Wednesday, April 17th

Long Day's Journey Into Night: continuing discussion of thematic issues and characteres: Tyrone and Jamie

Assignment for Wednesday, April 17th

Re-read the following scenes:

Long Day's Journey Into Night,  Act 1,  pp. 29 - 40; Act 2, Scene 2, pp, 76 - 91; Act 3, pp. 112 - 116; Act 4, pp. 142 - 155, pp. 158 - 170

Re-watch these scenes in the Lumet film on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AkZ-3hBPQwQ&t=5037s:

Starting timestamps: 8:50;  48:10; 1:27:22; 1:54:17; 2:17:08

Reflection Prompts

1. What do you think of Noone's assessment that Tyrone "is made to feel like an outsider in his own home" (122)?  What evidence is there in the text for Noone's assessment? Does the Lumet film reinforce that impression?

2. Does Tyrone's description of his experience as an immigrant in his Act 4 monologue let him "off the hook" for anything he says or does in Long Day's Journey Into Night? Does having read and seen Thirst affect your sympathies for Tyrone?

3. In what ways does Jamie's characterization in the play convey the "deep pity and understanding and forgiveness" that O'Neill claims the play expresses for each of "the four haunted Tyrones"? 

4. What truths does O'Neill capture about sibling relationships in his depiction of the relationship between Jamie and Edmund?

5.  How does Jason Robards Jr.'s performance in the Act 4 scene between Jamie and Edmund affect your perception of the character? Is he more or less sympathetic? What do you make of Edmund's reactions?