Unfinished House
The squeak of the rusty hinges of that worthless gate had never been more vociferous. The sable paint on it had been peeling for years. I pushed it open just enough for my quiescent stomach to slip through. I didn’t consider breathing. Maybe the presence of wind would’ve made it easier. But it was too lifeless and it made me uneasy. My toes felt so heavy; that moment rested on them. The concrete was painfully scabrous for my naked feet. Once the heel of my foot gently touched the barbed gravel, I let out the burning breath that was helplessly trapped in my trembling chest. I could’ve sworn the road would crack under me. That was my biggest fear. The resplendent moon was my savior for those few seconds. I’m not sure how long it lasted in actuality. Ambrosial bushes of night-jasmine lining the dead street derided me. While their fragrance was so vehement, I was so unsure. I kept walking. Maybe I should’ve been more like the jasmine. I knew that within that halcyon house, something aberrant waited, patiently. The achromatic cement blocks that contained it were not ugly enough. They were so chimerical right then. I recalled a song I had heard whose lyrics fit the image before me. My absolute terror of the absence of light didn’t even cross my mind. I’m not sure anything did. I descended into the darkest thing I had ever met.
1. Vociferous- adj. Crying out noisily; clamorous
2. Sable- adj. Very dark; black
3. Quiescent- adj. Motionless or inactive
4. Scabrous- adj. Having a rough surface because of projections
5. Resplendent- adj. Shining brilliantly; gleaming
6. Ambrosial- adj. Exceptionally pleasing to taste or smell; delicious or fragrant
7. Halcyon- adj. Calm, peaceful, tranquil
8. Aberrant- adj. Differing from the normal or accepted way (behavior)
9. Achromatic- adj. Uncolored
10. Chimerical- adj. Wildly fanciful; imaginary; romantic
Thursday, December 4, 2008
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
"Where Is My Mind?" Pixies music essay
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zP1IjgSO_E
Nicole Abinajem
One of the most influential rock bands of the late 80’s, the Pixies have not only had a lasting impact on the face of indie and modern rock, but they also impact the mind and spirit of every person that hears their music. Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV began experimenting with music as a teenager in the garage of his L.A. house in the suburbs. However, after his mother and stepfather moved to New England, his focus switched from rock and roll to anthropology and astronomy. It was not until he studied abroad in Puerto Rico as a student of the University of Massachusetts that he made himself choose between two things: going to witness Halley’s Comet in New Zealand or forming a band. Thompson returned to Boston in 1986 and joined with his former college roommate, Joey Santiago, who had a deep passion for the guitar; he came from one of the richest families in the Philippines to play. The two musicians placed an ad in the newspaper for a bassist that was interested in Hüsker Dü and Peter, Paul, and Mary, who are both regarded as influences of the Pixies. Kim Deal replied to the ad and introduced her drummer friend David Lovering to Thompson and Santiago. Inspired by Iggy Pop and his biological father, Thompson chose the stage name Black Francis. Finally, after Santiago randomly scanned through the dictionary, they chose the name Pixies and the band was formed.
Uneven, roaring guitars, distorted riffs, start-stop dynamics, harmonious pop hooks, interlaced male and female vocals, and thought-provoking, obscure lyrics are the most distinct qualities of the inventive alternative rock band. Taking on the stop-start dynamics and noisy guitar solos, Nirvana was formed out of the shadow of the Pixies. The Pixies creatively mixed indie, punk, classic, and surf rock by stepping out of the conventions and melding these different styles to fit their own. Although Black Francis’ lyrics are cryptic and often impenetrable, the music is direct and powerful. Pixies are often considered as the driving force that allowed indie rock to be brought into the mainstream.
The majority of the song “Where Is My Mind?” illustrates a wandering or daydreaming mind, a mind that is drifting. It describes the state one is in when they lose their common sense to their thoughts and let their mind fly. This loss of common sense or logic is implied by the lyrics, “your head will collapse, but there’s nothing in it…” The word collapse is not literal, but rather an explanation of the mind ridding itself of everyday thinking and letting itself free. The first line of the song, “with your feet on the air and your head on the ground” give the sense of looking at the world in a completely different perspective than one would normally. The idea of a drifting mind is implied again with the lyrics, “way out in the water, see it [the mind] swimming…” An image of floating with no real direction is implied with the word “swimming”. Another stanza proceeds to describe literally swimming in the Caribbean and the speaker being followed by a coy koi fish that is “trying to talk to him”. When asked about this, Black Francis replied, "That came from me snorkeling in the Caribbean and having this very small fish trying to chase me. I don't know why - I don't know too much about fish behavior" (from Select, October 1997). Paralleled by the lyrics discussing the coy koi fish chasing the speaker is the fact that such a simple happening can cause the mind to chase after that one thought for no certain reason. The obscure, random, and somewhat aimless lyrics reflect the true meaning of the song; the mind does not, or should not always follow a pattern of concrete reasoning and logic. Through the obscure lyrics, the Pixies suggest it is okay to let the mind wander. This idea is also portrayed by the eerie background singing of Kim Deal that generates an abstract sensation of searching for your mind.
