Schizophrenia in Long Day's Journey -- Mimetic Theory and Literary Study

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Date Posted: 19:43:41 03/30/08 Sun
Author: JD
Subject: Schizophrenia in Long Day's Journey

In Long Day's Journey into Night, there seems to be a constant struggle present in each of the characters. There are many instances in which each of the characters will say something and then will immediately criticize themselves for the previous statement. I believe It lends itself to the Girardian interpretation of psychoses and neuroses. The characters are used to acting a certain way, or perhaps following a certain model. Yet when they contradict that behavior or imitate a different model, they become extremely anxious. An example is when Tyrone commends the poor Irish farmer for standing up to the millionaire (he is being a proud Irishman) yet he simultaneously supports the landowner because he himself is supposed to be a landowner. The same holds true for Mary who constantly struggles with her earlier convent personality and her new life living as a married lay-person. I think that this could maybe be a reason for the escapism that we see in the play; the retreat into the fog through drinking and drugs could be the only way to cope with the awareness of this split in personality and models.

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