Kobe Shoin Women’s University Repository
Title
“So Happy for a Time” O'Neill and the Idea of
Belonging
Author(s)
Ronald St. Pierre
Citation
Shoin Literary Review，No.16：53-79
Issue Date
1982
Resource Type
Bulletin Paper / 紀要論文
Resource Version
URL
Right
'
"So Happy
for a Time"
O'Neill and the Idea of Belonging
Ronald St.Pierre
Intheyearsfrom1910to1912,EugeneO'Neilllivedalifeofde- bauchery.Hespentthistime,betweenjobsonthesea,inthedock-areasofBuenasAiresandNewworkCitysleepinginhisclothes, gettingdrunk,fightinginbars,goingtostagmovies,frequenting whorehouses,andlivingwiththesailors,stokers,bullies,drunks, down-and-outers,pimps,andwhoresthatpopulatedtheareas." HebegantheseyearsbyundertakingatriptoBuenosAirestoes-capehiswifeKathleen.InArgentinaheleftanothergirlpregnant (P,P.174).Later,hehadanaffairwithaprostitutena皿edMariawho, afterbreakingupwithO'Neill,toldhisfriendshewould'haveno moretodowithO'Neillbecausethelasttimeshesleptwithhimhe "humiliated"her(P ,p.136).InNewYorkO'Neilllivedinawindow-lessroomwithjustacot,strawmattress,chairandnolamp.Forthe mostpart,hedidn'twrite.Attheendof1912,Kathleenaskedhim foradivorce.Toprovideherwithgrounds,O'Neillwenttoabrothel (1)AllthefactsconcerningO'Neil1'slifearetake皿fromLouisSheaffer'stwo volumebiographyentitledD'Neild:SonandPlaywrightandO'Neill: SonancfArtist(London:J.M.DentandSons;Boston:LittleandBrown, 1949-1973).Referencestotheseeditionswillhereafterbegiveninthe text,thefirstvolumereferredtoas"P,"thesecondas"A,"Theyears 1910to1912aredealtwithinP,chaptersgthrough13. -53一inTimesSquareandarrangedtobecaughtundressedinbedwitha prostitute.Laterthatnight,O'Neillfeltuseless,disgustedandguilty. Hetriedtodrinkhisdepressionaway,butfailed.Later,soberedup, hedrankwhathethoughtwasenoughveronaltokil?himself.Then O'Neilllaydownonastrawmattresstodie(P,p.108). ExactlyhowO'Neillfeltabouthislifeduringtheseyearsisvague. Sheaffersuggeststhathefeltsecurelivingintheskidswiththedregs ofsociety(P,p.109).AsOrinManonsaysinMourningBecomesElec-tra,"yougetsodeepatthebottomofhellthereisnoIoweryoucan sinkandyourestthereinpeace!"(QuotedbySheaffer,P,p.171).In TheIcemanCometh,LarrySladeremarksthatatHarryHope'sSaloon the"worstisbest."(2)AndtherewassecurityinO'Neill'sNewYork home,JimmythePriest's,themodelforHarryHope's.Though Jimmywasashardbittenasheneededtobetorunadocksidebar andflophouse,stillhehadasofterside.Heprovidedhisroomers withadailyfreelunchandcouldbecajoledoutofanoccasional hand-out(P,p.190-193).Nevertheless,O'Neilloncesaid,"Jimmythe Priest'scertainlywasahellhole.Itwasawful.onecouldn'tgoany lower"(P,p.190). StillthroughtheseyearsO'Neillmaintaineddreamsandhopesthat naggedhim.Hisgreatambition‐tobeapoet--seemeddoomedto failure.Nocertainlyascribableworksurvivesfromthisperiod (thoughafriendofO'Neiil'sinBuenosAires,Hettman,recallsseeing apoemwrittenaboutaprostitute(P,p.174),andsomescholarsascribe toO'NeillapoempublishedduringthistimeintheNewLondonTele-graph(P,p.193)).ingeneral,O'Neill'slackofproductivitymusthave hauntedhimterribly.Also,hefeltguiltyforthewayhetreated (2)EugeneO'Neill,TheIcemanCometh,(London:JonathanCape,1966), p,45.Allfurtherreferencestothisplayappearinthetext.
Kathleen,Mariaandthenamelessgirlheleftpregnant .Leftalone, hebrooded,savoringadepressionthattriggeringhissuicideattempt . WemightwonderwhyO'Neillwasdrawntothiskindoflife. SheafferexplainshisattractiontothedocksbysayingthatO'Neill was"morethanorclinarlyresponsivetothesea'seternalfascination" (P,p.199).Certainly,O'Neillwasfascinatedbytheseaandbythemen andwomenwhomadetheirlivesbyoraroundit.Buttheattraction ofthedocksforO'Neillgoesfurther.WhenhefirstarrivedinBuenes Aires,O'Neillwasalone,awayfromhomewithlittlemoneyandless desire‐orability‐towork.Naturallyheadoptedthelifeofhis fellowsailorsanddiscoveredwiththeminthebars,flophousesand stagfilms,asenseofbelonging.OncebackintheStates,O'Neilles- chewedanumberofwhatseemtoustobemoreattractiveandcom-fortablealternativesforJimmythePriest'sbecausehewishedtohold ontothesenseofbelonginghefoundinthedocksofBuenosAires . AndO'Neillsucceeded,foratime. Althoughthesecurityofbeingatthebottom,toolowtofallany further,ispartofO'Neill'sreasonforlivingatJimmythePriest's , thepoverty,thehardshipsandthesufferingthemselvesattracted himalso.ItwasnotinspiteofthepainthatO'Neillstayedonthe docks,butbecauseofit.O'Neill'sthirdandlastwife,Carlotta,tells usthattheliquor,thehangoversandthebadfood,allofwhich tendedtodestroyQ'Neill'shealthandsoul,fascinatedtheplaywright (P,p.191).Carlottaexplainshowhelovedtoreflectonthoseyears, howhe"dranktoomuchandinferiorliquorandworehisbodyand souloutwithoutproperfoodorevenabedatnight"(P,p.191.)."The strangepartofit,"shesaid,``isthatGene'spridesee皿edtobein thoseyears.Isaidtohimonce,halfjoking,`Ihavedraggedyouabout Europe,IhaveworkedIikeanythingtoshowyouallthebeautiful -55一
spatsandIhaveneverheardyousayyoulikedthisorthatarthe other.'`Well,'hesaid,`ILikedthembuttheyweren'tveryexciting"' (P,p.191).Q'Neilltreasuredthememoryofhisyearsinthedregs.He wouldmakeoftheseyearshisgreatestdramas.AlthoughO'Neill couldberepulsedanddisgustedbyhislifeatjimmythePriest'sand feltguiltyenoughaboutittoattemptsuicide,laterheacceptedthese yearsasfittingforhim,savoringhisexperiencesinhisconversation andinhiswritings. Sheaf〔er'sbiographysuggeststhroughoutthatO'Neill'ssuffering throughtheseyearsservedanartisticpurpose.Hemay,Sheafferim-plies,haveconsciouslyinflictedpainonhimself(P,p.354).Certainly, sufferingbecame,yearsLater,aconsistentfeatureofO'Neill'swrit-ingprocess.Hismasterpiece,LongDay'sJ'ouYneyintoNight, (writtenin1939-1940)was``writtenintearsandblood";(3)0'Neill immersedhimselfinthemireofhisIifewithhisfamily,reliving,and resufferingthoseyearsinordertocreate.But,itseemstome,O'Neill's desiretoliveinthedregswasnotsomuchaconsciousattempttopre- parehimselftobeanartist;ratherhewasmotivatedbythesameim- pulsethatmotivatedhimtobecomeaplaywright‐theurgetodis-coverwherehebelonged.O'Neillthroughouthislifesearchedfor hisplaceintheworldandseemedtohavefounditinJimmythe Priest's. Significantly,thetwopeoplewhomostimpressedO'NeillatJimmy thePriest'sandwhofigureimportantlyinhisdramasresembleO'Neill intheiracceptanceofsufferingandintheirsenseofbelonging‐a stokernamedDriscollandaformerbosun,ChrisChristopherson. DriscollappearsinO'Neill'splayunderhisownnameintheS.S. (3)EugeneO'Nei11,Long1)aysノ ∂%魏 ￠ソintoNight(London:JonathanCape, 1966),p.5.Allfurtherreferencestothisplayappearinthetext.
