Anna Christie: Analysis of Setting
"Anna Christie" is a play by Eugene O'Neill that explores the profound impact of its setting on the characters and themes. The story unfolds along the North Atlantic seacoast, with significant locations such as New York City, Provincetown, and Boston. These settings reflect O'Neill's own experiences as a seaman, adding authenticity to the maritime backdrop. The barge, which serves as the main stage for the action, symbolizes a retreat for Chris Christopherson, a Swedish immigrant, while it represents new opportunities for his daughter Anna.
The sea plays a dual role; for Anna, it is a source of rejuvenation and spiritual transformation, whereas for Chris, it is a menacing force, described as an "old devil" that claims those who venture into its depths. Additionally, Johnny-the-Priest's Saloon serves as a crucial meeting point in the narrative, where Anna reunites with her father in a rough, characteristic waterfront bar reminiscent of O'Neill's own memories. This blend of environments not only shapes the characters’ identities and relationships but also underscores the play's exploration of themes such as redemption, struggle, and the human condition against the backdrop of a shifting maritime landscape.
Anna Christie: Analysis of Setting
First published: 1923
First produced: 1921
Type of work: Drama
Type of plot: Social realism
Time of work: Early twentieth century
Places Discussed
North Atlantic seacoast
North Atlantic seacoast. Eugene O’Neill’s depiction of the seacoast is based on his own youthful experience as a seaman during a time when he had dropped out of college. The barge on which most of the action takes place stops in New York City, Provincetown, and Boston, moving from the Long Island Sound to the Nantucket Sound, around Cape Cod, and ending in Boston Harbor. While the barge hugs the coast, the greater sea intrudes in the person of Matt Burke, a virile sailor rescued from an open boat after the wreck of his steamer. For Anna, the sea and her seaman are rejuvenating and spiritually transformative. For Chris, however, the sea is an “old devil” which will destroy all who venture onto it.
Simeon Winthrop
Simeon Winthrop. Commercial barge that is the home and livelihood of Christopher Christopherson, a Swedish immigrant of fifty. The play’s stage directions describe the barge in some detail. For Chris, the barge is a retreat, but the barge inspires Anna with new possibilities.
Johnny-the-Priest’s Saloon
Johnny-the-Priest’s Saloon. Rough waterfront bar on New York City’s South Street, where Anna first reunites with her father. This location is based on O’Neill’s own memories of a bar known as Jimmy-the-Priest’s. Stage directions indicate double swinging doors and half barrels of cheap whiskey drawn by spigots, characteristic of saloons of its time and place.
Bibliography
Bogard, Travis. Contour in Time: The Plays of Eugene O’Neill. Rev. ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988. Argues for viewing the O’Neill canon as the playwright’s autobiography. Contains a detailed comparison of the final version with earlier versions of Anna Christie.
Estrin, Mark W., ed. Conversations with Eugene O’Neill. Jackson: University Press of Mississippi, 1990. A fascinating collection of interviews with the playwright arranged chronologically from 1920 to 1948. Contains many of O’Neill’s comments about the characters and creation of Anna Christie.
Floyd, Virginia. The Plays of Eugene O’Neill: A New Assessment. New York: Frederick Ungar, 1985. Chapters analyzing each of O’Neill’s plays. Asserts that Anna Christie is a failure of character and plot.
Gelb, Arthur, and Barbara Gelb. O’Neill. Rev. ed. New York: Perennial Library, 1987. A monumental biography of almost one thousand pages with several sections of photographs. An excellent reference for details of the playwright’s life and plays.
Houchin, John H., ed. The Critical Response to Eugene O’Neill. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Press, 1993. A collection of critical opinions, including reviews of productions from periodicals and scholarly essays, three of which focus upon Anna Christie. The diversity of perspectives is useful.