FROM STATION OF LIFE TO STATION OF DEATH IN THE CHARACTERS OF DANCER AND THE GENTLEMAN OF ONEILLS PLAY THIRST ALONG WITH DIVERSE SYMBOLISM

The Thirst centres on the struggle of three shipwreck victims to survive on a small white raft adrift on a glassy sea. Descending into madness as a result of their thirst, they prey on each other until they sacrifice their humanity to the uncaring, black-stained sea. Despite their common predicament, the three are separated by social, as well as psychological, forces. The Dancer is called young from the stage direction of the play. ONeill described her as figure of pitiful care. The Gentleman has been portrayed by O Neill in The Thirst, as a symbolic agent of the practical civilized world-Virginia Floyd. All through the action of the play he exhibits mostly civilized and dignified behaviour and upholds his morality to the bitter end.- Alfred Routz. While himself suffering, he mostly sympathizes with the unbearable suffering of the delicate young lady that the Dancer is. For, this reason, O Neill presented the European man as the name of Gentleman. Symbolism is indicative of a lot deeper sense in simple and commonplace matter. Conventional well-known materials are used to suggest some deeper sense or truth of life and society through a symbolic treatment. A careful reading of ONeills plays will show that in each play he seeks to communicate his feelings about life. It is invariably true that the natural objects he uses in his plays like the sun, the sky, the sea (p,51)etc. are symbols and images of something. The same thing is true of his stage props and even of the make-ups, costumes, the looks, the important gesture(p,51) and even the vocal nuances of his characters.