Long Days Journey Into Night

20 Pages 5022 Words

(44). The Tyrones’ isolation from the world brings a stifling sense of loneliness, especially to Mary. Trapped in a house of men, she longs for some female companionship: “If there was only some place I could go to get away for a day, or even an afternoon, some woman friend I could talk to--not about anything serious, simply laugh and gossip and forget for a while--someone besides the servants--that stupid Cathleen!” (46). Circumstances being what they are, though, Mary grasps at whatever companionship she can find. She begs Tyrone not to leave her alone when he is about to leave for town (82-3), and when he does leave, she “was so lonesome I kept Cathleen with me just to have someone to talk to” (112). Although Tyrone encourages her to go for a drive in her car, Mary protests that she has no friend to go with (85) and no one to go see (83), and even when she does resolve to drive to the drugstore she is suspected by her husband of going for more morphine (86). (He is, of course, justified in his mistrust of her.)

Isolated ...