Glencairncycle,asYank(Driscoll'snickname)inBoundEastfor CardiffandTheHairyApe,asMatBurkeinAnnaChristieandas"' HickmaninTheIcemanCometh.Hewasabigiron-muscledstoker whoaccordingtoO'Neill"wasveryproudofhisstrength,hiscapa-cityforgruelingwork.Itseemstogivehimmentalpoisetobeable todominatethestokehold,todomoreworkthananyofhismates" (P,p.196}.WhenDriscollwouldarriveatJimmythePriest's,hewould initiateseveraldaysofdrink,song,laughter,andfighting(P,p.204}. Theotherman,ChrisChristopherson,thoughappearingonlyoncein O'Neill'sdrama,underhisownnameinAnnaChristie(whichorigi-nallyfocusedonChristopherson,entitledChyisChristopherson), clearlyresemblesmanyofO'Neill'searlycharacters."Hehadfol-lowedtheseasolong,"O'Neillsaid,"Thathegotsickofit....He spenthistimegettingdrunkandcursingthesea.`Datoledavil,'he calledit.Later,hegotajobascaptainonacoalbarge"(P,p.292}. ThesewerethekindofmenthatfascinatedO'Neill,andhemodeled himselfafterthem.Likehimtheylivedtheirliveswheretheybe-longed‐ontheseaornearitonthedocks.LikeO'Neilltoo,they sufferedintheirlivesatseaoronthedocks,thoughtabouttheir sufferingandacceptedtheirhardships.Inasense,O'Neillexamined himselfwhenhewroteaboutDriscollandChris.Hesoughttodis- coverhowtheywereabletoendurehardwork,suffering,drunken- ness,povertyandalienationwithoutlosingthesensethattheybe-longed,thattheywerelivingthelivestheyoughttolive. YankinBoundEastforCardiff(writtenin1914)complainsas O'Neillmusthaveheardthereal-lifeDriscollcomplain: Thissailorlifeain'tmuchtocryaboutleavin'一 一justoneship afteranother,hardwork,smallpay,andbumgrub;andwhen -57一
wegitintoport,justadrunkendin'upinafighi,andallyour moneygone,andthenshipawayagai11,(4) Nevertheless,Yankremainedasailorallhislife.Onlydeathcould takehimfromthesea.Thoughhedreamsaboutbuyingafarmin CanadaorArgentina,wesensethatYankwouldneverabandonthe seaforalifeonafarm.Yankremainsasailorbecausehesenseshe belongsontheseawithhismates.Consequently,Yank'srealagony illdyingisinbeingalienatedfromhismates.且einsiststhatDriscolI staywithhim,"Don'tleaveme,Drisc!1'mdying,Itellyuh.Iwon't stayherealonewitheveryonesnorin'.1'llgooutondeck"{p.125). Yankwantstobeondeckwithhismatesdoinghisdutyasasailor. Sensingthis,DriscollandtheotherstrytocheerYankbyasswring himthathe'llbebackworkingasalways:"It'schippingruston deckyou'llbeinadayortwowidthebestaveus"(p.126).Yank wantstobelongagainandworkwiththerest.Heresentsbeingpa-tronizedbythesailorsabouthisconditionbecauseitalienateshim fromthem Davis.Thesleep'sdoneyougood. Cocky.You'llbe'avinyourpintofbeerinCardif〔thisweek. Scotty.Andfishandchips,mond Yank.(peevishly}What'reyuhalllyin'for?D'yuhthink I'rnscaredto‐(Hehesitatesasiffrightenedbythe wordheisabouttosay.)(p.124) (4)EugeneO'Neill,BoundEastforCardiffinThePlaysofEugeneO'Neill, (Kyoto,Japan:RinsenBookCompany,1976),XII,p.133.Allfurtherre-ferencestothisplayappearinthetext.
