Long Days Journey Into Night
Eugene O'Neill's Play, Long Days Journey into Night
On June 25, 1939, Eugene O'Neill began an outline for a literary masterpiece that would reach its completion on April 1, 1941. The title of his autobiographical drama is Long Days Journey into Night. He wrote it for his wife on the occasion of their 12th wedding anniversary in 1940. The play was written in part as a way for O'Neill to show the world what his family was like and in what sort of environment he was raised. The story of one day, 8 a.m. to midnight, in the life of a family of four-father, mother and two sons-takes place in 1912. The mother, Mary Tyrone, is the shadow of a once bright and promising concert pianist. James Tyrone, her husband, is a fallen actor who occasionally revisits his aspiration to be an accomplished performer. Their sons are Jamie, the eldest who followed in his father's footsteps, and Edmund. The latter has consumption, but doesn't believe he will recuperate. Although their commonplace exterior may seem "normal," the complexities within this family are profound and deep-rooted.
Set in the Tyrone's summer house, we witness an unveiling of family dynamics and hidden secrets. What might seem like a familiar domestic setting actually becomes a prison on many levels. As we enter into the world of the Tyrone family, exploration of convoluted relationships and the filtering of each character's perception will be ours to judge. The very essence of this play is a combination of poetry, denial, abuse and eventually acceptance. Following is a list of topics which will be covered in Long Day's Journey into Night: the analysis of birth order and how it pertains to Mary's connection with Edmund, drug abuse and its relation to denial, and broken communication. Also, we'll explore Eugene O'Neill's life during his construction of this piece and the historical period of the play set in 1912. Much like a genre painting, O'Neill's depiction of the family circle closely resembles real life.
On June 25, 1939, Eugene O'Neill began an outline for a literary masterpiece that would reach its completion on April 1, 1941. The title of his autobiographical drama is Long Days Journey into Night. He wrote it for his wife on the occasion of their 12th wedding anniversary in 1940. The play was written in part as a way for O'Neill to show the world what his family was like and in what sort of environment he was raised. The story of one day, 8 a.m. to midnight, in the life of a family of four-father, mother and two sons-takes place in 1912. The mother, Mary Tyrone, is the shadow of a once bright and promising concert pianist. James Tyrone, her husband, is a fallen actor who occasionally revisits his aspiration to be an accomplished performer. Their sons are Jamie, the eldest who followed in his father's footsteps, and Edmund. The latter has consumption, but doesn't believe he will recuperate. Although their commonplace exterior may seem "normal," the complexities within this family are profound and deep-rooted.
Set in the Tyrone's summer house, we witness an unveiling of family dynamics and hidden secrets. What might seem like a familiar domestic setting actually becomes a prison on many levels. As we enter into the world of the Tyrone family, exploration of convoluted relationships and the filtering of each character's perception will be ours to judge. The very essence of this play is a combination of poetry, denial, abuse and eventually acceptance. Following is a list of topics which will be covered in Long Day's Journey into Night: the analysis of birth order and how it pertains to Mary's connection with Edmund, drug abuse and its relation to denial, and broken communication. Also, we'll explore Eugene O'Neill's life during his construction of this piece and the historical period of the play set in 1912. Much like a genre painting, O'Neill's depiction of the family circle closely resembles real life.