“Where Is Your Mind?” is a masterpiece in more than one dimension. In one aspect, the Pixies were way ahead of their time with the sound of their music in the sense that the song sounded like modern rock decades ago and is still inspiring people today. However, it is not only through their music that the Pixies reached out to the public, but also through the message within their lyrics that they, either knowingly or unknowingly, portray to society. By delving into the all too common process of temporarily losing one’s mind, the Pixies give some sort of relief to all those who are looking for their own sense of direction. They indirectly tell them it is fine to drift and not really have a set path by understanding the experience themselves. Whether unacknowledged or purposely, the Pixies have certainly impacted the face of alternative rock forever and simultaneously impacted every person who has been touched by their music.
"Where Is My Mind?" -Pixies
Oh - stop
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind [3x]
Way out in the water
See it swimmin'
I was swimmin' in the Caribbean
Animals were hiding behind the rocks
Except the little fish
But they told me, he swears
Tryin' to talk to me, coy koi.
Where is my mind [3x]
Way out in the water
See it swimmin' ?
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
If there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind [3x]
Oh
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Oh
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Oh
Oh
Nicole Abinajem
One of the most influential rock bands of the late 80’s, the Pixies have not only had a lasting impact on the face of indie and modern rock, but they also impact the mind and spirit of every person that hears their music. Charles Michael Kitteridge Thompson IV began experimenting with music as a teenager in the garage of his L.A. house in the suburbs. However, after his mother and stepfather moved to New England, his focus switched from rock and roll to anthropology and astronomy. It was not until he studied abroad in Puerto Rico as a student of the University of Massachusetts that he made himself choose between two things: going to witness Halley’s Comet in New Zealand or forming a band. Thompson returned to Boston in 1986 and joined with his former college roommate, Joey Santiago, who had a deep passion for the guitar; he came from one of the richest families in the Philippines to play. The two musicians placed an ad in the newspaper for a bassist that was interested in Hüsker Dü and Peter, Paul, and Mary, who are both regarded as influences of the Pixies. Kim Deal replied to the ad and introduced her drummer friend David Lovering to Thompson and Santiago. Inspired by Iggy Pop and his biological father, Thompson chose the stage name Black Francis. Finally, after Santiago randomly scanned through the dictionary, they chose the name Pixies and the band was formed.
Uneven, roaring guitars, distorted riffs, start-stop dynamics, harmonious pop hooks, interlaced male and female vocals, and thought-provoking, obscure lyrics are the most distinct qualities of the inventive alternative rock band. Taking on the stop-start dynamics and noisy guitar solos, Nirvana was formed out of the shadow of the Pixies. The Pixies creatively mixed indie, punk, classic, and surf rock by stepping out of the conventions and melding these different styles to fit their own. Although Black Francis’ lyrics are cryptic and often impenetrable, the music is direct and powerful. Pixies are often considered as the driving force that allowed indie rock to be brought into the mainstream.
The majority of the song “Where Is My Mind?” illustrates a wandering or daydreaming mind, a mind that is drifting. It describes the state one is in when they lose their common sense to their thoughts and let their mind fly. This loss of common sense or logic is implied by the lyrics, “your head will collapse, but there’s nothing in it…” The word collapse is not literal, but rather an explanation of the mind ridding itself of everyday thinking and letting itself free. The first line of the song, “with your feet on the air and your head on the ground” give the sense of looking at the world in a completely different perspective than one would normally. The idea of a drifting mind is implied again with the lyrics, “way out in the water, see it [the mind] swimming…” An image of floating with no real direction is implied with the word “swimming”. Another stanza proceeds to describe literally swimming in the Caribbean and the speaker being followed by a coy koi fish that is “trying to talk to him”. When asked about this, Black Francis replied, "That came from me snorkeling in the Caribbean and having this very small fish trying to chase me. I don't know why - I don't know too much about fish behavior" (from Select, October 1997). Paralleled by the lyrics discussing the coy koi fish chasing the speaker is the fact that such a simple happening can cause the mind to chase after that one thought for no certain reason. The obscure, random, and somewhat aimless lyrics reflect the true meaning of the song; the mind does not, or should not always follow a pattern of concrete reasoning and logic. Through the obscure lyrics, the Pixies suggest it is okay to let the mind wander. This idea is also portrayed by the eerie background singing of Kim Deal that generates an abstract sensation of searching for your mind.