Yankisfrightenedbydeathbecauseitwilltakehimfromwherehe feelshebelongs.Yanktriestoconvincehimselfthatthe"sailorlife ain'tmuchtocryaboutIeavin',"butitisthinkingandtalkingabout thesailor'slifethatcheershimup. AtthesametimethatYankfeelshebelongsatsea,hefeelssome-thingislacking ItmustbegreattostayondryLandallyourIifeandhavea farmwithahouseofyourownwithcowsandpigsand chickens,`wayinthe皿iddleof'thelandwhereyuh'dnever smelltheseaorseeaship.(p.133) Thoughhebelongsatsea,Yanklongstobeawayfromit,surrounded bytheIand,ahome,awifeandchildren: Itmustbegreattohaveawife,andkidstoplaywithat nightaftersupperwhenyourworkisdone.Itmustbegreat tohaveahomeofyourown,Dxisc....Sea-farin'isall rightwhenyou'reyounganddon'tcare,butweain'tchickens nomore,andsomehow,Idunno,thislastyearhasseemed rotten.(p.133-134) Yank,nearingdeath,feelshenolongerbelongsonthesea.Hehas beguntolongforanotherkindofbelonging,thekindprovidedby land,ahome,wifeandchildren.Yankfeelscheatedoutofthemore conventionaltrappingsassociatedwithbelonging.Asdeathseparates himfromhismates,Yankloseshissenseofplaceandbeginstofeel asifhenevertrulybelonged.ThisisthesubjectofBoundEastfor Cardiff,theprecariousnessofbelongingandtheagonyoflosingit. -59一
ThefarmlifeYankimaginesisakindofElysium,aplacetobelong aftertheactivelifeofyouthisover,aplaceofpermanence.Driscoll , stilllivingtheactiveIife,doesnotnotacceptYank'sdream ."Such thingsarenotfortheloiksavus,"hesays(p.133).HeandYank wereborntolive,workanddieatorbythesea,leadingalifethat combinesbelongingwithalienation,pleasurewithsuffering. 0'Neill,scontinuedinterestintheconceptofbelongillgisindicated inAnnaChristie(writtenin1920)whichexploreshowbelonging relatestoalienation,pleasureandsuffering.Afterlivingalifeofpro-stitutionandillnessinChicago,Anna,comingtoherfatherinNew Yorkforthefirsttime,isrepulsedbyhiswayofLife.Whenshefirst hearsfromMarthythathehasbeenlivingonacoalbarge,sheis indignant."Acoalbarge!"shesayswitha"harshlaugh.""Tf thatain'taswelljobtofindyourlonglostoldmanworkingat!"① ButwhenAnnahastheopportunitytodesertChrisandhaswalked asfarasthedoor,shestops(p.170-171).Fornodiscerniblereason, Annastays.Perhapsshefeelsthathere,besidetheseawithher father,shebelongs.InActTwoweseehowsealifehasagreed withAnna.WhereasinActOneshewas"downinhealth,"her facepaleandcoveredwithmake-up(p.151),inActTwo"shelooks healthy,transformed,thenaturalcolorhascomebacktoherface" (p.173).Shefeelscleansedandreborn.Shehascometolovethe seaandChris,recognizingthathebelongsonthesea"Youbelong onarealship,"shetellshim,"sailingallovertheworld"(p.177) . Annaalsofeelsthatshebelongs."Ifeelold,"shesays(p .179),for thefirsttimeidentifyingherselfwithherancestorswhowerealI (5)Euge皿eO'Neill,AnnaChristieinThe∬'1の7εofEugeneO'、2Vei〃(Kyoto, Japan:RinsenBookCompany,1976)X,p.158.Allfurtherreferencesto thisplayappearinthetext.
sailor'swives."Sure,"shesays,"likeI'dbeenlivingalong,long time‐outhereinthefog....It'slikeI'dcomehomeafteralong visitawaysomeplace.ItallseemsIikeI'dbeenherebeforelotsof time‐onboats‐inthesamefog"(p.179).Annahassensedthatshe isinherelement.Sheishappierandforthefirsttunefeelsshe hasafatherandbeyondthat,anancestry.Shehasdiscoveredwhere shewasmeanttobe.Intheend,whenAnnaagreestomarryMat, sheisoptingforalifeoflonelinessbecauseshefeelssheisaptfor it."Asforbeingalone,"shesays,"thatrunsinthefamily,andI'll getusedtoit"(p.269).ThoughallthatChrishassaidabouttheIife ofasailoristrue,Annachoosesitbecauseitisthekindoflifeshe wasbornfar.Thoughitnecessarilyinvolvesbeingseparatedboth fromherfatherandherhusband,itistheonlylifeshewillbehappy living.Belongingso皿etimesmeansbeingalone. TheHairyApe(writtenin1920)exploresthedangersofleaving theplacewhereonebelongs.Inanironicway,theplaycommentson theMarxianconceptofthealienationoftheworkingclasswhereby aworkerlooseshisidentityinthefaceofhislabor.InTheHairy Ape,Yank,abrutishversionofDriscoll,affirmstheoppositeofthis Marxianidea.Hegainsidentitythroughhiswork What'sdemslobsinthefoistcabingottodowitus? We'rebetterdandeyare,ain'twe.Sure!...Demboids don'tamounttonothin'!Dey'rejustbaggage.Whomakes distubrun?Ain'titusguys?Wellden,webelongdon'twe? Webelonganddeydon't....Disisaman'sjob,getme?It belongs.(6) (6)EugeneO'Neill,TheHaiyyApeinThePlaysofEugeneO'Neill(Kyoto, Japan:RinsenBookCompany,1976),V,p.178. -61一
Yank'sproductivitygiveshimasenseofbelonging.Heispartofthe engines,partofhiswork Sure,1'mpartofdeengines?Whydehellnot?Deymove, don'tdey?Dey'respeed,ain'tdey?Deysmashtrou,don't dey?Twenty-fiveknotsahour!...Datbelongs.(p.X82) LiketherealLifeDriscoll,Yankgains"mentalpoise"bybeing"able todominatethestokehold"(P,p.196).Thereheisking. Yank'sprimordialassuranceisshakenandeventuallydestroyedby twocharacterswho,ironically,hopetohelpYank-一 一一Long,astoker socialist,andMildred,arich,naive,self-styledsocialworker.Long challengesYank'sacceptanceofsuffering: 'EEYank]saysthis`erestinkin'shipisour'ome .And'e saysas'orneis'ell.And'e'sright!Thisis'ell.Welivesin 'ell ,Comrades‐andrightenoughwe'lldieinit.(p.177) LikeYank,Longassertsthathe,Yankandtheotherstokersare wheretheybelong.Theyare"ome"Furthex,"'omeis'ell"{p.177). ButunlikeYank,Longacceptsneitherthesufferingnorthehomeit-self.ForLong,societyisculpableforputtinghimwhereheis: Andwho'stoblame,Iarsksyer?Weain't'.Wewasn'tborn thisrottenway...themlazy,bloatedswinethattravelsfirst cabin...Them'stheones.Theydraggedusdown'tiiwe're on'ywageslavesinthebowelsofabloodyship,sweatin', burnin'up,eatin'coaldust!Hit'sthem'stoblame‐the damnedCapitalistclarss!(p.177)
