Identity
In O’Neill’s renowned play, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Mary Tyrone states, "None of us can help the things life has done to us. They’re done before you realize it, and... they make you do other things until at last everything comes between you and what you’d like to be, and you’ve lost your true self forever." In a similar vein, The Great God Brown explores the search for identity and the devastating impact on individuals who are unable to discover their genuine selves.
Betrayal
Dion's sense of self is lost early in life when his best friend, Billy Brown, betrays him. Dion recalls an incident from when he was just four years old: Billy "sneaked up behind me while I was drawing a picture in the sand he couldn’t draw and hit me... and laughed when I cried." This betrayal destroys Dion's trust in both Billy and humanity, prompting him to say, "I became silent for life and designed a mask of the Bad Boy Pan in which to live and rebel against that other boy’s God and protect myself from His cruelty." Ironically, this mask only isolates Dion further, hiding his true identity from others. Meanwhile, Billy, out of shame, transforms into "the good boy, the good friend, the good man." Both characters end up betraying themselves by adopting facades that hide their authentic selves.
Success and Failure
While Dion and Billy enjoy public success, they struggle with personal failures that ultimately lead to their downfall. Dion hopes to gain divine inspiration and become a famous artist. However, he sees himself as a failure, which becomes clear during a conversation with his mother. When she compliments his painting abilities, he responds, "why must she lie? Is it my fault? She knows I only try to paint." At one point, he holds onto some hope for his future as an artist, believing that "some day" he will create significant art. Sadly, he returns from Europe disheartened by his lack of success and turns to alcohol to dull his disappointment.
American Dream
Billy's idea of success is closely linked to the American Dream. He achieves his goal of becoming a successful architect, transforming into "a fine-looking, well-dressed, capable, college-bred American business man." Yet, his unreturned love for Margaret hinders him from building lasting relationships. Dion remarks that Billy has lost his spirit, telling him he is "unloved by life... merely a successful freak, the result of some snide neutralizing of life forces—a spineless cactus." When Billy claims he is satisfied with his life, Dion argues that "he's piled on layers of protective fat, but... he feels at his heart the gnawing of a doubt."
Billy convinces Dion to join his firm, offering him a chance to pursue his own version of the American Dream and secure a better future for Margaret and their children. Ironically, Dion's talent in art makes him a successful architect, but engaging in the materialistic chase of "The Great God Brown" leaves him feeling as though he has betrayed his true identity, ultimately leading to his downfall.
Change and Transformation
Throughout the play, the main characters and their masks experience profound transformations. Dion's despair over his artistic failures and his subsequent withdrawal from Margaret and their family have changed her from "a pretty and vivacious" young woman into someone weary of the world, with "an uncomprehending hurt in her eyes." Consequently, her mask has evolved into a "brave face she puts on before the world to hide her suffering and disillusionment." Dion's quest for divine inspiration in his work outwardly morphs him into a satanic figure,...
(This entire section contains 181 words.)
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marked by "cruelly malignant, mocking irony." However, beneath this exterior, he becomes "gentler, more spiritual, more saintlike and ascetic." Sadly, Margaret is unable to face the vulnerability of his true nature, which plays a role in his eventual downfall. Billy makes the most drastic change by taking on Dion's identity. When he adopts Dion’s mask, his own face becomes "ravaged and haggard" as he confronts his personal shortcomings. Assuming Dion's persona forces Billy to reflect on his own soul, filling him with "self-loathing and life-hatred," which ultimately becomes too much for him to bear.
Duality of Selfhood
The exploration of selfhood in The Great God Brown delves into the complexities of dual identities, underscoring the notion that selfhood is inherently multifaceted. Individuals often present a public image that may contrast sharply with their private persona. Under typical circumstances, the public and private selves align harmoniously, shaped by nature and social conditioning. However, tension emerges when the sensitive core of an individual—particularly one with an artistic temperament—finds itself at odds with the mundanity of the surrounding world.
In such situations, the inner self, yearning for authentic expression, risks becoming isolated, trapped by the constraints of societal norms and expectations. This chasm between private desires and public facades can lead to an identity crisis, as the inner self feels misunderstood, or worse, scorned. For those who hold integrity and cherish independence, the challenge amplifies. They must navigate the inevitable changes brought by maturation and life's shifting circumstances while striving for understanding and acceptance despite their inherent complexity and distinctiveness.
Struggle for Self-Determination
In Eugene O’Neill’s play, a profound struggle for self-determination unfolds through the contrasting lives and personalities of Dion Anthony and Billy Brown. Dion represents the archetype of the gifted artist, while Billy embodies mediocrity. Yet, the more nuanced conflict resides within Dion himself, a battleground where his dual identities vie for dominance. On one side lies Dion, the sensual and ecstatic artist, while on the other is Anthony, the ascetic and saintly mystic. This internal division leaves him torn in his relationship with Margaret, whose dual attraction to and repulsion from Dion’s vibrant life force echoes the tensions within him.
Margaret finds herself drawn to Dion's vivacity but is simultaneously repelled by the excesses of his passions. Her ambivalence stems from a latent sexual desire restrained by puritanical values. She gravitates towards a maternal role over that of a passionate partner, seeking fulfillment in nurturing rather than romance. Meanwhile, Dion yearns for recognition of his complex nature, longing for Margaret’s ordinary stability to provide solace for his turbulent spirit. He likens her presence to the protective covering a nervous system seeks in skin, a comforting balm for his inner discord.
Dion reflects on his familial relationships, feeling disconnected from the rigidity of his father yet holding fond memories of his mother. However, neither parent comprehends his deep-seated need to fully realize his artistic potential. It is only Cybel who emerges as an ideal maternal figure, offering Dion the unconditional acceptance and support he craves. Her unwavering belief in him fosters a space where his artistic ambitions and personal struggles can coexist and flourish.
Generational and Existential Gaps
In Eugene O’Neill’s The Great God Brown, a tapestry of profound gaps weaves through the narrative, creating a complex exploration of identity and existence. The play delves into the chasms that separate generations, genders, and the artistic soul from the materialistic world. O’Neill magnifies the struggle of self-definition, as his characters grapple with the dichotomy between appearance and reality, questioning their essence and place in the universe.
Central to this exploration are Dion and his insatiable urge to create—a drive that he believes will connect him to the divine and cement his identity. Yet, Dion is tormented by existential questions, pondering the very existence of divinity and whether such a force acknowledges him or shares the creative power he desperately seeks. This internal struggle highlights the vast gap between the divine and humanity, an unfathomable mystery that transcends human understanding.
Amidst the turmoil, Cybel emerges as a beacon of compassion. Her unwavering faith in a loving God serves as a balm to the tormented souls of Dion and Billy. As they face the end of their lives, Cybel’s comforting presence offers a semblance of peace, suggesting that regardless of doubt and suffering, there is hope in belief. This portrayal of faith amidst doubt underscores a universal yearning for reassurance in the face of life's uncertainties.
