Long Day's Journey into Night Act 2 & Act 3 Summary
Act number 2 of Long Day's Journey into Night (a play written by O'Neill) brings more facts to the light about the lives of Tyrone family. Mary Tyrone's addiction is a cause of much tension for the whole family. All family members are anxious about her failing health. Jamie says that he was wrong to believe in her in the past. He concludes that she can never get cured and cannot accept wisdom, and she will continuously reconstruct her ways to get morphine regularly. Then, he realizes that he misunderstood her true nature in the past and was wrong to think that she could leave her illusions. The family makes a final decision that it will accept her with all her faults and not force her anymore for giving up morphine.
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The relationship between the past and the present of the Tyrone family shows up clearly in this act. It also appears that the past period is governing and conditioning the present time of these family members. Mary goes into her past to discover her peace and security due to being unable to remain in a peaceful condition at present. She loses all hopes in the present time and leans too much on the past for her survival. Also, she gets busy in remembering her memorable convent times when she was comfortable, and her mind was free of all tensions.
Mary appears unable to forget the time of her delivery during Edmund's birth because of her struggle during that period. She was in severe pain. A quack like Dr Hardy prescribed overdoses of morphine to Mary during her labour pains at the delivery time. Those overdoses resulted in Mary's addiction to morphine. Then, Mary blames herself for the death of her child called Eugene due to her negligence and disregard. She also realizes that she lived as a liar even to herself including others throughout her life, and she also remained false with herself and others.
At the end of act number two, Mary remains in the state of confusion. She is still not clear about the cause of her loneliness. When her family members leave her alone, she says to herself that their company of hatred is not pleasant at all. Next, Mary feels confident in overcoming her feelings of loneliness. Later, her confidence breaks down soon, and she suffers from greater loneliness. Finally, she asks the reason for her feeling lonely to the mother of God with a bitter laugh.
In act number three, Mary feels peace in her past and finds faults in her present time. Then, a time comes when her past becomes the only reality for her. The period which she imagines is the time before and after her marriage to James Tyrone. Mary imagines herself of being shifted back into her charming period of the past. She becomes happy to remember those pleasant days when she married young James Tyrone. She recalls the time of her wedding when she was looking so attractive in her wedding gown.
The image of James Tyrone has changed for Mary with time. She is no longer his blind admirer. Mary found the true nature of James Tyrone after her marriage soon, and she started withdrawing from him. She can hardly bear the way he looks at her with rudeness. Mary thinks that her husband is no better than her sons. She is not happy with James Tyrone's behaviour, and she cannot tolerate his criticizing nature especially. James Tyrone has also made conclusions about his wife. He thinks firmly that no one can change Mary's inflexible nature including himself. Also, he is sure that his wife will never leave reconstructing ways to take morphine secretly and will never quit her illusions.
The serious nature of Edmund's disease gets confirmed in this act. Plus, the clinical suggestion is that he should go to some sanatorium for rest and diagnosis. Mary is not satisfied with the decision and says that some incapable person has suggested this opinion and misguided them. She still feels that the cause of the constant fever of Edmund is different and requires some other treatment.
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