SETTING In a home that has so much pain and suffering one would hope that there would be someone holding a light, but in O’Neill’s despondent setting of a home that always is having the lights turned off there is no illumination to be found. James Tyrone is a cheapskate and he feels that the only way to live the American dream is by shutting off his lights to save money and essentially his family, but in doing so he lives in a masked and fake world. The darkness that James Tyrone promotes is what is eating away at his family. No one has a clear vision of the damage that has been done to one another and they having harder time repairing each other because the dark setting gives them all preconceived notions that are false and blind.
PARADOX The craftsmanship of Eugene O’Neill is prominent in his ability to weave in a multiple paradoxes through out his play. Every action that one character takes towards a healthier lifestyle is somehow negated by either one of their family members or himself. When Edmund tries to ease up on the consumption Jamie and James both continue to drink with him, even though they both “love” him. The aspect of paradox is even more prominent when James offers Edmund up to a sanitarium, but it is actually a cheap and rather meaningless operation. His choices are futile. Edmund then is insulted but does little for himself to change his predicament. He feels like he can change for the better and find a meaningful life but he takes almost no initiative to discover it. He wants an interesting and successful life dropped into his lap, which is exactly how you don’t achieve a respectable and meaningful life. The characters of the play talk and act in circles that only spiral down towards a life of decay.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
Monday, September 22, 2008
UT, Rollins, BC college Essay
“To some degree it matters who's in office, but it matters more how much pressure they're under from the public. “-Noam Chomsky
Social apathy has consumed our nation. We rarely see large and organized protests in the streets anymore. Mass demonstrations were something from the sixties with only a few instances since then. When America’s confidence in itself is at an all time low, one would think that we would be called to action, not simply absorbing the lies American media throws at us. With the political arena pretty much dominating the television these days with talks of hope, change, economic growth, Texas tea, and war, America must first wake up and smell those expensive fumes we love. This is a nation for the People, by the People. Our government should work for us, and we should work for them by supporting each other. No more of this meek approach where we get led like a blind cow to the slaughter house. These next four years we need to demand answers for every action. Why are we still in Iraq? Why are we leaving? Why are we giving billions to oil companies who are making record profits? Are you sure you want someone who’s always steadfast in his decisions running our country? I think I would prefer someone who is a little unsure some of the time. Even Abraham Lincoln was questioning himself when he abolished slavery. It might seem like an obvious answer now, but we must think through everything and read the evidence because well informed decisions just reduce the marginal error.
Overall I would call myself a big believer in humanity, but when I turn on the news, my faith shakes a little bit. People fall for anything these days; it’s disgusting. I think America just got tired of asking, “Why?” After 9/11 this whole country got thrown off-kilter and now we are having a hard time picking ourselves back up. We figured out that Osama was the culprit quickly, but then in our blind loyalty to the state, we let the government put every bad guy on the planet on one deck of cards and set them up as targets. We drew such a hard line between good and bad that all of the sudden the war against terrorism basically became poor Christian boys versus poor Islamic boys. I’m all for justice and freedom, and I’m willing to go die for it, but someone please remind me what we’re fighting for because I’m sick of seeing Isaac and Ishmael killing each other.
My fellow Americans in these next four years lets never stop asking questions. Never let anyone tell you the word “why” is a threat to our good nation, even when you might be facing the majority. Most might disagree, but to an extent there is definitely some truth in Howard Zinn’s quote:
“Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.”
Social apathy has consumed our nation. We rarely see large and organized protests in the streets anymore. Mass demonstrations were something from the sixties with only a few instances since then. When America’s confidence in itself is at an all time low, one would think that we would be called to action, not simply absorbing the lies American media throws at us. With the political arena pretty much dominating the television these days with talks of hope, change, economic growth, Texas tea, and war, America must first wake up and smell those expensive fumes we love. This is a nation for the People, by the People. Our government should work for us, and we should work for them by supporting each other. No more of this meek approach where we get led like a blind cow to the slaughter house. These next four years we need to demand answers for every action. Why are we still in Iraq? Why are we leaving? Why are we giving billions to oil companies who are making record profits? Are you sure you want someone who’s always steadfast in his decisions running our country? I think I would prefer someone who is a little unsure some of the time. Even Abraham Lincoln was questioning himself when he abolished slavery. It might seem like an obvious answer now, but we must think through everything and read the evidence because well informed decisions just reduce the marginal error.