“Where Is Your Mind?” is a masterpiece in more than one dimension. In one aspect, the Pixies were way ahead of their time with the sound of their music in the sense that the song sounded like modern rock decades ago and is still inspiring people today. However, it is not only through their music that the Pixies reached out to the public, but also through the message within their lyrics that they, either knowingly or unknowingly, portray to society. By delving into the all too common process of temporarily losing one’s mind, the Pixies give some sort of relief to all those who are looking for their own sense of direction. They indirectly tell them it is fine to drift and not really have a set path by understanding the experience themselves. Whether unacknowledged or purposely, the Pixies have certainly impacted the face of alternative rock forever and simultaneously impacted every person who has been touched by their music.
"Where Is My Mind?" -Pixies
Oh - stop
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
But there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind [3x]
Way out in the water
See it swimmin'
I was swimmin' in the Caribbean
Animals were hiding behind the rocks
Except the little fish
But they told me, he swears
Tryin' to talk to me, coy koi.
Where is my mind [3x]
Way out in the water
See it swimmin' ?
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Your head will collapse
If there's nothing in it
And you'll ask yourself
Where is my mind [3x]
Oh
With your feet in the air and your head on the ground
Oh
Try this trick and spin it, yeah
Oh
Oh
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Hypnopaedia
Spread Love Like Violence
"Make Love Not War" is a simple message that implies a positive suggestion to live out of love, as opposed to violence. Too often does our society forget to love one another like brothers and sisters. If we all recognized the love we innately share for each other, violence would cease to taint the world we live in. Although this may be impossible because of human nature, a reminder is certainly worthwhile. The title of the video, Spread Love Like Violence, is reflected through the images shown. The phrase "Make Love Not War" is shown repetitively. The images are meant to instill into the mind of the viewer the idea of replacing violence in the world with love. The hypnopaedic phrases and ideas they depict are strongly reflected through these images. As a paradoxical statement, the expression Spread Love Like Violence serves to intrigue the viewer and inspire them to further contemplate the truth within the message of the video.
"Make Love Not War" is a simple message that implies a positive suggestion to live out of love, as opposed to violence. Too often does our society forget to love one another like brothers and sisters. If we all recognized the love we innately share for each other, violence would cease to taint the world we live in. Although this may be impossible because of human nature, a reminder is certainly worthwhile. The title of the video, Spread Love Like Violence, is reflected through the images shown. The phrase "Make Love Not War" is shown repetitively. The images are meant to instill into the mind of the viewer the idea of replacing violence in the world with love. The hypnopaedic phrases and ideas they depict are strongly reflected through these images. As a paradoxical statement, the expression Spread Love Like Violence serves to intrigue the viewer and inspire them to further contemplate the truth within the message of the video.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Lenina Crowne
Dramatic Monologue
I never understand why he worries himself.
There is no reason to worry;
We are all happy nowadays.
And he knows the people look at him differently when he worries,
Because they are all happy.
But I don’t, he is still the same to me.
I long for him to be more forward with me.
Maybe if he remedied himself like the other men
He would be more fun.
I always tell him,
There is no reason to worry;
We are all happy nowadays.
And he knows the people look at him differently when he worries,
Because they are all happy.
But I don’t, he is still the same to me.
I long for him to be more forward with me.
Maybe if he remedied himself like the other men
He would be more fun.
I always tell him,
“Never put off till tomorrow the fun you can have today.”
He doesn’t seem to listen, but I do.
Another one I can’t grasp is the other boy;
He refuses to have fun with me.
I know he adores me, so why does he fret?
There is nothing to fret over.
We are all happy nowadays.
If we could just be together,
He would not be so bothered all the time;
We would have fun
And doesn’t he know?
A gramme is always better than a damn.
He doesn’t seem to listen, but I do.
Another one I can’t grasp is the other boy;
He refuses to have fun with me.
I know he adores me, so why does he fret?
There is nothing to fret over.
We are all happy nowadays.