ItisLong'sinsistencethatthestokersdonotbelonginthestokehold thatcausesYanktoassertvehementlythathedoesbelong.Buthow-everconvincingYank'sargumentsare,thevehemenceofhisdefence suggestshowprecariousitis. LongsdrunkenbrandofMarxismcausesYankto"t'ink"(p .202} abouthimself,andforYank"t'inking"canbedangerous .Further- more,belongingisnotsomethingthatcanwithstandlogicalevalu-ation.YankinBoundEastbelongedthoughhecametodoubtit. AnnaChristiediscoveredintuitively,notrationally,hersenseofbe-longing.Atfirst,shethoughtacoalbargewasthelastplaceshe belonged.ItisnowonderthereforethatwhenMildreddecendsinto thestokehold,awhiteghostin"'ell"(p.206),shedestroysYank's self-assurance. Mildred'sreactiontoYankcauseshimtoLoseallsenseofbelonging sothathe"fallsinhate"(p.205)withherandherworld."Hell law?...HellGovernments!...HellGod!"(p.204-205)heyells . Likeacavemanshakinghis丘stsattheIightning,Yankbeginstode-spisesomethinghecannotunderstand.Hehasco皿etofeelas]⊃ong wantedhimtofeel,alienated.Thewhite,ghost-likefigureofMild-redthat"didn'tbelong"(p.2Q9)scaresYank.Thewayshelooksat him,herfear,hercontempt,andhersuggestionthatheisa"filthy beast,"a"hairyape,"shakeYank'soutofhissenseofbelonging: Say,whoisdatskoit,hun?Whatisshe?What'sshecome from?Who皿adeher?Whogiveherdenoivetolookatme Iikedat?...Idon'tgether.She'snewtome.Whatdoesa skoitlikehermean,hun?Shedon'tbelong,getme!Ican't seeher....YouseallkinbetyoushoitsI'llgetevenwith hex.(p.209} 一一63一
Yetthis"skoit"whodoesnotbelonginthestokeholeoffendsYank . Togeteven,Yankleaveshisnaturalenvironmentandgoestothe city.Here,furtheralienated,Yankdesperatelyseeksaplacetobelong identifyinghimselfalmostarbitrarilywiththebuildingmaterialof civilizedsociety‐steel.ThisidentificationisquicklyLost,however , whenYank,behindsteelbars,learnsthatMildred'sfatheristhe presidentoftheSteelTrust.Yankthentransfershisidentificationto the"wreakers,"theI.W.W.,whobecomesuspiciousofYankand tosshimfromtheirheadquarters.Finally,inadesperateattemptto findoutwherehebelongs,Yankgoestothezoowhereheiskilledby thegorillaheattemptstobefriend.TheplayendswithYankdead, lyinginagorilla'scageandwithO'Neillsuggestingthat"perhaps, theHairyApeatlastbelongs"(p.247). TheHairyApelikeBoundEastforCardiffexplorestheprecarious- nessofbelonging.Yankisgivenanambiguousplaceontheevolu-tionaryscale.Inpart,heisamanthoughoneofthelowestofmen. O'Neilltellsusthatheandthestokers"resemblethosepicturesin whichtheappearanceofNeanderthalManisguessedat"(p.172).At best,YankisaparodyofthinkingmanadoptingtheposeofRodin's "TheThinker ,"(p.201)tryingto"t'ink."Yankisalsoanape,a"filthy beast"(p.200)who,whenmenlockhiminaprison廿iatresemblesa zoo,adoptsaposition"paralleltothefloorlikeamonkey"(230-231}. Butintheend,whenYankrejectedbymen,attemptstofindaplace withthegorillas,heisdestroyed.Yank'splaceisinthestokehold, withmenofhisownkind,sufferingin"'ell"wherehedominates, whereheiskinginaworldthatcombinessufferingwithpridein beingwhereonebelongs.OnceYankloseshissenseofbelonging, hecanonlyfinditindeath.AsinBoundEastforCardiff,death
providesaplacetobelongoncethesenseofbelonginginthislife hasbeenlost. In1912,0'Neilllosthissenseofbelongingandattemptedsuicide. Butfailing,O'Neillsoughtaplacetobelongelsewhere;thatis,inthe theatreandathome.Throughouthisearlylife,O'Neillmaintained anambiguousrelationshipwiththetheatre.Despitehis"constant runningdownofthetheatre,"Sheaffersays,"itfascinatedhim" {P,p.205).O'Neillwasatonetimeattractedandrepulsedbythe stage,justashewasattractedandrepulsedbyhislifeatJimmythe Priest's.Allthroughhislife,O'Neillattackedthepopulartheatrethat hadmadehisfatherfamous.HehatedTheCountofMonteCristo notonlybecauseitwasbadtheatre,butbecauseithadruinedhisfa-ther'spotentialasanactor.O'Neillreflects, It'stoobadmyfatherevergotstartedinMonteCristo.He wastoosuccessful.Itruinedhislife.Ifithadn'tbeenfor MonteCristo,hemighthavegoneaheadandtakenBooth's place,aseveryoneexpectedhimto.(P,p.35) O'Neill'sfather,Jamessenior,wasalsoquiteconsciousofhow 1110nteCristosquanderedhisabilities.AsJamesTyroneinLong Day'sJourneyintoNight,heputitthisway: ThatGod-damnedplayIboughtforasongandmadesucha greatsuccessin‐agreatmoneysuccess‐itruinedmewith itspromiseofaneasyfortune.Ididn'twanttodoanything else,andbythetimeIwokeuptothefactI'dbecomeaslave tothedamnedthingandlostthegreattalentIoncehad -65一
throughyearsofeasyrepetitionneverlearninganewpart,
neverreallyworkinghard.(p,130-131)'
O'Neill'sbitternessshowsthroughintheselines.Clearly,Jamesand
EugeneO'Neillwerebothconsciousoftheinstabilityoftheatrical
life.
Nevertheless,O'Neillmusthavefeltthathebelongedinthethea-tre.Hespenthisearlyboyhoodontourwithhisfatherandattended
thetheatrethroughouthislife(P,p.24).Asanundergraduateat
Princeton,hewassomovedbyaperformanceofHeddaGablerthat
hesawittentimes(P,p.205).Duringtheyearswehavebeenfo-
cusingon,O'NeillwasneverfarfromBroadway.Weknowheen-joyedseveralplayspresentedbytheAbbeyPlayersfromDublinin
1911(P,p.205).Mostimportantly,asSheafferstressesthroughout
hisbiography,O'Neillwashisfather'sson
,andJamesO'Neillwas
amanofthetheatre.Perhaps,O'Neill,likeAnnaChristie
,felthe
shouldadoptthelifeofhisprogenitor.In1
.914,whileatGaylord's
FarmSanitoriumrecoveringfromacaseoftuberculosis
,hechose
tobeaplaywright(P,p.252).LikeAnna,heembracedalifeheknew
tobefilledwithcare,suffering,lonelinessanduncertainty
,butin
doingsohealsoknewhewaschoosingalifethatwasconsistentnot
onlywithhisambitiontobeanartist,butwithhisancestralidentity
.
