? Explain.

2.

Encyclopedia.com defines a tragedy as “a form of drama in which a noble hero (the protagonist) meets a fate inherent in the drama’s action.” To what extent are the tragic events of the play inevitable or a result of the central characters’ own free choices? Support your response with evidence from the play.

3.

The horizon is a central recurring motif throughout the play. Trace the appearance of the horizon throughout the play and consider how O’Neill’s use of the image changes as the plot progresses.

Related Titles

By Eugene O'Neill

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