If we could just be together,
He would not be so bothered all the time;
We would have fun
And doesn’t he know?
A gramme is always better than a damn.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Allusion paragraph, Telemachus and Jack Burden
Nicole Abinajem
October 25, 2008
Allusion Paragraph
Within the novel All the King’s Men are many subtle allusions to Greek mythology. One such allusion is that of Jack Burden reflecting Telemachus. The two characters have many parallels between them. For example, both Jack and Telemachus are put in the position of caring for their mother because their fathers left them. Also, neither of them recognize their true father right away. While Jack goes through life thinking Ellis Burden was his dad, he discovers later it was Judge Irwin all along. When reminiscing about the tiny catapults Jack and the Judge used to make together, Jack says, “He looked up as I came in, and said, ‘Been looking at our peashooters, huh?’ He put the slightest emphasis upon our. ‘Yes,’ I said. They yellow eyes bore into me for a second, and I knew he knew what I’d found out.” Jack discusses how he came to understand that the Judge was constructing the peashooters for Jack, not for himself. This insight is much like when Telemachus realizes the man he had suspected least of being his father was actually the one who could draw the bow and arrow like only his true father could. Even then, Telemachus does not comprehend the fact immediately, just as Jack Burden does not recognize the judge as his father even after it seemed obvious. For both Jack and Telemachus, the quest they persist through to discover their selves involves discovering who their father is. Although they both struggle with realizing their true kin, they eventually recognize someone who has been in front of them all along.
October 25, 2008
Allusion Paragraph
Within the novel All the King’s Men are many subtle allusions to Greek mythology. One such allusion is that of Jack Burden reflecting Telemachus. The two characters have many parallels between them. For example, both Jack and Telemachus are put in the position of caring for their mother because their fathers left them. Also, neither of them recognize their true father right away. While Jack goes through life thinking Ellis Burden was his dad, he discovers later it was Judge Irwin all along. When reminiscing about the tiny catapults Jack and the Judge used to make together, Jack says, “He looked up as I came in, and said, ‘Been looking at our peashooters, huh?’ He put the slightest emphasis upon our. ‘Yes,’ I said. They yellow eyes bore into me for a second, and I knew he knew what I’d found out.” Jack discusses how he came to understand that the Judge was constructing the peashooters for Jack, not for himself. This insight is much like when Telemachus realizes the man he had suspected least of being his father was actually the one who could draw the bow and arrow like only his true father could. Even then, Telemachus does not comprehend the fact immediately, just as Jack Burden does not recognize the judge as his father even after it seemed obvious. For both Jack and Telemachus, the quest they persist through to discover their selves involves discovering who their father is. Although they both struggle with realizing their true kin, they eventually recognize someone who has been in front of them all along.
Thursday, October 2, 2008
Found Poem
Nicole Abinajem
"Having Farewell"
We listened to the rain beat the trees,
And at each clap of thunder,
We clung together on the porch swing.
Each time that flicker appeared across his white face,
I could grasp all of the thoughts running through his mind;
They were tangible for a moment.
Just an instant inside of those eyes,
Red but tearless, and I knew the world.
The block without the street lamp took eternity to reach.
But we wandered straight into the darkness,
Where true eternity absorbed into the body of our experience.
"Having Farewell"
We listened to the rain beat the trees,
And at each clap of thunder,
We clung together on the porch swing.
Each time that flicker appeared across his white face,
I could grasp all of the thoughts running through his mind;
They were tangible for a moment.
Just an instant inside of those eyes,
Red but tearless, and I knew the world.
The block without the street lamp took eternity to reach.
But we wandered straight into the darkness,
Where true eternity absorbed into the body of our experience.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Emily Dickinson scrap poem
Un Beau Déluge
Blinding rays of daylight and the deluge were an unsuspected blend, only visible by tip-toes.
And New Slang, no chorus could have transformed the moment better.
The uncertainty of the backtracking car seat was softened by the flicker of that familiar light
That during any other breath would have been an inconvenience.
Somehow, the sun melted into the edge and the guitar notes peaked and he cried
All within the same instant; that infinite instant.
She was serene, crossing the heated pavement all alone with a packed suitcase
While the rest of the innocently indifferent spun madly on.
Then came the oasis; in the midst of it all, Jimi understood.
Blinding rays of daylight and the deluge were an unsuspected blend, only visible by tip-toes.
And New Slang, no chorus could have transformed the moment better.
