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 pens life. The three prominent symbols, the blur, the foghorn, and Marys specs, represent the characters closing off 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 nutrition in illusion, exclusively characters in the play try to hide from the virtue in their own ways. At the beginning of the second act, ONeill notes a careen in setting which has taken place since the play opened. No sunshine 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 apiece member of the family to obscure or hide reality. Tyrone, for example, drinks whiskey to break loose his boys criticism of how cheap he is. The reference to fog eternally has a double meaning in this play, referrin g twain to the atmosphere and to the family. more than 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 the true. 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 contract, Edmund resents Jamies hinting that she might have bygone 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 pauperism to have to admit it. Because the custody in the family all try so hard to deny the truth and to blame each other or the mother for her affliction, it appears that they all live some g uilt 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