Assignment : Paper No. 108 The American Literature

 Paper - 108 : The American Literature 

Topic : Existentialism and Nihilism in Long Day’s Journey into Night

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Personal Information 

Name : Shruti Sonani

Batch : M.A ,Sem - 2 (2024-2026)

Enrollment number:  5108240033

E - mail address : shrutisonani2@gmail.com

Table of Contents

1. Keywords

2. Abstract

3. Introduction

4. Existential Despair and the Tyrone Family

• James Tyrone: Regret and Financial Obsession

• Mary Tyrone: Addiction as Existential Escapism

• Jamie Tyrone: Cynicism and Self-Destruction

• Edmund Tyrone: Philosophical Contemplation of Life and Death

5. Time as a Source of Nihilism

• The Tyrone Family’s Cyclical Suffering

• Mary’s Regression into the Past

• Jamie’s Fatalistic Attitude

• Edmund’s Illness as a Symbol of Existential Struggle

6. Edmund as the Existentialist Hero

• Engagement with Nietzsche and Baudelaire

• Rejection of Human Existence

• The Sea as a Symbol of Freedom

7. Nihilism and the Meaninglessness of Life

• Tyrone’s Financial Hoarding as Futility

• Jamie’s Hedonistic Despair

• Mary’s Illusions and the Nihilistic Past

• The Fog as a Symbol of Uncertainty

8. The Absurdity of Human Existence

• Endless Arguments and Meaningless Conversations

• False Hopes and Inevitable Despair

• Jamie’s Cynical Humor and Absurdism

9. The Fog as a Nihilistic Symbol

• Edmund’s "Fog People" Metaphor

• Mary’s Comfort in the Fog

• Edmund’s Existential Crisis

10. Emotional Decay and Cyclical Despair

• The Absence of Growth or Change

• The Repetition of Suffering

• The Inevitable Continuation of Pain

Keywords 

Existentialism, Nihilism, Alienation, Despair, Absurdity, Cyclical Time, Addiction, Suffering, Tyrone Family, Eugene O’Neill, Long Day’s Journey into Night, Existential Angst, Symbolism, Fog, Regret, Determinism, Freedom, Hopelessness.

Abstract 

Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night is a profound exploration of existential despair and nihilism, depicting a family ensnared in a cycle of suffering, regret, and hopelessness. The Tyrone family—James, Mary, Jamie, and Edmund—each embody various existential struggles, from regret over lost potential to addiction and self-destruction. Time in the play is cyclical, reinforcing nihilism’s rejection of progress and illustrating the family’s inability to escape past failures. Edmund, the existentialist hero, engages deeply with nihilistic and existentialist philosophy, questioning the meaning of life while longing for the freedom of the sea. Symbols like fog highlight the characters' illusions and inability to perceive reality, reinforcing the play’s central themes of meaninglessness and despair. Ultimately, Long Day’s Journey into Night presents human existence as an unending loop of regret and suffering, where change remains an unattainable illusion.

Introduction 

Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night is one of the most intense explorations of existentialism and nihilism in modern American drama. The play presents the Tyrone family’s struggle with alienation, addiction, and regret, illustrating the existentialist belief in the absurdity of life and the nihilistic notion that human existence is inherently meaningless.

The play’s structure reinforces these ideas by depicting time as cyclical rather than linear—each character remains trapped in their past mistakes, unable to change or escape their suffering. James Tyrone clings to financial security despite its futility, Mary Tyrone seeks solace in morphine-induced illusions, Jamie drowns himself in hedonistic despair, and Edmund, the most philosophical character, questions the very nature of existence.

Existentialist themes in the play align with the works of thinkers like Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Camus, and Jean-Paul Sartre, who explored the angst and absurdity of human life. Nihilism is reflected in the family’s recurring conflicts, which offer no resolution, only the inevitability of continued suffering. The imagery of fog serves as a central symbol, representing both the characters’ inability to perceive reality and their attempts to escape it.

This study examines how existentialism and nihilism manifest in Long Day’s Journey into Night, exploring the philosophical implications of the Tyrone family’s despair and their inability to break free from an unrelenting cycle of suffering. By analyzing key themes, symbols, and character arcs, this paper demonstrates how O’Neill’s play encapsulates the futility of human existence and the overwhelming burden of regret.

Existential Despair and the Tyrone Family

Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey into Night is deeply rooted in existential despair, where characters grapple with alienation, guilt, and the futility of existence. The play presents an intimate portrayal of a family trapped in a cycle of suffering, unable to break free from their past mistakes and regrets. Each member of the Tyrone family embodies existentialist struggles:

• James Tyrone (the father): Haunted by his miserliness and lost potential, he constantly justifies his financial decisions, yet deep down, he recognizes his failure as a father and husband.

• Mary Tyrone (the mother): Her morphine addiction becomes a means to escape the painful reality of her shattered dreams and lost innocence, reflecting existentialist escapism.

• Jamie Tyrone (the elder son): A self-destructive alcoholic who masks his pain with cynicism, embodying nihilistic recklessness and despair.

• Edmund Tyrone (the younger son and O’Neill’s alter ego): A poet struggling with tuberculosis, he philosophizes about life and death, engaging with existential and nihilistic ideas more consciously than the others.

