Symbols and Symbolism in Long Days Journey into Night :: Long Days Journey into Night

Symbolism is used throughout ONeills Long Days Journey into Night, a portrayal of the germs life. The three prominent symbols, the dapple, the foghorn, and Marys eyeglasses, represent the characters isolation from reality. The symbols in Long Days Journey into Night atomic number 18 used to substitute illusion for reality. Although Mary is the character directly associated with nutri workforcet in illusion, all told characters in the play try to hide from the righteousness in their own ways. At the beginning of the second act, ONeill notes a assortment in setting which has taken place since the play opened. No cheer comes into the room now and there is a faint haziness in the air. This haziness or fog obscures ones perception of the world, and it parallels the attempts of all(prenominal) member of the family to obscure or hide reality. Tyrone, for example, drinks whiskey to splinter his paroles criticism of how cheap he is. The reference to fog unceasingly has a double meaning in this play, referring both to the atmosphere and to the family. untold of the activity carried on by the Tyrone family is under-handed and sneaky, they are always attempting to put something over on somebody and obscure the integrity. This brings us to the second symbol, the foghorn. Mary says she loves the fog because it hides you from the world and the world from you, but she hates the foghorns because they warn you and call you back. This escape is similiar to the morphine she takes, and the foghorns are the familys warnings against her addictions. When they discuss the receive, Edmund resents Jamies hinting that she might have done for(p) back to her old habit and Jamie is angry with Edmund for not staying with her all morning. Although they both think that she has started using dope again, they dont essential to have to admit it. Because the men in the family all try so hard to deny the truth and to blame each other or the mother for her affliction, it appears th at they all finger some guilt and some responsibility for what has happened to her , and to themselves. Even when confronted with the truth (that the mother is using drugs), they all still try to act as if everything were all right, to deny the reality and live in illusion. Marys glasses symbolize her inability to see things clearly. She frequently misplaces them, and really doesnt want to find them