An Analysis of Beyond the Horizon and Diff'rent by Eugene O'Neill Essay

In Beyond the Horizon and Diff'rent, Eugene O'Neill reveals that dreamsare necessary to sustain life. Through the use of the characters Robert Mayo,Andrew Mayo, Ruth and Emma Crosby, O'Neill proves that without dreams, man couldnot exist. Each of his characters are dependent on their dreams, as they feedtheir destiny. When they deny their dreams, they deny their destiny, alteringtheir lives forever. O'Neill also points out, that following your dreams,brings you true happiness, something all of his characters do not experience.The characters of Rob, Andy and Emma are stripped of their dreams andtheir destinies, by the ones who profess to love them. Rob and Andy unknowinglyallowed Ruth to lead them down a path, they were not meant to travel. Emma isthe same as Rob and Andrew in this respect, because she let Caleb's actionscontrol her ability to follow her dream. Rob is a dreamer. His only wish is togo beyond the horizon' and discover the mystery of life. Andy, however, isRob's opposite. Andrew is practical and down-to-earth. His deepest desire isto spend his life farming. "One constructs the world out of fact, the other outof pure imagination." Rob's quest is strange to Andy it goes beyond anything hecan comprehend. Andrew, who is "A Mayo through and through." does not think inthe imaginative terms Rob does. "It's just beauty that's calling me-the beautyof the far off and unknown...in quest of the secret which is hidden over there,beyond the horizon." (Horizon, 85) Andy does understand, that his brother couldnever be happy living on the farm, because his heart is elsewhere. Emma is likeRob in a few ways. Both characters have idealistic views. Rob believes in thesecret beyond the horizon and Emma in Caleb's fidelity. Neither of themconsider the fact things may not be as they perceive them. For Emma, thisinnocence is her undoing. Emma considers Caleb to be diff'rent'. Thisdifference is what makes him special to her. She trusts he will always be thisway and that they will...

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