美国剧作家尤金·奥尼尔的成功之作几乎无一例外地都是以“隐秘世界”为背景，即剧中人物或同属一个家庭，或自成同一团体，共同生活在外人不得而知的“蜗居”之中，人物寥少，情节简单，且大多与奥尼尔本人的经历有着千丝万缕的联系。因此，评论界对这种过分沉溺自传性题材的指责曾经一度甚嚣尘上。本著将从奥尼尔剧作中一个个的“隐秘世界”出发，探寻其通向“广袤天空”的路径，在精神、社会和文化三个层面上剖析奥尼尔的创作思路，说明他不仅依存，并且超越了作为其创作素材的自传性经历。

Introduction

Chapter 1 Exclusive Demesne vs. Spiritual Homeland

1. Personality Distorted by Vicissitudes of Belief

 1.1 An Incongruous Entity -- Ephraim Cabot's Spirit of Puritanism and Material Desire

 1.2 Two Ill-Proportioned Entities -- Yank's Spirit of Industrialism and the Worldwide Materialism

 1.3 Rotten-to-the-Core Entity -- Marco Polo's Spirit of Materialism

2. Destruc.tion Caused by Betrayal of Force Behind

 2.1 Betrayal of Religion

 2.2 Betrayal of Race

 2.3 Betrayal of Nature.

 2.4 Betrayal of Consanguinity

 2.5 Betrayal of Sea

 2.6 Betrayal of Ideal

3. Pipe Dream Necessitated by Survival

 3.1 Dream as the Intermediate Synonym of Illusion and Ideal

 3.2 Dream for the Past -- Recollection

 3.3 Dream for the Future -- Hope

Chapter 2 Exclusive Demesne vs. Social Panorama

1. Woman Images Defined by Patriarchy

 1.1 Traditional Women

1.1.1 False "New Women"

1.1.2 Men's Accessories

1.1.3 Ideal Women

 1.2 Rebellious Women

 1.3 Destructive Women

2. Dehumanized Humans Created by Capitalistic Modernization

3. Peripheral Characters Moulded by Multi-National Fusion and Collision

 3.1 African-Americans

3.1.1 Stereotyped Blacks

3.1.2 Blacks with Universality

 3.2 Irish-Americans

3.2.1 Stereotyped Irish-Americans

3.2.2 Irish-Americans with Universality

4. Lost Men Haunted by War Shadow

Chapter 3 Exclusive Demesne vs. Cultural Connotation

1. Ancient Tragedies Restaged by Modem People

2. Multicultural Shock Stimulated by Different Values

 2.1 Touch of the Poet Corrupted by Stately Mansions

 2.2 Sensual Desire Oppressed by Life-Denying Puritanism

 2.3 Strange Interlude Composed Between the Wars

Conclusion

Bibliography