Significantly,thedecisiontobecomeaplaywrightwassparkedby
ahardlookathimself,hisidentityandhislife:
ItwasatGaylord'sthatmymindgotthechancetoestablish
itself,todigEStandvaluatetheimprESSionsofmanypast
yearsinwhichoneexperiencehadcrowdedonanotherwith
' neverasecondreflection.AtGaylordIreallythoughtabout mylifeforthefirsttime,aboutpastandfuture.(P,p.252) SheafferstatesthatatGaylordsO'Neillonlybecameconsciously "awareofadecisionhehadmadeunconsciouslyIongbefore"(P ,p.252) {wewonderwhatevidenceSheafferhastoO'Neill'sunconscious); yet,whatissignificantisthatONeillhimselffro皿thestartcon-nectedhisdecisiontobecomeaplaywrightwiththeactofreflection andself-examination.Intheyears1910to1912,0'Neillcrowdedin oneexperienceafteranother"withneverasecondreflection."Perio-dicallyduringtheremainderofhiscareer,O'Neillwouldmakethose "reflections"andturnthemintodrama .Theactofwritingplays becameforO'Neillawayofexploringwhathehadbeenandwasto be.Aswehaveseen,incomposingBoundEast,AnnaChristieand The正 臨 勿Ape,0,NeiIIexploredhimselfbywritingaboutpeople whowereinmanywayslikehimself.Laterinhislife,1939-1941, O'Neillwrotetwoplaysthatexaminedhisownlifeandancestryin painfullyhonestways‐TheIcemanComethandLongDay'sJourney intoNight.Boththeseplaysaresetinthesummerof1912. DrawingonexperiencesinthebarsofNewYork'sdocks,TheIce- manComethcontinuesO'Nei11'sexaminationoftheconceptofbelong-ing.AlthoughthetwelvemenwhoinhabitHarryHope'sallseemin theirelement‐drunkorhungover,withoutmoney,jobsorafuture‐ theyalleitherdeludethemselvesabouttheiridentityandaboutthe characteroftheirlives,ortheycherishillusionsthattomorrowthey willchangeandmakesomethingofthemselves.LikeYankin BoundEast,theyimagineadaywhentheywillleavethelowlife forabetterone.Indeed,twocharacters,ChuckandCora,plantobuy afarmandsettledowninthecountry(p.89}.Butthemenand -67一
womaninHarryHope'swillremainwheretheyareuntiltheydie. Thoughtheydonotadmitittothemselves,theyarewheretheybe- Iong.Essentiallytheyarehappywheretheyare."PipeDreams"con-vincethemthattheirlivesarenotwasted,andthattheirmiserable conditionisonlytemporary.Theyarealsocompensatedbyacama-raderiethatcombinesverbalabusewithunderstandingaffection. Thereisalsomicrocosmicqualityaboutthebarwithitscollectionof menandwomenfromallracesandwalksoflife,givingtheplaynot onlyasenseofuniversality,butalsoasenseofmutualsupportinthe faceofuniversalhardship.LikethemotleygroupofmenontheS.S. Glencairn,thesedown-and-outerssupporteachotherandprovideeach otherwithasocietyinwhichtoliveandbelong. ThoughO'NeillisusuallyidentifiedwithHickeyandParritt‐and certainlytheseidentificationsaresound‐Isensethereissomeself-examinationalsoinO'Neill'sportrayalofLarrySlade.InHarry Hope's,Larryisisolatedfromtheothersbyhiscynicismandhislack ofapipedream.LikeO'Neill,heseeshislifeandthelivesofthose aroundhiminadetachedandobjectiveway.Unliketheothers,Larry feelsuneasyinHarryHope's.Thereissomethinguncertainabouthis roleinthebar.Unliketheothers,hedoesnotsupportthepipedreams ofhisneighbors.Nordoeshehaveapipedreamofhisown.They survivebecauseoftheirpipedreams."Thelifeofapipedream," Larryremarks,"iswhatgiveslifetothewholemisbegottenmadlot ofus,drunkorsober"(p.15-16).ButLarryiswithoutapipedream. Instead,heobserves,commentsandplaystheroleofachorus, suggestinghowweshouldreacttotheactiononthestage.Nor doesLarryparticipateinthecamaraderietheothersenjoy.Most ofthecharactersaregroupedintotwosandthrees,eachhaving somethingincommon,eitherkinshiporrivalry,thatunitesthemin
significantways.Larry,however,spurnssuchcompanionshipby turningcontinuallyfromParrittwhotriestobefriendhim.Larry, alsolikeO'Neill,isnotabletobefullysatisfiedlivinginthedregs . HickeyseemscorrectinsayingthatifLarryreallywasjustwaiting fordeath,hewould``justtakeahopoff"thefireescape(p.103).In fact,Larry'scharacterwasmodeledafter3amesFindlaterBythwho discoveredO'Neilla#tertheplaywrighthadattemptedsuicideand whocommittedsuicidehimselfsomeyearslater(A,p.493).O'Neill triedthreetimesbeforeIcemantoimmortalizethemanwhosaved him(A,p.491).CertainlyO'NeillidentifiedwithSythandconnected hisownattemptedsuicidewithByth'ssuccessfulattempt.Accord-ingly,thereisinLarrySladeamixtureoffeelings.Alienationand belongingcombineinhiminadisturbinganddangerousway.We aresurprisedattheendofTheIcemanComeththathedoesn'ttake Hickey'sadviceandfollowParrittoffthefireescape. SheafferworksoutindetailO'Neill'srelationshiptoParrittand Hickey(A,p.499ff.).'Throughthem,Sheafferwrites,O'Neill"gave fullventtohisfuryagainstEllaQuinlanO'Neiil,drugaddict,the chiefsourceofthebadconscienceandfeelingsofself-hatredthat wouldfesterintheplaywrightsontilltheendofhisdays"(A,p.499). O'Neillblamedhimselfforhismother'sdrugaddictionwhichwas broughtabout,ultimately,bydifficultiesinvolvedinhisbirth.Hickey's murderofhiswifeandParritt'sbetrayalofhismother,Sheaffersug-gests,werewaysforO'Neilltorevengehimselfagainsthismother fortheguiltshecausedhimtofeel(A,p.499). Sheaffermay,however,betoolimitedinthesepsychologicalevalu-ations.O'Neillmayhavebeendramatizingindifferentwayshisactual betrayalandabandonmentofvariouswomeninhislife,suchas MariaandKathleen.BothHickeyandParrittmustpayfortheir .・
