Long Days Journey Into Night

A detailed Summary of Long Days Journey Into Night


In the play Long Day's Journey Into Night by Eugene O'Neill, the Tyrone family is haunted not by what is present in flesh facing them, but by memories and constant reminders of what has been the downfall of the family for years. " No it can never be now. But it was once, before you-" (72) [James Tyrone referring to the Morphine addiction of his wife, Mary, which attributed to the undoing of the family]. Their trials and tribulations are well documented by O'Neill through the proficient utilization of theme, characterization, plot, setting, and style.

Throughout the play, O'Neill's theme is one of a disclosure into the life of a seemingly normal family on the outside yet convoluted with bitterness on the inside. It portrays the actions of a dysfunctional family and brings us on a reflective journey from when the fledgling family had started, devoted to one another with high hopes for the future, to what it is today, a family engulfed in turmoil. "Who would have thought Jamie would grow up to disgrace us...Its such a pity...You brought him up to be a boozer." (110) In this excerpt from Mary's conversation with James regarding their son, i


The Style that O'Neill uses is one of reflection, as the play is set on one day but goes in-depth about many past issues and events. The use of vivid descriptive phrases by all of the characters creates the feeling of their true unease and disappointment. "...we sit pretending to forget, but straining our ears listening for the slightest sound, hearing the fog drip the eaves like the uneven tick of a rundown crazy clock..."(152) Symbolism is also utilized by O'Neill as he uses the fog that surrounds the Tyrone house to symbolize the "fog" that Mary is in as she is high on her morphine. "Its such a dismal, foggy evening." (108)

The setting of the play is the Tyrones' Puritan New England home, which provides for many of the arguments that take place in the novel. These arguments often arise due to the fact that their house never really felt like a true home to them. "I never felt it was my home. It was wrong from the start" (44) The town in which the Tyrones made their residence also made for arguments and acrimony. Primarily "WASPs" dominated the area and the Tyrone family had always felt out of place, being that they were Irish Catholi

Some common words found in the essay are:
James Tyrone, Style O'Neill, Puritan England, Throughout Mary, O'Neill Tyrone, Blessed Virgin, Catholic I've, Primarily WASPs, throughout play, james tyrone, tyrone family, play mary, ,

Approximate Word count = 772
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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