The Quest for self; An Eternal Struggle in The Iceman cometh

Abstract

Abstract O'Neill'sThe Iceman Comethis the portrayal of the dreadful condition of existential men in the modern world. All the characters in the play suffer from alienation, horror, frustration and failure but still they keep on struggling to ensure their identity, position and existence. Everyone in the play pretends to be in his/her own world and to be alien from others but still enjoys life in relation with others. Parritt's identity is mixed up with Larry and, on the other hand, Larry is recognizedonly through the anarchist movement and Parritt's mother. They are totally encircled among them but their attempts of affirming existence through illusory and alcoholic world never finish. Finally their attempts end at the personal failure and realizationof absurdity in modern life. Their quest to meet the self identity remains incomplete, and ultimately they accept the futility of their attempts losing confidence and admit the absurdity in human life making their futile struggle eternal. 4