acts.Hickeywillprobablygotothechair,andParrittcommitssui-cide.O'Neilltoofelt,in1912,thatheshoulddie.Whetherthis feelingderivedfromhisguiltoverwomeninhisLifefromim-patienceinwaitingfordeathorfromloosinghissenceofbelonging, wecannotknow. WhatevertheexactpsychologicalnatureofQ'Neill'sportrayalof Larry,PaxrittandHickey,theactofwritingTheIcemanComethwas acomplexartisticeventforO'Neill.In1939,hereflectedbacktothe crucialyearsofhislifeandportrayedhimselfmoreexactlythanever before.Throughdifferentcharacters,heembodiedhimselfandeval-uatedhisrelationshipstothebestfriendsheeverhad.Fromthe beginning,allO'Neill'splayscontainself-projectionsthroughwhich heexaminesvariousaspectsofhimselfasheseestheminothers.In Iceman,O'NeillcomesclosertoportrayinghimselfdirectlyinLarry Slade.StillhedisguiseshimselfbehindthemodelofByth.Notuntil bongDay'sJourneywasO'Neillabletodropnearlyallpretenseand writeabouthimselfwithoutdisguise. IntheIce」nan,theconceptofbelongingisagaincentral,andthough somewhatalteredfromitstreatmentintheearlierplays,itisessen-tiallythesame.InBoundEast,AnnaCristie,andTheHairyApe, belongingissomethingthatisrealandpositive,thoughincluding pain,andisperceivedintuitivelyarsubconsciously.Annastayswith herfatherdespiteherconsciousbeliefinwhatisgoodforher.Asa resultofherchoice,sheishappierandhealthier.YankinTheHairy Apeloseshisintuitivesenseofbelongingwhenhetriesto"t'ink" wherehebelongs,andhediscoversdeathinsteadoffulfillmentwhen heconsciouslyseekshisplace.InTheIcemantoo,consciouslythe inhabitantsofHarryHope'sbelievetheybelongelsewhere.Larry callsitthe"TomorrowMovement,"(p.34)anddefinesitearlyinthe play
They'veallatouchingcredulityconcerningtomorrows.(A halfdrunkenmockeryinhiseyes)It'llbeagreatdayfor them,tomorrow‐theFeastofAllFools,withbrassbands playing!Theirshipwillcomeinloadedtothegunwales withcancelledregretsandpromisesfulfilledandcleanslates andnewIeases!(p.15) Butthedown-and-outersareabletoenduretheirlivesbecauseof theseillusions.Infact,theybelongexactlywheretheyareinHarry Hope's,drunkatthebottomofthesocialscale,dreamingtheirpipe dreams,livingintheirpastsandintheirillusions.Aslongasthey canmaintaintheirpipedreamstheyare,likeAnna,happy. Hickeyattemptstotakeawaythepipedreams.Atfirst,itseems asifheistryingtohelphisfriends,andperhapshethinkshewill, butironicallyhisdescriptionofwhatlifeislikewithoutpipedreams makesitclearhownecessarytheyare I'veneverknownwhatrealpeacewasuntilnow.It'sagreat feeling,likewhenyou'resickandsuf〔eringlikehellandt血e Docgivesyouashotinthearm,andthepaingoes,andyou driftoff.{Hiseyesclose.)Youcanletyourselfgoatlast. Letyourselfsinkdowntothebottomofthesea.Restin peace.(p.80} Lifewithoutpipedreamsisnotlifeatallbutadeathinlife.Pipe dreamsgivetheHairyHoperstheirsenseofbelonging.Iftheylost theirpipedreams,theywouldlosetheirsenseofbelonging,andwould bereadytodieliketheYanksinBoundEastandTheHairyApe. Theplayitselfconfirmsthis.WhenthemembersoftheTomorrow -71一
MovementreturninActFour,althoughtheydowhattheyhavebeen
contentdoingforsolong,gettingdrunk,alltheenjoymentisgone.
Theycan'tgetdrunk.Theyhateoneanother.Theyarenolonger
friends.Theabusewhichwasonceaffectionateisnowhardandsin-cere.Theworldofmutualsupporttheyhadbeforeisgone.Again
andagaintheymoantogether"almostinchorusasonevoicelike
sleeperstalkingoutofadullyirritatingdream,`Thehellwithit!
Whocares?"'{p.187).Theyarelivingadeathinlife."Wecan'tpass
out!"{p.191}theycomplain.Hickey'spromiseofpeacefails.Hickey
hasbroughtthemalivingdeathbystrippingthemoftheirpipe
dreams.Fortunately,theyareabletoregaintheirillusionsbycon-vincingthemselvesthatHickeywasinsaneandthattheirattemptsto
accomplishtheirpipedreamswereonlyputontohumorhim.Their
dreamsrevive.Theyregaintheirsenseofbelongingwithoutcon-sciouslybelievingtheyarecreatinganotherillusion.Theybecome
friendsagain.
Larry,however,isconvertedbyHickey."BeGod,"hesays,"1'm
theonlyrealconverttodeathHickeymadehere.Fromthebottomof
mycoward'sheartImeanthatnow1"{p.222).AlthoughHickeywas
ablejustifiablytocallLarry'savowedcommitmenttodeathinto
question,attheendoftheplayHickeyhasconfirmedLarry'scommit-ment.ThusLarryisabletoparticipateinParritt'ssuicide,justas
O'NeillmusthaveparticipatedinthesuicideofJimmyByth.Larry
waitsinagonybythewindowwaitingforthethudofParritt'sbody
onthegroundoutside.HeknowsParrittwilljumpfromthefirees-capebecausehesharesinthatdecisiontodie.Theonlydifference
betweenLarry'sandParritt'sdecisionisthatLarryisacowardand
cannotkillhimself,hemustwaitfordeathtocomeofitsown
accord.
