Eugene O'Neill, one of the most celebrated authors in the country, created a definitive masterpiece with his autobiographical work. Using subtle moods and shifting tones, he wove a perfect tapestry of a troubled family who cannot escape the past. The play Long Day's Journey into Night incorporates a cast of captivating characters, which adds to an already excellent plot. At some point in the play, all four of the "haunted Tyrones- experience moments of epiphany where they achieve a sudden deep insight into their lives and learn some fundamental lesson about themselves. The change in perception visits James, Jamie, Mary, and Edmund, allowing them to learn something and change. Epiphanies provide a clearer understanding of oneself, which proves quite true in the case of James Tyrone, the actor, father, and husband. .
James Tyrone probably has one of the toughest roles in the entire family, and though his moment of realization does not make life any easier, he does learn a fundamental lesson. Considering his wife's morphine addiction and the pressure from his recalcitrant son's monetary needs, James puts up a rather good fight against fate. With his past poverty, James' thriftiness comes as no surprise, but to his family members, it seems like a small excuse for what they believe his penny pinching has cost them. His epiphany comes when playing cards with Edmund as an attempt to forget their sorrows. James speaks of how people once considered him one of the most promising young actors in all of America. With the occasional attempt at the continuation of the card game, he talks about how he seized the opportunity to play a romantic role when he realized how well he could do it, as well as how well it paid. Finally, he brings his life into perspective when he says, "I don't know what the hell it was I wanted to buy. On my solemn oath, Edmund, I'd gladly face not having an acre of land to call my own, nor a penny in the bank "I'd be willing to have no home but the poorhouse in my old age if I could look back now on having been the fine artist I might have been- (151).
