40 pages • 1 hour read
Eugene O'NeillBeyond the Horizon
Eugene O'NeillFiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1920A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Themes
The Consequences of Denying Your Dreams
Dreams, and the tragic consequences of denying them, is a central themes in the play. Many characters have dreams that end up unfulfilled—James Mayo dreams his son Andy will take over the running of the family farm, while Ruth dreams of a romantic and idealized marriage. However, the biggest dreamers are the Mayo brothers, Rob and Andy.
Rob suffered from long periods of illness as a child and spent a lot of time indoors, staring out at the hills and thinking about what lay beyond the horizon: “Those were the only happy moments of my life then, dreaming there at the window” (133). Rob was physically restricted by his bodily ailments, so he allowed his mind and imagination to wander freely by inventing amazing spaces inhabited by magical beings. As Rob develops into an adult and grows stronger, the dream of journeying beyond the hills and seeing the reality of “all the wonders of the world” that he believes are waiting there remains “as alluring as ever” (133). At the beginning of the play, Rob tells Ruth that his planned voyage is “keeping that promise of long ago” and a fulfilment of his childhood dream (133).
In contrast, Andy’s dream is to marry Ruth and take over the family farm. He has no aspirations to travel, and he is “inspired by the same love” for farming as his father (129). Andy is happy to view the hills in the distance and is content with making a life on the land; he tells Rob that “we’ve got all you’re looking for right on this farm” (129).
Ruth’s confession that she is in love with Rob disturbs the course of the brothers’ lives, and as a result, they each deny their own dream and pursue the true desire of the other—Rob marries Ruth and stays on the farm, whilst Andy takes Rob’s place on their uncle’s ship and sets sail for distant shores.
Rob tries to convince himself that an alternative future with Ruth will be just as fulfilling as his planned voyage. Rob hopes that rather than adventure, he was really looking for love: “I think love must have been the secret—the secret that called to me from over the world’s rim—the secret beyond every horizon; and when I did not come, it came to me” (135). Rob’s feelings for Ruth deter him from his true path, and he tells her that their “love is sweeter than any distant dream” (135). The immediate presence of Ruth and Rob’s desire for her acts as a physical barrier to prevent Rob from leaving. Even at the end of Act I, Scene 1, as Rob is delighted by the prospect of being with Ruth, he steals a final, uneasy look at the horizon and “shakes his head impatiently, as though he were throwing off some disturbing thought” (135). This moment foreshadows the tragic events that will follow as a consequence of Rob not pursuing his dream. Likewise, Andy tries to convince himself as much as his family that he wants to travel: “I feel I oughtn’t to miss this chance to go out into the world and see things, and—I want to go” (145). However, James can see that the real reason Andy is leaving is because he is heartbroken that Ruth has chosen Rob over him. James warns his son, “you’re runnin’ against your own nature, and you’re goin’ to be a mighty sorry for it if you do” (146).
The brothers’ decision to deny their dreams is the main driver for the tragic events of the play. Ultimately, Rob tells Andy he has “given up dreaming” (165), which creates a sense of hopelessness that deplete his life force and seems to kill his spirit long before his physical death.
Fate Versus Free Will
The play interrogates to what extent the lives of its characters are a result of supernatural forces such as luck or fate, versus a direct result of their actions and choices. At times of distress and disaster, both Mayo bothers turn despairingly to the idea of fate as an unfair, malevolent power. After the family argument when Andy decides to go to sea, Rob is distraught and questions “Why did this have to happen to us? It’s damnable! [He looks about him wildly, as if his vengeance were seeking the responsible fate]” (149). Rob’s struggle to process the conflicting emotions of happiness at the prospect at being with Ruth and the heartache of Andy’s departure propel him to turn toward a mystic cause for this misfortune. Again, in the final scene, as Rob dies, Andy “clenches his fists in an important rage against fate” (193). Andy seeks to blame fate for his brother’s demise because it is too difficult for him to accept that Rob’s death might have been avoided if they had both acted differently.
Fate is also intwined with powerful emotions, such as love. For example, when Ruth realizes she is in love with Andy, she finds it hard to act in a rational way and can’t resist confessing to Rob that she’s in love with his brother. Later, Ruth tells Andy that she couldn’t help her desire for him or her feelings of resentment toward Rob: “I couldn’t help it. No woman could” (190). However, Ruth is fickle in her emotions, and although she might not have been able to alter how she felt, she could have changed how she acted on her feelings.
At other times, the Mayo brothers experience flashes of clarity when they realize most of their misfortune is down to their own free choices. In Act II, when Andy tells Rob he mustn’t blame himself for the state of the farm because it’s an impossible situation “when luck’s against anyone—” (167), Rob replies, “it is my fault. You know it as well as I do” (167). Rob is reflecting that if he’d have left, then Andy would have stayed and taken care of the farm properly. In addition, Rob made his situation worse by refusing all Andy’s offers to help with money too.
The greatest proponent of free choice in the play is Ruth’s mother, Mrs. Atkins. In Act II, Kate Mayo defends Rob from Mrs. Atkins and says he can’t help being late to dinner. Mrs. Atkins scoffs, “Can’t help it! How do you go on, Kate, findin’ excuses for him! Anybody can help anything they’ve a mind to” (151). Mrs. Atkins isn’t only referring to being on time for dinner—she believes that Rob could improve his situation if he chose to put some real effort in. Mrs. Atkins’ criticism of Rob is rooted in her own bitterness at having her physical freedom restricted; she is an invalid and must rely on people for help with most tasks and is jealous that people with such physical liberty don’t use it to the best effect.
Running Away from Responsibility
The central characters’ avoidance of responsibility is another factor that contributes to the play’s tragic conclusion. Both Mayo brothers disregard their responsibility to the farm— Andy abandons it for a career at sea, and Rob neglects his care of it to read books. Ruth also fails in her duty to be a caring mother to Mary. At different points in the play, Ruth threatens her daughter with a spanking and sends her off with Rob to pursue her romantic interest in Andy.
When Andy decides to go to sea, James Mayo points out his son’s failure to take responsibility, telling him that “The farm is your’n as well as mine. You’ve always worked on it with that understanding; and what you’re sayin’ you intend doin’ is just sulkin’ out o’ your rightful responsibility” (145). James tries to remind his son that the farm is their shared responsibility and heritage—Andy rejects his duty to support his family by leaving the farm and letting their livelihood go to ruin.
When Rob becomes seriously ill, he asks Andy to take responsibility for Ruth by marrying her. Andy is confused as to why Rob is making this request and tells Ruth “[Andy] knows very well I’d naturally look after you without—anything like that” (189). However, Rob is thinking more about Andy’s responsibility to himself rather than his responsibility to Ruth—whether as a brother-in-law or husband. Rob believes that Andy needs to experience suffering, through Ruth’s loss of her husband, daughter, and livelihood, to reconnect to a sense of self and duty. Rob tells Andy, “Only through contact with suffering, Andy, will you—awaken” (189). The awakening that Rob refers to is a return to Andy’s true self, which he abandoned years ago when he decided to pursue Rob’s dream instead of his own. Within the play, fulfilling personal dreams is emphasized as a true responsibility that is integral to a sense of identity, rather than a frivolous desire.
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