The uncertainty of the backtracking car seat was softened by the flicker of that familiar light
That during any other breath would have been an inconvenience.
Somehow, the sun melted into the edge and the guitar notes peaked and he cried
All within the same instant; that infinite instant.
She was serene, crossing the heated pavement all alone with a packed suitcase
While the rest of the innocently indifferent spun madly on.
Then came the oasis; in the midst of it all, Jimi understood.
Long Day's Journey Into Night, Essay
Nicole Abinajem
20 September 2008
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Many writers subtly reveal experiences they have encountered throughout their lifetime by paralleling experiences of the characters in their work with their own life. Throughout Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, the Tyrone family members mirror O’Neill’s own family and their issues; many of the situations amongst the Tyrones are nearly identical to O’Neill’s life. The feelings and thoughts about life that the characters portray reflect O’Neill’s own outlook, implying that O’Neill is a concealed narrator and the play is actually a biographical work. Because of the fact that the implied viewpoint of life in the play is O’Neill’s own, he wrote the play later in his life after he had much time to reflect on the problems within his family and how they aided in molding his “tragic sense of life” in which everyone is doomed to suffering (Contemporary Authors Online). “’None of us can help the things life has done to us," noted Tyrone. "They're done before you realize it, and . . . they make you do other things until at last everything comes between you and what you'd like to be, and you've lost your true self forever’" (O’Neill). Eugene O’Neill utilizes parallelism between his family and the Tyrone family to express his own pain and beliefs on living.
Perhaps the most obvious link between the characters in the play and O’Neill’s family is his choice of names. Mary Tyrone is addicted to morphine and seems stuck in a state of nostalgia in which she has many regrets. For example, she regrets marrying James because it kept her from her dreams of being a nun and a concert pianist. Mary Quinlan, O’Neill’s mother was raised in Catholic convent schools and also became addicted to morphine after recovering from Eugene’s birth; O’Neill didn’t learn of her addiction until his teen years (Contemporary Authors Online). James Tyrone is an actor with no artistic integrity and is ridiculously cheap; a fact that torments the rest of his family. O’Neill’s father, James, is an actor as well and was obsessed with financial security. As a result of his obsession, the family was forced to travel on tour with him due to his role in The Count of Monte Cristo (Contemporary Authors Online). O’Neill and his family lived in and out of different hotel rooms; the closest thing they had to a home was their summer house in New England, Connecticut (Contemporary Authors Online). This frankly parallels the transient lifestyle of the Tyrone family as they lived in and out of hotel rooms as well and in their summer house, which did not have the feeling of a home at all, simply a house, exactly like O’Neill’s living situation. The villain of the play, Jamie Tyrone, is a careless alcoholic and finds affection only at brothels. Jamie, the older brother of O’Neill, was irresponsible due to pampering from his parents, picked up the bad vice of drinking, and could only accept “love” from prostitutes (Contemporary Authors Online).
While these connections between the characters in the play and O’Neill’s own family that are utilized to display the pain and disappointment O’Neill felt about their predicaments are blatant, O’Neill veils himself under a different name in the play; Edmund, the name of his brother who died in early life. In the play, Edmund Tyrone is the only one who truly ponders his existence and the meaning of it. "It was a great mistake my being born a man, I would have been much more successful as a sea gull or a fish," Edmund says. "As it is, I will always be a stranger who never feels at home . . . who must always be a little in love with death” (O’Neill). O’Neill himself was a sailor for a period of time and took a great liking to the sea. He admired its vastness and its ability to give him a sense of rising above his existence (Contemporary Authors Online). The perspective Edmund Tyrone has on life in which people are constantly teased by dreams they cannot accomplish and that the only peace one will experience will be in death is a hidden expression of O’Neill’s own ideas on life.
The autobiographical elements in Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night are cleverly placed throughout the play in order to give the reader a glimpse inside the genius mind of O’Neill as a writer, and as a human being that was coming to terms with tormenting events in his life. The reader can easily relate to the common feelings of internal pain and despair portrayed throughout the play. Although O’Neill’s family problems impacted him very harshly and left him with a hopeless outlook on life, he came to accept and forgive them; that led him to become the great writer he was (Contemporary Authors Online). The reader is left with a greater understanding of these events and how they transformed O’Neill into the person he became. The play is evidence of his recognition of all of the events of his life and how they, through much suffering, directed him towards writing unforgettable works for which he will be remembered forever.
Works Cited
Contemporary Authors Online, ed. "Eugene (Gladstone) O'Neill." 21 Sept. 2004. Gale. 17 Sept. 2008.