The family’s inability to move beyond their personal failures aligns with existentialism’s concept of angst—a pervasive anxiety about one’s purpose in an indifferent world. The play, in its raw and unfiltered portrayal of suffering, highlights the nihilistic notion that life lacks inherent meaning. (TÖRNQVIST)

Time as a Source of Nihilism

One of the most striking existential themes in Long Day’s Journey into Night is its cyclical structure, reinforcing the inescapability of the past. The Tyrone family lives in a perpetual state of regret, where their past decisions dictate their present and future. Key elements of this theme include:

• Mary’s addiction: She repeatedly regresses into morphine-induced delusions of her youth, demonstrating how the past is not a mere memory but an active, oppressive force.

• Jamie’s cynicism: He sees himself as irredeemable, resigning to the belief that his fate is sealed by his past failures.

• Edmund’s illness: His tuberculosis serves as a physical manifestation of the inescapability of suffering and death, a major concern in existential thought.

The idea that time is cyclical rather than linear aligns with nihilistic thought, which rejects progress as an illusion. The Tyrone family is caught in a loop of suffering, unable to change their fate—a reflection of existentialist determinism. (TÖRNQVIST)

Edmund as the Existentialist Hero

Edmund is the most philosophical character, directly engaging with existentialist thought:

• He reads Nietzsche and Baudelaire, two writers who explore despair, alienation, and rebellion against traditional values.

• His famous line, “It was a great mistake, my being born a man. I would have been much more successful as a seagull or a fish,” echoes Camus’ idea of rejecting human suffering.

• His longing for the sea represents his desire for freedom from suffering, a major existentialist theme.

Entin highlights how Edmund’s character reflects O’Neill’s personal struggles, making him the most introspective and existentialist figure in the play. (Entin)

Nihilism and the Meaninglessness of Life

Nihilism suggests that human existence is inherently meaningless. This is evident in:

• James Tyrone’s financial obsession, which serves no purpose—his hoarding of money has led to misery, not security.

• Jamie’s drinking and womanizing, which he continues despite knowing they ruin him, reinforcing a nihilistic lack of motivation.

• Mary’s belief that the past was better, despite it being an illusion—this longing for the past represents a refusal to accept the meaninglessness of the present.

• The fog imagery, which symbolizes confusion, blindness, and existential uncertainty. Mary disappears into her drug-induced fog, while Edmund seeks escape in the real fog of the sea.

Entin notes that the family’s endless cycle of blame, despair, and regret reflects the core nihilistic idea that there is no escape from suffering. (Entin)

The Absurdity of Human Existence

Existentialist thinkers like Albert Camus argue that human life is absurd—we search for meaning in a world that provides none. This absurdity is reflected in:

• The meaningless conversations and endless arguments between the Tyrones.

• False hopes and momentary reconciliations, which always collapse into resentment and despair.

• Jamie’s cynical humor, which serves as a defense mechanism against the absurdity of life.

This aligns with Samuel Beckett’s absurdist plays, where characters talk endlessly yet say nothing of real importance—just like the Tyrones. (Entin)

The Fog as a Nihilistic Symbol

Throughout the play, fog represents existential and nihilistic themes. It is both a literal and metaphorical element that emphasizes confusion, escapism, and the impossibility of clarity.

• Edmund’s “Fog People” Metaphor
  
  

• Edmund refers to himself and his family as “fog people”, suggesting they are lost in their own illusions and unable to perceive reality.

• The fog is a symbol of nihilism because it obscures direction and clarity, leaving them wandering aimlessly in life.

• Mary’s Comfort in the Fog
  
  

• Mary finds the fog comforting because it allows her to retreat into a dreamlike state, much like how morphine helps her escape reality.

• She says: “It hides you from the world and the world from you.”

• This reflects a nihilistic desire to escape existence rather than confront it.

• Edmund’s Existential Crisis
  
  

• While Tyrone sees fog as dangerous and something to fear, Edmund embraces it because it aligns with his belief that life is meaningless.

• He experiences fleeting moments of transcendence at sea, but ultimately, these moments fade, leaving him feeling lost again:
   

• “For a second you see—and seeing the secret, are the secret. But the veil drops back again, and you are alone, lost in the fog again, and you stumble on toward nowhere, for no good reason!”

This passage conveys existential despair—brief glimpses of meaning are illusions, and in the end, there is only nothingness. (SEWALL)

Emotional Decay and Cyclical Despair

A major aspect of nihilism in the play is the belief that progress and change are impossible. The Tyrones are stuck in a never-ending cycle of regret, addiction, and blame, with no hope for redemption.

• No Character Experiences True Growth
  
  

• Even after brutal confessions and painful confrontations, nothing fundamentally changes.

• There is no resolution, no healing, and no hope that tomorrow will be different.

• The Repetition of Suffering
  
  

• Edmund, despite his poetic insights, remains physically weak and emotionally lost.

• Jamie admits he is self-destructive and will never change, even warning Edmund not to trust him.

• Mary, who expresses fleeting self-awareness, always returns to morphine.

• The Next Day Will Be the Same
  
  

• The play ends without a sense of closure—the next day will be just as painful as the last.

• This aligns with nihilism’s view that existence is an endless cycle of suffering, with no possibility of escape. (SEWALL)

References : 

Entin, Jack W. “Long Day’s Journey into Night.” The Clearing House, vol. 37, no. 5, 1963, pp. 318–318. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/30194264. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

SEWALL, RICHARD B. “LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT.” CrossCurrents, vol. 29, no. 4, 1979, pp. 446–56. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/24458074. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.

TÖRNQVIST, EGIL. “O’Neill, Long Day’s Journey into Night (1988).” Between Stage and Screen: Ingmar Bergman Directs, Amsterdam University Press, 1995, pp. 59–68. JSTOR, http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46mtnz.8. Accessed 15 Mar. 2025.