Kyran O’Donoghue
Irish Hands that Built America
Nurullah Hergul
Friday 21, 2023
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
The tragic and dysfunctional lives of the Tyrone family are depicted in the play "Long Day's
Journey Into Night" by Eugene O'Neill. The play is autobiographical because it is based on O'Neill's
family and the happenings in his early life. The play by O'Neill examines the difficulties and intricacies
of family connections as well as the effects of addiction on both individuals and their families.
The Tyrone family's Connecticut vacation home is the setting for the play's summer 1912 action. The
father, James Tyrone, the mother, Mary Tyrone, and their two boys, Jamie and Edmund, are the four
characters in the drama. James is a well-known actor who built his career through long-term
participation in a well-liked play. Mary is the family's mother and a former actress. The older son,
Jamie, is an alcoholic and pessimistic individual. The younger son, Edmund, has tuberculosis and
wants to be a writer.
Addiction is one of the play's central topics. The three male characters' addictions are portrayed
throughout the play in various ways. Jamie and Edmund both have alcoholism, while James and
Jamie also have opiate addictions. The drama investigates how addiction affects both the family and
the individual. Addiction is a coping mechanism for the characters' trauma and emotional agony.
James's fear of losing his fortune and prestige is the cause of his addiction. Jamie uses his addiction
as a coping mechanism for his sentiments of bitterness toward his father and his general sense of
disillusionment. Edmund's condition and his fear of dying are the causes of his addiction. Mary has a
psychological dependence on morphine rather than a chemical dependence. Her fear of reality and
desire to run away from it are the causes of her addiction. Mary uses her addiction as a coping
mechanism for the grief and pain of losing her little son. Because it stems from the death of her kid,
Mary's addiction is the most sad of all the characters in the drama. Mary uses her addiction as a
coping mechanism for her trauma and emotional agony.
The play's other key theme is the complexity of family ties. The complicated and problematic
relationships between the four family members are shown in the drama. Relationships inside the
family are marked by animosity, hostility, and a lack of communication. The family members are
unable to communicate with one another and are unable to comprehend each other's thoughts and
feelings. The individual issues and addiction of the family members weaken the family's bonds. The
family members are cut off from one another and are unable to establish a connection.
The issue of the past and its influence on the present is also explored in the play. The family has
experienced tragedy and pain in the past, which has left the family with long-lasting effects. The past
of the family is likewise marked with regret and lost possibilities. The family members are unable to
let go of their history since it haunts them. The family members are unable to find a route out of
their past since they are enmeshed in it.
Finally, Eugene O'Neill's "Long Day's Journey Into Night" is an insightful examination of the difficulties
and intricacies of family connections as well as the effects of addiction on people and their families.
The Tyrone family, whose lives are marked by suffering, trauma, and addiction, are tragically
portrayed in the play. The drama explores issues like addiction, the difficulty of maintaining close
family ties, and how the past affects the present. O'Neill's play is a masterwork of contemporary
drama and a potent reminder of how crucial communication and understanding are in families.