Desire Under the Elms is written with a signature realist and somber style, both in the stage directions and the dialogue. A key element of O’Neill’s writing style is his prevalent use of dialect. All of the dialogue throughout the play is in dialect. O’Neill often relies on dialogue to convey the character’s emotions. For example, the moments when the characters pause—or when they break out into angry yelling—convey the intricacies of their emotions. Therefore, an important aspect of O’Neill’s writing style is these heavy pauses in the dialogue that are emotionally weighty.
For example, the characters often say “Ay-eh” in dialogue. This is a small filler word that may be surprising to modern readers who are not familiar with the characters’ strong accents. The word “ay-eh” is often said when the characters pause their speech in thought, but it conveys their emotions of resignation and sadness in its tone. One example of this stylistic use of this word is when Abbie tells Cabot that she killed her baby and that Eben went to get the sheriff:
Abbie—(dully) Ye needn’t. Eben’s gone fur him.
Cabot—Ebem—gone fur the Sheriff?
Abbie—Ay-eh
Cabot—T’inform agen ye?
Abbie—Ay-eh
In this example, Abbie only responds to Cabot’s questioning with “Ay-eh,” indicating her resignation and somber sadness. She gives no elaboration, just sadly confirms Cabot’s questions. The use of this word throughout the play adds to the somber and realist writing style, placing readers in the time period and adding tension to the dialogue.
O’Neill’s descriptions of the setting in the stage directions are somber and dramatic as well. They contribute to the realist style when describing the crumbling farmhouse, the elms surrounding the house, and the overall sad state of the farm.
