Re: Rersponsibility in Long Day's Journey -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 07:18:03 03/30/08 Sun
Author: Janelle
Subject: Re: Rersponsibility in Long Day's Journey
In reply to: JPJ II 's message, "Rersponsibility in Long Day's Journey" on 14:33:27 03/29/08 Sat

I think that whether we take Tyrone's 'admission' of guilt sincerely is related to whether we feel that we can take Jamie's admitted competition with and creation of Edmund as being more than a drunken rant. Jamie too admits his guilt for a moment, "Mama and Papa are right. I've been rotten bad influence. And worst of it is, I did it on purpose." But it seems that as soon as Jamie admits it, he realizes what he has done and begins to pull away from the admission, first by declaring that it was a "part" of him that purposely made a bum of Edmund and then by saying that Edmund shouldn't get the wrong idea and that he loves Edmund more than he hates him. (pp 165-166)

It seems that everyone in the play either does, or is capable, of admitting their guilt for a moment, but it also seems that as soon as responsibility is taken, the subject is changed, or the responsibility is lessened. I don't know if the family, without some form of intervention from an outside party, is capable of owning responsibility in the way that would actually help and heal the family.

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