Wefeel,attheendofheplay,thatLarry'sfeeblesenseofbelonging
hasdiedwithParritt."1'llneverbeasuccessinthegrandstand‐or anywhereelse!Lifeistoomuchforme1"Larryremarks(p .222). O'Neill,too,in1912musthaverealizedthathewouldnotbeasuccess ifheremainedinJimmythePriest'sasanobserverofLife .Perhaps hetoofeltthatlifewastoomuch;thus,heattemptedsuicide .In hisnextplayasEdmund,O'Neillsays,"Asitis,Iwillalwaysbea strangerwhoneverfeelsathome,whodoesnotreallywantandis notreallywanted,whocanneverbelong,whomustalwaysbealittle inlovewithdeath!"{p.135).Certainly,O'NeillwhilewritingIceman lookedbackonhisJimmythePriest'syearsanddecidedthathesuc- ceededinobserving,thoughhewouldhavebeenafailurehadhere-mainedinthegrandstand.HehadtoleaveJimmythePriest's .Both O'NeillandParrittsucceededingettingout.ParritttookLarry'sway intodeath,andO'Neillsurvivingsoughtanewplacetobelongwhich hediscoveredathomein1912. Afterhissuicideattempt,O'NeillgraduallybrokefromJimmythe Priest'sandreturnedtohisfamily.Asimilarmovementisrecorded inashortstory,"Exorcism"(writtenin1914)whichwasO'Neill's firstattempttoportrayJimmyByth.Inthisstory,theprotagonistat-temptstocommitsuicide,butfailing,hereturnshometoreconcile himselfwithhisfamily(P,p.209-210).TheportrayalofPythin"Exor-cism"suggeststhatO'Neill'sreturnhomein1912(althoughitseems achanceoccurrenceaspresentedinSheaffer)wasmotivatedbya similardesiretoreestablishfamilialrelations.LikeAnnaChristie , O'Neillwasreturninghometohisfamilyafteraseriouscrisisinhis life・Significantly・hismovebacktohisfamilytookhi皿directlyto hisfatherandintothetheatre;hejoinedJamesseniorontourwith MonteCristo(P,p.204).ln1939,afterwritinglcemanrelivingtheyears atJimmythePriest's,O'NeillturnedtoLongDay'sjourneyinwhich -73一
herelivedandevaluatedhisyearsathomewithhisfamily.Hededi-GatedtheplaytohiswifeCarlottaforsheenabledhimtofacehis deadatlast"withdeeppityandunderstandingandforgivenessfor allthefourhauntedTyrones"(p._5}.O'Neillstresses"all"becausehe himselfisincluded.Hewrotetheplaynotonlytounderstandhim-self,butalsotofindforgivenessforhimself,toridhi皿selfofhis ghostsandanalyzehowhebelongedathomeandinthetheatre.Per-hagsthistoowasamotiveforhismovebacktohisfamilyin1912, O'Neill'sartisticmovementseemstomirrorexactlyhismovements inlife. O'NeillbelongedinJimmythePriest'sforatimebecauseheneeded theexperiencetobeaplaywright.Hebelongedinthetheatrebe-causehisfatherwasamanofthetheatre.Asaplaywright,O'Neill feltaneedtoevaluatehowhebelongedinJimmythePriest'sandat homeinordertojustifythesufferingofthoseyears,toridhimselfof theguilthefeltaboutthoseyears,toconfirmhissenseofbelonging, andtosufferagainthoseyears,0'NeillwroteLong1)ay's/gurney "intearsandblood"(p .5).Carlottatellus"itnearlykilledhimto writethisplay"(A,p.509).Hewouldcomeoutofhisstudyatthe endofthedaygaunt,hiseyesredfromWeepingandCarlottawould haveto"holdhimtightinherarmssohecouldrelaxandsleep"(A, p.509).O'NeillsufferedanewinwritingLongDay'sJourneynotonly becausehewasrelivingsomepainfulyears,notonlybecausehewas feelingguiltyagain,notonlybecausehewastakingpenancetorid himselfofhisghosts,butalsobecausehehadtorenewhissuffering tobeanartist,torewoundthoseplacesthehealingofwhichmoti-vatedhimtowrite.JamesTyroneandJamesO'Neilllosttheirtalents becauseaneasyvehiclemademonetarysuccesstooeasy.Theyno
Longerhadtoworkhard;theynolongerhadtosuffertosucceed. EugeneO'Neillwasnotgoingtoletthesamethinghappentohim. WedonotneedtosummarizeO'Neill'sfamilylifeinordertounder-standLongDa'ゾS/ouyney・Allweneedtoknowisintheplay.Ex・ ceptforsomealterationsinthenamesandsomechronologicalad-justments,thedramaaccuratelyportraysO'Neill'sfamily.James TyroneisJamesO'Neillsenior;MaryCaronTyroneisMaryElla QuinlanO'Neill;JamesTyroneJr.isJamesO'NeillJr.;andEdmund TyronisEugeneO'Neill.Eugenenamedhimselfafterhisyounger brotherEdmundbecausehesymbolizedforO'Neillhowinescapable familialinfluencesare.Edmunddiedatlessthantwoyearsoldhav- ingcontractedmeaslesfromJamie(P,p.17).Hisdeathinitiatedase- riesofeventsthatwouldplaguetheO'Neill'sforyearstocome.Be-causeofhisdeath,JamesandElladecidedtohaveanotherchild, Eugene.HisbirthwasdifficultandoccurredwhileEllawasontour withherhusband.Awayfromhome,Jamesreliedonthedubious skillsofalocaldoctorwhoprescribedheroinforEIIa.Soonshebe- cameaddicted.Throughouthislife,O'Neillfeltguiltyforherad-dictionwhichwas,understandably,agreatburdenfortheentire family.LongDay'sJourneyexploresthisandseveralotherwebsof influencefocusingonhowthemembersoftheTyronefamilyare entangledtogether.Nooneinthefamilyisabletostirwithouttight-eningtheknotsaroundtheothersandchafingtheiralreadywounded skin.LongDay'sJourneyexaminestheseknotswithintensescrutiny revealinghowaffectionandresentmentresultfromeachcharacter's awarenessofmutualattachmentandinfluence,howbelongingitself becomesasourceofpain. EdmundentersActFouroftheplayand"collideswithsomething inthedarkhallandcanbeheardcursing"(p.108}.Thehallisdark becauseTyronehasturnedthelightofftosaveonhiselectricbill. -75一
