Karly Hall -- O'Neill Essay
posted by Brady Kelso at
2:45 PM
About
About Me
- Name: Brady Kelso
- Location: San Diego, California, United States
I've taught English in San Diego City Schools for the past 25 years. I've taught at Mann Middle School, Serra High School, Muirlands Middle School, Lincoln High School, and Crawford High School. I currently teach English to freshmen and seniors at Scripps Ranch High School. I developed and taught English Methods for twenty years at San Diego State University before "retiring" in 2004.
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Every Piece has its PurposeA great author will thoroughly analyze every aspect of their writings. Every characteristic of any play or novel has a meaning or metaphor. If an author includes it in their writing, than there is reason for it to be incorporated in the piece. In “A Long Days Journey into Night,” by Eugene O’Neill, one of the specific techniques he uses is making his play revolve around an 18-hour day. By having the plot take place in only 18 hours, O’Neill’s strategy is to emphasize the circles that each character’s life travels in. Also, it is evident that O’Neill had put detailed thought in choosing the title for his play, “A Long Days Journey into Night,” considering how noticeably fitting it is for the storyline. Finally, O’Neill gave great attention to his opening and closing scenes in order to convey the fading sanity of each character in the play.
Novels typically take place over weeks, months, even years, and it isn’t common to find a novel that spans out over an 18 hour period. However, O’Neill’s rare technique proved to be successful in showing the circles in which the characters’ lives continuously move. One such circle is the constant bickering. The cycle of continuous squabbling plays a large role in the play and if the play were to last longer than a single day, then the never-ending arguing would not have as great an affect on the audience. Another infinite cycle in the play is accusations. Each character faces an issue with either alcohol or drug abuse, however, none of the characters own up to their problems. Instead they blame their addictions on everyone else. Mary blames her morphine addiction on numerous people or gives an excuse for why it’s not her fault. One of the excuses Mary gives is Tyrone’s alcohol addiction. However, one of Tyrone’s reason to drink continuously is because of Mary’s addiction to morphine. Tyrone’s alcohol abuse disheartens Mary, which ironically, in effect, encourages her to take more morphine; this being yet another cycle within their lives. The characters’ addictions form a “domino effect,” and the span of 18 hours is a more powerful way to explore their cycle of blame for each pathetic habit.
O’Neill’s choice for the play’s title is very appropriate for the drama that evolves within each scene. In 6 words, the title creates a perfect description of what is in store for the audience. Each day is a long journey that consists of arguing and substance abuse. Each new morning, the family’s goal is to make it to nightfall, inevitably so that they can wake up the next day and repeat the cycle. The description of a “long” day’s journey represents the struggles each character faces throughout the day. The characters each face struggles with each other, struggles with alcohol and drugs, and struggles with escaping their promising pasts. Unfortunately, when the household finally does achieve nightfall, there is no real victory in it. By the time night hits, everyone is overly drugged and when they fall asleep they have nothing to look forward to but a fresh morning that will include a new “long days journey into night.”
The opening and closing scenes of “A Long Days Journey into Night,” are very important in highlighting the deterioration of each character’s spirit by the end of each day. The opening scene depicts a typical morning where each character wakes up unsullied to begin their habitual cycle of another journey into nightfall. The first arguments of the morning have already begun between each and every character, also by the end of the first scene, Mary has already reflected on her sparkling youth and come to the conclusion that she is at a state of decline. As the first scene depicts the characters as stable and sober, the final scene portrays them as inebriated and fallen. O’Neill chose to demonstrate how the struggles from the day effect each character by nighttime and how distressed the family becomes by the time their journey into night is over. Also, the final scene leaves the audience with the realization that although the Tyrone’s daily cycle has repeated for years, they have the power to change their lifestyle. O’Neill is giving hope to the audience that there is possibility for transformation in the Tyrone daily routine. Although the odds are that the next day the cycle will continue there is comfort in the thought that O’Neill is handing the Tyrone’s the opportunity to change their everyday ways.
A work of literature is similar to a puzzle. Every piece has its purpose and the final product cannot be finished if it is missing even the tiniest of parts. Every author uses detailed styles and techniques to thoroughly develop his writing. In the play, “A Long Days Journey into Night,” Eugene O’Neill is successful in emphasizing the never-ending cycles the Tyrone family follows, through his method of making the play span out over an 18-hour day. O’Neill shows creativity through the title of his play by making an appropriate connection between the title and the plot. Finally, O’Neill uses his initial and final scenes to demonstrate the deterioration of each character’s spirit, that is endured each and every day.
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Karly Hall, at 10:21 PM
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