Mourning Becomes Electra

Mourning Becomes Electra Imagery

Mask-like Faces

All of the Mannons are said to have faces that resemble masks: still, impassive, devoid of emotion. This feature, which designates them as Mannons in the first place, allows them to protect their interior lives and project what they desire.

The House

The image of the house is effective in conveying what O'Neill wants us to know about the Mannons, particularly Abe Mannon: they are wealthy, cold, imposing, and gloomy. The house is described as dark, austere, lacking intimacy, and a temple to Abe's hatred. All of the Mannons within its walls are oppressed by its legacy of cruelty and control.

Hair and Clothing

O'Neill describes Christine's hair as lustrous and copper-hued, and her dress as a bright green. These hairstyle and clothing choice emphasize her unfettered sexuality and femininity, while Lavinia masks hers by wearing black and pulling her hair back. When she undergoes her sexual "initiation" she wears her hair an clothing in the style of her mother.

Brant tossing a coin to Chantyman

The image of Brant tossing a coin to the Chantyman (also discussed in the summary/analysis) is a powerfully evocative one in that it calls to mind the newly deceased paying their obol to Charon, who will then ferry the person across to River Styx to their permanent abode in Hades. It emphasizes the connections to Greek tragedies and foreshadows Brant's imminent death.