Overall I would call myself a big believer in humanity, but when I turn on the news, my faith shakes a little bit. People fall for anything these days; it’s disgusting. I think America just got tired of asking, “Why?” After 9/11 this whole country got thrown off-kilter and now we are having a hard time picking ourselves back up. We figured out that Osama was the culprit quickly, but then in our blind loyalty to the state, we let the government put every bad guy on the planet on one deck of cards and set them up as targets. We drew such a hard line between good and bad that all of the sudden the war against terrorism basically became poor Christian boys versus poor Islamic boys. I’m all for justice and freedom, and I’m willing to go die for it, but someone please remind me what we’re fighting for because I’m sick of seeing Isaac and Ishmael killing each other.
My fellow Americans in these next four years lets never stop asking questions. Never let anyone tell you the word “why” is a threat to our good nation, even when you might be facing the majority. Most might disagree, but to an extent there is definitely some truth in Howard Zinn’s quote:
“Dissent is the highest form of patriotism.”
L.D.J.I.N mini research
Jealousy, Regret and strikingly similar personalities provide a catalyst for family conflict in Eugene O’Neil’s play Long Day’s Journey into Night. The sons of the family, Jamie and Edmund, both live despicable lives that cause their parents great angst only to instigate more conflict between father and sons. While Edmund has a glimmer of hope ahead of him due to his more educated view of the world, Jamie and his father James bicker and dismantle each others self worth because they are almost mirror images of one another. James’s life was full of promise but his quest for the easiest path has led him to become a selfish cheapskate who has little interest in legitimate and long lasting solutions to the problems that engulf his life. The same can be said for his son Jamie who too looks for easy ways out and has no regard for his future by spending every night drunk with his friends and living like a leech in his parent’s home. The father and son duo of James and Jamie are a destructive force in the Tyrone household, one that will feed off itself perpetuating the pain and regret for the rest of the family.
Jamie was once a prominent actor who sold out for an easy living. Jamie was similar in the fact that, despite his lack of talents, he still looks for the easy way out. One example of his cheapness is when he lives out his destructive drunken lifestyle at the brothels where he sleeps with the fat women. He says he does it out of the kindness of his own heart but one can suspect that he does it because they are the easiest and cheapness to get a hold of, something his cheap father might be proud of. The largess parallel one can draw between Jamie and his father James is their odd and hypocritical relationships with their brother/son Edmund. They both state that they love Edmund, and at some points in the play they both show a caring side while at other points they promote Edmunds consumption. For James and Jamie Edmund is just as much a comfort tool as a weapon and the disturbing part is they both know it.
James: “…I’ll be waiting to welcome you with that “my old pal stuff”, and give you a glad hand, and at the first good chance I get stab you in the back.”
The parallels between father and son are so obvious, especially when James and Jamie fight at the end of the play. James complains to Edmund stating
“A sweet spectacle for me! My first-born, who I hoped would bear my name in honor and dignity, who showed such brilliant promise!”
James too showed great promise but he failed just like Jamie has. But the realization of the likeness of Father and Son strikes James hard when Jamie quotes Rossetti. “Look at my face. My name is Might-Have-Been; I am also called No More, Too Late, Farewell.”
And James replies, “I’m well aware of that, and God knows I don’t want to look at it.”
Jamie has become such a mirror image of James that James refuses to acknowledge it. The same can be said about Jamie who calls James Gaspard, which helps in separating him from his father due to their closeness in name.
“He answers with vicious mockery by naming a play that highlights Tyrone's barren philosophy. To read this only as a dig at Tyrone's tightness with money is to miss the other part of the joke suggesting that Erckmann-Chatrain's old French melodrama (made famous in English by Henry Irving) is the root of Tyrone's wisdom. Albert Wertheim points out that Jamie calls Tyrone Gaspard seven times in the act, although only once to his face. Along with period reasons for bringing in "The Bells," and Tyrone's obvious cheapness, he suggests that it is a crack about how far the father has come from his days playing Shakespeare, and I think he is right.”
