尤金·奥尼尔是美国文学史上的一座丰碑,是美国最伟大的戏剧家。在他之前,美国只有剧院,没有戏剧,他的出现使美国开始有了自己的戏剧。奥尼尔本人也因此被称为“美国戏剧之父”。奥尼尔是一位具有深刻悲剧意识的剧作家,他对文学艺术有着极强的敏感性,他深深的感到时代破落和信念丧失的节奏,在作品中不断探寻着人们欲望和痛苦的根源。他以自身的生平为线索,分析了剧作家的生活与其悲剧艺术创作的相互关系:“生活是艺术之 Eugene O’Neill is a monument to the history of American literature and the greatest playwright in the United States. Before him, the United States had only a theater and no drama. His appearance led to the United States beginning to have its own drama. O’Neill himself is therefore called ”the father of American drama.“ O’Neill is a playwright with profound tragedy consciousness. He is extremely sensitive to literature and art. He deeply feels the rhythm of dilapidated times and the loss of faith. He continuously explores the roots of people’s desires and anguish in his works. With his own life as a clue, he analyzed the relationship between dramatist’s life and his tragedy art creation: ”Life is art