Exploitation Of Symbolism In O'Neill's Realistic Play Long Day's Journey Into Night

This paper deals with the symbols in Eugene O'Neill's play Long Day's Journey Into Night. O'Neill was influenced by the European tradition of using symbols to express what cannot be told directly. He was influenced also by the European philosophers who helped O'Neill shape his view of life and tragedy. In this play, all the symbols work well together to express O'Neill's disappointment at the painful transition from the American Dream to the American Tragedy.In Chapter One, the relations between the American dramatic master Eugene O'Neill and the Western symbolic tradition are discussed. First, in ancient Greece, there was glorious tradition of symbolization in classical plays. It should be clear to understand the influence of the Greek tragedies on Eugene O'Neill. As one of the greatest playwrights in America, Eugene O'Neill took the ancient Greek classical tragedies as his models. He accepted the criteria set up by the ancient Greek tragic poets or tragic dramatists as his criteria to write his own plays, especially his tragedies. At the same time, he involved himself in the modern theatrical experiments advocated by his contemporary European great dramatic masters. It's obvious to see that O'Neill was influenced deeply by the modern European dramatists, especially Norwegian dramatist Ibsen and Swedish dramatist Strindberg. He studied and followed the spirits showed in the works of the greatest Swedish playwright August Strindberg and the great German thinker Nietzsche. O'Neill began to use symbols in his early and middle plays and made some successes. Then, he used perfectly in his masterpiece Long day's Journey Into Night.In Chapter Two, the focus is on O'Neill's symbolic and spiritual world in this play. The play has a symbolic title-Long Day's Journey Into Night-a long and painful journey of the Tyrone family. In the play, the fog and the curtains both work as symbolic shelters and obstacles of the family, especially Mary and her sons. In a sense, they all are losers of life. They hide themselves deep from the harsh reality. One reason for them to do so is that they dare not face what really happens around them. The other reason is to find shelters to protect themselves. They find themselves safe in the fog and behind the curtains. The fog also works as a symbol of loneliness. On the other hand, the dreams represent the living reality of the Tyrones and the loss of the past values.He valued "home" in the deepest sense. In the play, Mary Tyrone is in the painful pursuit of a home that can be called a home of her own. The two sons of the Tyrones are tortured very much by their lives. The whole family is covered deeply in the fog, occasionally annoyed by foghorns. What helps the Tyrones survive in this harsh spiritual and material reality is their dreams. Here, O'Neill also expressed his hatred of the American materialism. He believed that it was the materialism that ruined all the lives of the Tyrones.In Chapter Three, the failure of American Dream and the last hopes of the Tyrones are discussed. For the Tyrones, there are transitions from the American Dream to the "American Tragedy". When the first immigrants arrived in the New World, most of them are filled with the American Dream. The core of the American Dream is for the losers an illusion that everybody can be successful by hard work and piety. According to O'Neill, the American Tragedy comes partly from the prevailing materialism in America in the first half of the 20th century. It is also the tragedy of the loss of religious belief.Symbols are very important in this play. Since the ancient Greece, symbols were used very often together with masks to show the deep sense. They can help a play get what cannot be got through the efforts of different symbols and the resulting associations. Just like masks, symbols provide a possible way to show to the audience what would exist behind the curtain and stage.O'Neill used many symbols to help himself achieve his aim of writing a family tragedy out of tears and blood. And he was successful in producing the circle: symbols help expose the family tragedy and the family tragedy serves to show the evil materialism. Thus, it is clear to see the main themes of the play.