Eugene O'Neill

Although published three years after the death of Eugene O’Neill, he injects pieces of his own life story, as well as his own voice and opinions throughout his play, Long Day’s Journey into Night. The people in Eugene O’Neill’s family directly relate to the characters in the book. The setting and time frame mirrors O’Neill’s past. O’Neill uses the underlying voice of the play to act as his ghost, informing the audience of what he has learned or discovered since his death.
O’Neill uses the people from his family to shape the personas of his characters. O’Neill was the son of Mary and James. His father, an Irish stage actor, grew up in poverty and worked his way up as he became famous for his role in The Count of Monte Cristo. O’Neill not only uses the same name for his character, but makes James Tyrone an Irish immigrant who becomes an actor. Likewise, the character of Mary Tyrone imitates O’Neill real mother, Ella Quinlan O’Neill. Both of these women lost their second son to measles, never recovered, and eventually got addicted to morphine. O’Neill’s brother Jamie, an alcoholic directly reflects Jamie Tyrone. O’Neill uses Edmund Tyrone to portray his personality and identity. (Mann) O’Neill portrays his deep love for the sea though Edmund Tyrone’s desire to be by the sea. Edmund Tyrone is overcome by tuberculosis or consumption just like O’Neil was during his life. Both men had to attend a sanatorium. O’Neill’s brother, Edmund O’Neill, died before he was born. The deceased brother, Eugene Tyrone, becomes a part of the play haunting Mary even though never actually present during the story. O’Neil uses his own family to create the tragic, dysfunctional Tyrone family.
Eugene O’Neill uses his childhood and past experiences to craft the setting of the play. The play takes place in 1912, which is the same year he left for the sanatorium to recover from his consumption. The book ends when this part of his life begins, so the time period directly corresponds to his life. The Tyrone family lives in the Tao House, which is where O’Neill resided before his death and the place where he wrote Long Day’s Journey into Night. (Mann) Eugene O’Neill was born and died in a hotel room. He uses this part of his life throughout the play, as the Tyrone family continuously lives in hotels all over as James Tyrone pursues his acting career. O’Neill shows readers his anger and frustration with living his life from a hotel room through Mary Tyrone as she constantly complains about the same lifestyle. She misses out on the chance to have a social life, as well as having a real home. O’Neill felt the same way throughout his childhood. Just like the characters in his play, the setting directly resembles O’Neill’s real life.
Eugene O’Neill speaks to the audience through his pitiful, compassionate, and forgiving voice that reveals what he learned as he matured and even after his death. O’Neill’s prospective of his family changes from tormentors to victims of human fate as he looks back on his life. (Mann) His family impacted the person O’Neill became and were a huge part of his writing career. O’Neill realizes, unlike the Tyrones, that a feeling of failure is a normal human emotion. (Mann) O’Neill recounts the story of the Tyrones through his own voice all while holding on the personality of the Tyrone family.
Just like Eugene O’Neill, we are affected by our surroundings. Our family, friends, and environment shape who we are as a person. Someone once said, “You are what you eat.” The values, morals, opinions, beliefs, or “food” that is provided by the people and society that surround you shape who you are. Eugene O’Neill’s writing directly resembles his real life. No matter how hard we try, our surroundings will always affect us and leave an everlasting mark on our identity.


Works Cited: Mann, Bruce J. "O'Neill's 'Presence' in Long Day's Journey into Night." Theatre Annual. 43.(1988) 15-30. Rpt. in Drama Criticism. Ed. Janet Witalec. Vol. 20. Detroit: Gale, 2003. 15-30. Literature Resource Center. Gale. LEE COUNTY LIBRARY SYSTEM. 19 Sept. 2008