Desire Under the Elms : Summary
Desire Under the Elms is a notable literary work by Eugene O'Neill. A complete discussion of this literary work is given, which will help you enhance your literary skills and prepare for the exam. Read the Main texts, Key info, Summary, Themes, Characters, Literary devices, Quotations, Notes, to various questions of Desire Under the Elms.
Summary
Opening Part of the Play: The play begins in 1850 on a New England farm. There are two huge elm trees on either side of the house. When the play opens, old Ephraim’s two sons, Simeon and Peter, are excited and determined to go to California to mine gold. They want to be free from farm work. One day, his father goes to town for two months and keeps his sons Simeon, Peter, and Eben at the farm.
The sons hate their father: They all hate Ephraim for different reasons. The first wife’s two sons hate him for being greedy and working hard on the farm, and Eben hates him for taking his mother’s land and not being a good husband to his mother.
Two brothers leave the farmhouse: The brothers hear their father Cabot is coming home with a new wife. It is assumed that the land will go to their new mother. So, Simeon and Peter decide to go to California to find their fortune in the gold fields. In his father’s absence, Eben plans to get rid of his two brothers for good. He knows that they want to go to California, but they turn back due to a lack of money. He proposes that they sign a paper renouncing all claims to the ranch and promises to pay them each one hundred dollars. The two brothers gladly accepted his offer and left for California.
Cabot, Abbie, and Eben clash over marriage, love, and hate: Cabot comes home with his new wife. Abbie Putnam. Cabot’s new wife, Abbie Putnam, is full of fun and is thirty-five years old. She just married Cabot for his property. Abbie Putnam tries to flirt with Eben, but Eben rejects her because he thinks she will take away his land.
The problem here is that Cabot is seventy-five, and his new wife is only thirty-five. Abbie married the old man only for home and security.
However, over time, Eben has trouble controlling his desire and hatred for Abbie. She becomes frustrated with him and tells Cabot that Eben molested her. She becomes irritable and threatens to kill Eben, but he manages to convince her. Abbie convinces Cabot that if she has a son, all the property will go to the new baby and Eben will be gone. Cabot was very happy to hear this.
Abbie’s Sex with Eben: Abbie continues to try to seduce Eben. One night, Cabot goes to sleep in the barn. Abbie thinks about seducing Eben to have a son. She takes Eben to her mother’s parlor, which has been closed since his mother’s death. She convinces him to have sex with her and get revenge on Cabot for his mistreatment of her mother. He agrees and enjoys sex.
Child Episode: Abbie gives birth to a son and Cabot invites his neighbors and friends to celebrate the birth of his new son. They dance and sing in the farmhouse kitchen. Many of his guests doubted that Cabot would not able to bear a son at the age of seventy-five. Cabot overhears such discussions but pretends he doesn’t hear anything and continues dancing.
Cabot later jokingly suggests that Eben get married soon. Cabot asks Eben to leave the farmhouse and take up a new farm. Eben says it is already his farm. Cabot tells him it’s Abbie and her new son, and he thinks Eben needs to stay away from Abbie. Eben is shocked by this and believes that Abbie has tricked him into taking over the farmhouse.
Eben announces that he will go to California. He makes a lot of money and buys a ranch to get revenge on Abbie and Cabot. Abbie tries to convince Eben that she loves him and would do anything for his love. Eben does not believe him and persuades him to kill the child.
The next morning, Abbie kills the baby and Eben goes to the police officer to arrest Abbie. Abbie actually tells Cabot about the baby’s birth and death. Cabot decides to go to the police. Abbie informs Cabot that Eben has already gone to the police.
At the end of the drama, while returning from the police station, Eben realizes that he loves Abbie very much and admits that he is also guilty because he made Abbie kill the baby. Abbie is very happy to hear this and they hug. Cabot is embarrassed by this. Eben and Abbie are arrested.
Cabot decides to go to California and leave the farm, but due to a lack of money, he cannot leave the farm. After arresting Eben and Abbie, the police officer’s comment was “How beautiful the farmhouse is”! Eventually, Cabot is driven to permanent solitude