EdmundandTyroneimmediatelybegintoquarreloverTyrone's niggardliness.Inthemidstoftheabusiveargument,Edmund"sits downoppositehisfather"(p.109).Hedoesnotavoidhisfatherand hisinfluence.Rather,heconfrontshimdirectly.Tyronetooisdeeply influencedbyhissons.WhenEdmundfirstcomesintotheroam,Ty-zonesays,"1'mgladyou'vecome,lad.1'vebeendamnedlonely"(p.109). Butwithoutapause,hecontinuesresentfully,"You'reafineoneto runawayandleavemetosithereallnight"(p.109).Affectionand resentmentfollowhardupononeanother.Tyroneisawareofhow Edmundaffectshim,resentsitandmakeshisresentmentclearto hisson.Soon,however,awareofhisowninfluenceonEdmund, Tyronebacksoffandapologizes."1'llgiveyouathrashingthat'll teachyou-!"(P.110)heyeIls,butrecallingEdmund'sillnesshebe- comesapologetic,"Forgivemelad.Iforget"(p.110).Characteristi-cally,theapologyisfollowedbyanotherattack."Youshouldn'tgoad meintolosingmytemper"(p.110).Thiskindofmovementfromex-pressio皿sofaffection,toabuse,toapologyandthentoblamerepeat overandoverintheplay.Typically,itisawarenessofthebondsbet-weentheTyronesthatcausesthemtofluctuatefromaffectionto resentment. IntheIceman,abuseandaffectionwerealsomixed,butintheear-lierplaytheywereinseparable.Affectionwasexpressedinter皿sof abuse,likeaffectionatepunchesinthearm.ButinLongDay'sJour-ney,bothaffectionandresentmentaresincere.Edmundblameshis fatherforhispartinfosteringMary'sheroinaddiction."WhenI thinkofitIhateyourguts!"hetellsTyrone(p.123).Butamoment later,heapologizesdully,"Ididn'tmeanit,Papa....1'mlikeMama, Ican'thelplikingyou,inspiteofeverything"(p.124).Tyronereturns, "Imightsaythesametoyou .You'renogreatshakesasason.It's
acaseof`Apoorthingbutmineotivn"'(p.124).O'Neill'sstagedirec-tiontellusthereissincerityinthespeeches:"Theybothchuckle withreal,ifalcoholicaffection"(p.124}.Inspiteofeverything,Tyrone andEdmundarefatherandson.Theycannotavoideachother,nor dotheywishto. Theimportanceoffamilygoesbeyonddirectpersonalinfluence. ThereisinO'NeillasensetypicallyfoundinGreekTragedyofafamily cursewhichcontinuesfromgenerationtogeneration.Edmund'scon- sumptionmirrorsMary'sfather'sconsumption.Edmund'ssuicideat- temptmirrorsTyrone'sfather'ssuicide.Heredityandfamilialinflu-encecombinetodefineidentityanddeterminewhereonebelongs. AnnaChristiethrivesbytheseawherehermothex,fatherandall herancestorsthrived.O'Neillthrivedinthetheatrewherehisfather thrived,ifbutforatime. AllthefourhauntedTyrones,thoughtheymayrunawayoccasio-pallytoabar,toawhorehouse,ortoadrugstore‐allgravitateback home.Edmundsitsoppositehisfatherdespitehisresentments. TyronewantsEdmundwithhimeventhoughheis"nogreatshakes asason."Theyloveoneanother,yettheyresentoneanother.They hurtoneanother,yettheyaresorryfordoingso.Theyaretiedto-gether;theymakeallowances.Despitetheirhateofeachother,there istrueaffection. Furthermore,thefamilyisisolatedasaunitandasindividuals. Asafamily,theyareencasedinthefog.Thehouseisisolatedfrom theneighboringhouses.Therearenointrudersintheirsummerhome inNewLondon.Liket血esailorsontheS.S.GlellcairllandIikethe inhabitantsofHarryHope's,theyconsitituteasocietyapart.Indivi-duallytoo,theyareisolatedintheirdrunkenordruggedfogs."We aresuchstuffasmanureismadeon,solet'sdrinkupandforgetit," 一一一77一
Edmundmocks{p.li4).Mary,hesays,buildsablankwallaround herselfwhensheisdrugged"likeabankoffoginwhichshehides andlosesherself"(p.120).Shebecomes"aghosthauntingthepast" (p.133),unabletorecognizeherown.Edmundtoowhendrunkwalks outsideasifhe"wasaghostbelongingtothefog,andthefogwas theghostofthesea"(p.113).Hewas"nothingmorethanaghost withinaghost"gyp.113).Indeed,astheTyronemenreachadvanced statesofinebriation,theyallbecomeghostswithinghosts,isolated withinthefamily'sisolation.But,ironically,astheyisolatethem-selves,theyalsobecomemoreawareofthemselvesandofeachother. Edmundmayinsistthatalcoholcanprotecthimfromthetruth,butin fact,ashe,JamieandTyronebecomemoredrunk,theyrevealmore aboutthemselvesandwhattheythinkofeachother.Thetruthcomes out.Theyareforcedagainandagaintoapologizebecausetheyare sousedandtheligourspeaks. Edmundtellshisfatherheneverfeelshebelongs."Asitis,"he says,"Iwillalwaysbeastrangerwhoneverfeelsathome,who doesnotreallywantandisnotreallywanted,whocanneverbelong, whomustalwaysbealittleinlovewithdeath"(p.135).Onlyone timedidhefeelhebelonged,whenhewas,"drunkwiththebeauty andsingingrhythm"ofthesea.Lyingonthe"bowspritfacingastern, withthewaterfoamingspume,"Edmundfelthe"belonged,without pastorfuture,withinpeaceandunityandawildjoy,withinsome-thinggreaterthanmyownlife,orthelifeofman,toLifeitself!To God,ifyouwanttoputitthatway"(p.134).Andanothertime,Ed-mundwasagaintransfixed"onthecrow'snestinthedaywatch... feelingalone,andabove,andapart...thepeace,theendofthequest, thelastharbor,thejoyofbelongingtoafulfillmentbeyondmen's Iousypitiful,greedyfearsandhopesanddreams"(p.134).Thesepoetic
' effusionsofEdmund'sdescribeO'Neill'sfinalsenseofbelongingin itsmostauthenticform.Againthereisacombinationoftogether-nessanddetachment.Edmundis"alone,andabove;andapart ,"heis also"withinsomethinggreater"thanhisownlife(p.134).Hisful-fillmentreachesto"Lifeitself,"orto"God"himself(p.134).Allthe otherTyronesspeak,inthelastactoftheirindividualmomentsof fulfillment:TyronewhenhewaspraisedbyBooth,Jamiewhenhe performeda"Christianact"(p.141}bystayingwithFatViolettak-inghermindoffhertroublesandkeepingherfromgettingputout ofthewhorehouseandMarywhenshemarriedTyroneand"was sohappyforatime"(p.156).Butfortheothers,fulfillmentalways , involvesso皿eoneelseandinvolveshumanhopesanddreams.For Edmundfulfillmenttranscendstheseandtouchesanecstatic ,poetic height.ButIikethe"highspots"(p.134)ofalltheTyrones,his momentwasbut"foratime."Itlastedforonlyamomentandthen wasgone.Perhaps,thisiswhatO'NeilllearnedinhislifeLongex-plorationofbelonging.Itwouldcome.Itwouldbeperceived.It wouldredeemthislifebymakingitworthwhile,foratime.And thenitwouldbegone. -79
