Long Day's Journey Into Night

Though addiction to alcohol is implied in Act I, the acknowledged challenges with substance misuse become clearer in Act II, Scene I, as Edmund, Jamie, and Tyrone all turn to bourbon as a means to calm themselves and distract from their familial turmoil, showing Inebriation as a Form of Escape and Denial. When Cathleen first brings out the bourbon, she can tell that Edmund wants to have a drink before his father and brother return from working outside, and he pours himself a drink as soon as Cathleen leaves. Even though it is implied that the bourbon is meant to be shared among all three men, it is served in four rounds. First, Edmund pours himself a drink to prepare for reuniting with Jamie and Tyrone. Then, Jamie and Edmund each have a drink to prepare for their father’s arrival. When all three men are together, they each have a drink, with Edmund and Jamie taking larger amounts, and, finally, when the sons have left, Tyrone has a large drink for himself after his fight with Mary.

In each case, the drink is tied to avoiding exposure to a problem while sober, using alcohol as a self-medication against the stress of the family’s arguments. Alone, this situation indicates substance misuse among the men of the family, but with Mary’s reaction to Edmund’s drink and Jamie’s tactic of filling the bottle with a bit of water to mask the amount that has been taken, it seems that the men of the family may be dealing with legitimate addiction to alcohol, as opposed to merely using alcohol as a coping mechanism. When Jamie hears Mary approaching while he and Edmund are having a drink, he remarks, “Damn! I wish I’d grabbed another drink” (50), which indicates that a single drink is insufficient in warding off the stress of Mary’s illness. Implied along with that statement is the idea that Jamie needs to be inebriated to endure his family gathering. Alcohol misuse is another form of deflection for the family, as, rather than addressing their issues with a clear mind, they seem to prefer dulling their emotions with alcohol.

Mary begins wrapping her arm around Edmund, making it clear that Edmund is Mary’s favorite, which matches with O’Neill’s description of Mary and Edmund as similar in appearance. Meanwhile, divisions grow between Edmund and Jamie, as does the division glimpsed in the opening of Act I between Mary and Tyrone. Jamie craves his mother’s attention, but this desire for affection is offset by his realistic outlook on Mary’s illness. Combined, Jamie makes comments like “If you want to think so, Mama” (52) and “Oh, for God’s sake, do you think you can fool me, Mama?” (55), each of which are aimed at Mary’s illness without naming it directly. Jamie does not want to hurt his mother, nor does he want to ignore her illness, resulting in these knowing remarks that both prod Mary’s pride, as she tries to hide her struggle, and reach out to indicate Jamie’s love for his mother. Unfortunately, Jamie’s method of wavering between outright confrontation and affection irritates Edmund, who would prefer to ignore the problem altogether. It is Jamie’s remark that sets Edmund to lunge at Jamie, shouting, “God damn you!” (56) and sparking Mary’s outburst. Though the sons tend to agree about their father, with each of them resenting how he prioritizes socializing with the neighbors over having lunch with his family, the brothers clash when discussing Mary.

Likewise, Tyrone shows how he has contributed to Mary’s illness through his unwillingness to take any responsibility for her situation in a combination of The Importance of Love and Support and Deflection and the Challenge of Confronting Problems. When Mary lashes out at Tyrone, he hides behind his “dull anger” and “grief,” blaming Mary for not controlling herself better. He refers to Mary’s explanation that Edmund’s illness has triggered her own mental health conditions as “excuses,” asking her, “For the love of God, why couldn’t you have the strength to keep on?” (62). The real question, though, is why Tyrone has not invested the time and money needed to secure Mary appropriate care. Though Tyrone acts as though he cares about Mary’s well-being, his frugality and desire for a positive reputation in town seem to conflict with Mary’s need for professional assistance with her mental health. However, Mary pleads with Tyrone for forgiveness, exposing the power dynamic between them. Tyrone is the head of the household, and he holds the power in the home. None of the other characters can effectively stand against Tyrone, and Mary is no exception. Even though Mary makes a valid argument about Tyrone’s behavior, she cannot stop him from ignoring her and drinking away his concerns, which leads to her begging him for forgiveness. She needs him to forgive her, as she is dependent on his financial stability, even if the marriage itself is problematic.