Similarities to Classical Tragedy -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 20:04:52 03/28/08 Fri
Author: Erin Risch
Subject: Similarities to Classical Tragedy
In reply to: Shannon 's message, "Myth-making in Long Day's Journey" on 13:31:45 03/27/08 Thu

While reading Long Day, I was reminded of Tiresias and Oedipus (and also Pentheus and Dionysus) hurling insults and accusations that revealed their similarities to one another. This happens in the Tyrone family, too. For instance, all four family members have their way of being "drunken . . . with wine, with poetry, or with virtue, as you will." All of them wish to forget but scorn the others' method of forgetting.

For instance, Edmund says, "Well, what's wrong with being drunk? It's what we're after, isn't it? Let's not kid each other, Papa. Not tonight. We know what we're trying to forget."

But they're trying to forget Mary's opium habit, i.e., her way of forgetting the worries of the present.

The interesting thing is that sometimes, in accusing one another, the characters expose their own blindspots too explicitly to ignore. Mr. Tyrone says, "Your dirty Zola! And your Dante Gabriel Rossetti who was a dope fiend!" Then he "starts and looks guilty." It's hard to condemn someone for being a dope fiend when your own wife, whom you love, is one as well.

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