Servitude: Self-Actualization Through Marriage?

Servitude is an early O'Neill three-act play that is fascinating or facile, depending on your point of view. Some call it a feminist work, others deride it as anti-feminist. Some contend the ending is implausible and shmaltzy, others find it inspiring as a epiphany. Let's hash it out on March 26, ok?

Quick summary:

David Roylston is a successful early 20th Century playwright and author who advocates for women's rights, and creates works about independent women who achieve self-actualization by flouting societal norms and conventions. David is married to a devoted woman on whom he cheats every chance he gets. David has numerous affairs in which he exploits women for his own pleasure and then discards them like dirty socks. While David preaches independence, he himself is financially and emotionally dependent on his wife.

Alice Roylston is totally dedicated to her husband and supports him in every way, even though she knows about his affairs. Alice, who for some reason feels inferior to David, had planned to allow him to divorce her after he made his mark as a playwright in order to "set him free," but puts the kibosh on that idea when the couple's first child arrives. Alice strongly feels that love exists in serving her husband, regardless of the fact that he is a real S.O.B.

Ethel Frazer is a David Roylston groupie who left her Wall Street tycoon husband because she wants to be like the liberated women in Roylston's works. One night, Ethel drops by David's house unannounced, which happens to be an evening when Alice is elsewhere with the children. The sexual tension is high, until Ethel suddenly retires to the guest room sans David. Ethel is testing David and apparently doesn't like what she sees. David storms out of the house in a huff, opting to seek his pleasures elsewhere.

When Alice and the children arrive home the next day, Ethel reveals herself to Alice while the children are outside playing. Alice, of course, is mortified, but she opens up a bit to Ethel about her devotion to David. Ethel is moved. David walks into the room and expresses no contrition to Alice. He turns the tables and makes Alice the villain. Alice begs David's forgiveness. He ignores her.

The play ends with Ethel giving David a dressing down for treating his wife so shabbily. Miraculously, David sees the error of his ways and does an enthusiastic mea culpa to Alice. David promises to cease his philandering and be as devoted to Alice as she is to him. We know David is sincere because he kisses Alice "reverently." For Ethel's part, she reconciles with her rich husband after he threatens David with a loaded gun. Happy endings for everybody.

Of course, this being an O'Neill play, there is much, much more than this high-level overview would suggest. I think we'll have a lot to talk about.

As an aside, the ending of this play reminds me a little bit of the 1991 Mike Nichols film, Regarding Henry, starring Harrison Ford. I didn't like the movie all that much, because Harrison Ford's epiphany was drawn out throughout the entire show, which spans an extended period of time. I didn't know contrition could last that long. O'Neill, at least, keeps the redemption pathos to a minimum.