The two have become one in the same, where each of their problems can equally be blamed on one another as themselves. They both live as actors in the realm of life and reality only to yell and berate one another as if they have forgotten their lines and positions. They find comfort in the short escape of alcohol and the goodness Edmund brought to the family, but then use both family and drink as weapons to destroy one another. At the end of the play the relationship has essentially gone nowhere and the two despise each other, while hating themselves for it.
Jamie was once a prominent actor who sold out for an easy living. Jamie was similar in the fact that, despite his lack of talents, he still looks for the easy way out. One example of his cheapness is when he lives out his destructive drunken lifestyle at the brothels where he sleeps with the fat women. He says he does it out of the kindness of his own heart but one can suspect that he does it because they are the easiest and cheapness to get a hold of, something his cheap father might be proud of. The largess parallel one can draw between Jamie and his father James is their odd and hypocritical relationships with their brother/son Edmund. They both state that they love Edmund, and at some points in the play they both show a caring side while at other points they promote Edmunds consumption. For James and Jamie Edmund is just as much a comfort tool as a weapon and the disturbing part is they both know it.
James: “…I’ll be waiting to welcome you with that “my old pal stuff”, and give you a glad hand, and at the first good chance I get stab you in the back.”
The parallels between father and son are so obvious, especially when James and Jamie fight at the end of the play. James complains to Edmund stating
“A sweet spectacle for me! My first-born, who I hoped would bear my name in honor and dignity, who showed such brilliant promise!”
James too showed great promise but he failed just like Jamie has. But the realization of the likeness of Father and Son strikes James hard when Jamie quotes Rossetti. “Look at my face. My name is Might-Have-Been; I am also called No More, Too Late, Farewell.”
And James replies, “I’m well aware of that, and God knows I don’t want to look at it.”
Jamie has become such a mirror image of James that James refuses to acknowledge it. The same can be said about Jamie who calls James Gaspard, which helps in separating him from his father due to their closeness in name.
“He answers with vicious mockery by naming a play that highlights Tyrone's barren philosophy. To read this only as a dig at Tyrone's tightness with money is to miss the other part of the joke suggesting that Erckmann-Chatrain's old French melodrama (made famous in English by Henry Irving) is the root of Tyrone's wisdom. Albert Wertheim points out that Jamie calls Tyrone Gaspard seven times in the act, although only once to his face. Along with period reasons for bringing in "The Bells," and Tyrone's obvious cheapness, he suggests that it is a crack about how far the father has come from his days playing Shakespeare, and I think he is right.”
The two have become one in the same, where each of their problems can equally be blamed on one another as themselves. They both live as actors in the realm of life and reality only to yell and berate one another as if they have forgotten their lines and positions. They find comfort in the short escape of alcohol and the goodness Edmund brought to the family, but then use both family and drink as weapons to destroy one another. At the end of the play the relationship has essentially gone nowhere and the two despise each other, while hating themselves for it.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
head for the border
Kick start the engine and head for the border
Petal to the floor to advoid law and order.
Babe I'm heading for Mexico
Where security and safety are the first to go.
At the line I'm met by Police
I'm thrown in th car for disturbing to peace.
Walk in, sit down, it's an 8 by 8 cell.
Shut up, held up, welcome to hell.
I make my one phone call to your voicemail
But you don't pick up so I'm stuck here in jail.
I'm sitting on the bench, then hit in the head
Waking up days later thinking I'm dead.
Day's go by and I don't know why I'm here
All of the sudden there go the years.
Execution is the only way out
I'm getting the noose without a doubt.
But they take me to a room and strap me in a chair.
Sit Down, Shut Up, Wet my hair.
I should have screamed or filed a complaint
But someones got the brunt of society's angst.
Petal to the floor to advoid law and order.
Babe I'm heading for Mexico
Where security and safety are the first to go.
At the line I'm met by Police
I'm thrown in th car for disturbing to peace.
Walk in, sit down, it's an 8 by 8 cell.
Shut up, held up, welcome to hell.
I make my one phone call to your voicemail
But you don't pick up so I'm stuck here in jail.
I'm sitting on the bench, then hit in the head
Waking up days later thinking I'm dead.
Day's go by and I don't know why I'm here
All of the sudden there go the years.
Execution is the only way out
I'm getting the noose without a doubt.
But they take me to a room and strap me in a chair.
Sit Down, Shut Up, Wet my hair.
I should have screamed or filed a complaint
But someones got the brunt of society's angst.
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