O'Neill, Eugene. Long Day's Journey Into Night. New York, NY: Yale Nota Bene, 2002. 1-179.
20 September 2008
Long Day’s Journey Into Night
Many writers subtly reveal experiences they have encountered throughout their lifetime by paralleling experiences of the characters in their work with their own life. Throughout Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night, the Tyrone family members mirror O’Neill’s own family and their issues; many of the situations amongst the Tyrones are nearly identical to O’Neill’s life. The feelings and thoughts about life that the characters portray reflect O’Neill’s own outlook, implying that O’Neill is a concealed narrator and the play is actually a biographical work. Because of the fact that the implied viewpoint of life in the play is O’Neill’s own, he wrote the play later in his life after he had much time to reflect on the problems within his family and how they aided in molding his “tragic sense of life” in which everyone is doomed to suffering (Contemporary Authors Online). “’None of us can help the things life has done to us," noted Tyrone. "They're done before you realize it, and . . . they make you do other things until at last everything comes between you and what you'd like to be, and you've lost your true self forever’" (O’Neill). Eugene O’Neill utilizes parallelism between his family and the Tyrone family to express his own pain and beliefs on living.
Perhaps the most obvious link between the characters in the play and O’Neill’s family is his choice of names. Mary Tyrone is addicted to morphine and seems stuck in a state of nostalgia in which she has many regrets. For example, she regrets marrying James because it kept her from her dreams of being a nun and a concert pianist. Mary Quinlan, O’Neill’s mother was raised in Catholic convent schools and also became addicted to morphine after recovering from Eugene’s birth; O’Neill didn’t learn of her addiction until his teen years (Contemporary Authors Online). James Tyrone is an actor with no artistic integrity and is ridiculously cheap; a fact that torments the rest of his family. O’Neill’s father, James, is an actor as well and was obsessed with financial security. As a result of his obsession, the family was forced to travel on tour with him due to his role in The Count of Monte Cristo (Contemporary Authors Online). O’Neill and his family lived in and out of different hotel rooms; the closest thing they had to a home was their summer house in New England, Connecticut (Contemporary Authors Online). This frankly parallels the transient lifestyle of the Tyrone family as they lived in and out of hotel rooms as well and in their summer house, which did not have the feeling of a home at all, simply a house, exactly like O’Neill’s living situation. The villain of the play, Jamie Tyrone, is a careless alcoholic and finds affection only at brothels. Jamie, the older brother of O’Neill, was irresponsible due to pampering from his parents, picked up the bad vice of drinking, and could only accept “love” from prostitutes (Contemporary Authors Online).
While these connections between the characters in the play and O’Neill’s own family that are utilized to display the pain and disappointment O’Neill felt about their predicaments are blatant, O’Neill veils himself under a different name in the play; Edmund, the name of his brother who died in early life. In the play, Edmund Tyrone is the only one who truly ponders his existence and the meaning of it. "It was a great mistake my being born a man, I would have been much more successful as a sea gull or a fish," Edmund says. "As it is, I will always be a stranger who never feels at home . . . who must always be a little in love with death” (O’Neill). O’Neill himself was a sailor for a period of time and took a great liking to the sea. He admired its vastness and its ability to give him a sense of rising above his existence (Contemporary Authors Online). The perspective Edmund Tyrone has on life in which people are constantly teased by dreams they cannot accomplish and that the only peace one will experience will be in death is a hidden expression of O’Neill’s own ideas on life.
The autobiographical elements in Eugene O’Neill’s Long Day’s Journey Into Night are cleverly placed throughout the play in order to give the reader a glimpse inside the genius mind of O’Neill as a writer, and as a human being that was coming to terms with tormenting events in his life. The reader can easily relate to the common feelings of internal pain and despair portrayed throughout the play. Although O’Neill’s family problems impacted him very harshly and left him with a hopeless outlook on life, he came to accept and forgive them; that led him to become the great writer he was (Contemporary Authors Online). The reader is left with a greater understanding of these events and how they transformed O’Neill into the person he became. The play is evidence of his recognition of all of the events of his life and how they, through much suffering, directed him towards writing unforgettable works for which he will be remembered forever.
Works Cited
Contemporary Authors Online, ed. "Eugene (Gladstone) O'Neill." 21 Sept. 2004. Gale. 17 Sept. 2008.
O'Neill, Eugene. Long Day's Journey Into Night. New York, NY: Yale Nota Bene, 2002. 1-179.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)