The Fractured Family The theme of the fractured family in American drama focuses on a family with a variety of issues that cause an emotional rift between the members. Two classic plays that display this central theme are Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller, and Long Day’s Journey into Night by Eugene O’Neill. Death of a Salesman tells the story of the Loman family and its personal, emotional, and financial struggles. Long Day’s Journey into Night is a play that depicts the Tyrone family’s fights over the course of a day. The dramas contain a father-son relationship that emphasizes the theme of the fractured family. Biff, the eldest Loman son, is a thirty-five year old that still has not found what makes him happy. Jamie, the oldest Tyrone
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In Death of a Salesman and in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Biff and Jamie refuse to satisfy their fathers’ expectations. Biff’s disenchantment is caused by Willie’s delusion that his son will be great because he is popular. Willie refuses to believe that Biff can be lazy, so he holds onto hope: “Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such—personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff— he’s not lazy” (6). Biff defies his father by blatantly exposing Willie for his erratic behavior and his lies. Biff is the opposite of what his father desires, because he does not want to be a materialistic working city man, but wants to live in the West, alone. The expectations of the fathers in these dramas are similar, but James is much more straightforward with his disapproval of Jamie’s actions in Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Jamie gets addicted to alcohol after seeing his mother become addicted to morphine. Her addiction has a profound effect on him, because he blames his father for letting her get addicted. James, a former actor, believes his son should amount to more in life than just coming home drunk every night. Jamie takes out his personal struggles on everyone in the family. He believes Edmund should die because he is more successful than he is. He supposes his mother will never get better, so he should just go the same way she is going. Jamie rebelliously acts against his father just to spite him, by wasting money in brothels in the city and on drinks. This act of defiance against the father is prevalent in both dramas, but Biff rebels because he wants to be free, while Jamie rebels because he wants to spite his
In Death of a Salesman and in Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Biff and Jamie refuse to satisfy their fathers’ expectations. Biff’s disenchantment is caused by Willie’s delusion that his son will be great because he is popular. Willie refuses to believe that Biff can be lazy, so he holds onto hope: “Biff Loman is lost. In the greatest country in the world a young man with such—personal attractiveness, gets lost. And such a hard worker. There’s one thing about Biff— he’s not lazy” (6). Biff defies his father by blatantly exposing Willie for his erratic behavior and his lies. Biff is the opposite of what his father desires, because he does not want to be a materialistic working city man, but wants to live in the West, alone. The expectations of the fathers in these dramas are similar, but James is much more straightforward with his disapproval of Jamie’s actions in Long Day’s Journey Into Night. Jamie gets addicted to alcohol after seeing his mother become addicted to morphine. Her addiction has a profound effect on him, because he blames his father for letting her get addicted. James, a former actor, believes his son should amount to more in life than just coming home drunk every night. Jamie takes out his personal struggles on everyone in the family. He believes Edmund should die because he is more successful than he is. He supposes his mother will never get better, so he should just go the same way she is going. Jamie rebelliously acts against his father just to spite him, by wasting money in brothels in the city and on drinks. This act of defiance against the father is prevalent in both dramas, but Biff rebels because he wants to be free, while Jamie rebels because he wants to spite his