Characters
James Tyrone
James Tyrone, often referred to as "Gaspard" or "The Old Man," is a sixty-five-year-old man who appears younger by a decade. He exemplifies a strikingly handsome and vital presence, modeled after the playwright's own father. Tyrone's roots lie in Irish peasant stock, and he has never been afflicted by illness, which contributes to his impatience with the ailments of his wife and younger son. His impoverished upbringing imbued him with a pervasive stinginess, manifesting in his habitual efforts to save money. This includes turning off lights and opting for the cheapest goods and services, with the sole exception of land investments. Tragically, his frugality led to a cornerstone tragedy in the play: his wife's morphine addiction. After the birth of their younger son, he sought treatment from a quack doctor rather than a skilled medical professional. Now, with his son battling tuberculosis, James advocates for the less costly option of a state sanatorium over proper medical care. Despite his love for his family, James is ensnared by his compulsive behaviors, which have also thwarted his own aspirations. Once a promising Shakespearean actor, he laments that he could have achieved greatness but instead chose financial security by performing in a long-running potboiler play. This decision has left him a disillusioned man, finding solace in alcohol to drown his frustrations.
Mary Cavan Tyrone
Mary Cavan Tyrone, the fifty-four-year-old wife of James Tyrone, retains a youthful and graceful figure, though her once beautiful face has become thin and pale, her hair white, and her hands deformed by rheumatism. Educated by nuns in a Catholic school, she initially aspired to join their ranks. However, she fell in love with James Tyrone, married him, and subsequently became addicted to morphine, a dependency initiated by a cheap doctor. Her ambition to become a concert pianist was thwarted by her rheumatic hands. As the play begins, she has just returned from spending two months in a sanatorium, supposedly free of her addiction. Yet, her anxiety over her younger son's possible tuberculosis diagnosis, coupled with her husband's notorious frugality, drives her back to dependency. The narrative chronicles her gradual relapse throughout the day, culminating in her being overtaken by insanity as she immerses herself in the drug once more.
James (Jamie) Tyrone, Jr.
James (Jamie) Tyrone, Jr., known simply as "Jamie," is the thirty-three-year-old elder son of the Tyrone family. Despite his relatively young age, Jamie appears haggard from a life of excess. Characterized by a general cynicism, he can still exude a charming demeanor that appeals to women and endears him to men. Like his father, he is an actor, yet he lacks his father's vigor and squanders his gifts on alcohol and the company of prostitutes. Similar to his brother Edmund, Jamie is fond of quoting decadent poetry. As a manic-depressive, much like the rest of his family, he grapples with a complex love-hate dynamic towards them. In a moment of honesty, he confesses to Edmund that while he loves him, he might attempt to ruin him by setting a destructive example, imploring his brother to escape his influence.
Edmund Tyrone
Edmund Tyrone, also dubbed "The Kid," is the younger son at twenty-three years old. He is portrayed as tall, thin, and wiry, with prominent dark eyes, a hypersensitive mouth, a thin Irish face, and a nervous demeanor. Edmund serves as the playwright's self-portrait as a young man. At the play's outset, he is in poor health, only worsened by the discovery of his tuberculosis diagnosis, necessitating a sanatorium stay. Having once worked as a common seaman, Edmund has embraced a bohemian lifestyle, oscillating...
(This entire section contains 769 words.)
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between roles as an occasional actor and poet. His father criticizes Edmund’s leftist political views and affinity for morbid literature, yet grudgingly acknowledges his genuine poetic talent. Idolizing his older brother Jamie, Edmund mimics his indulgent behaviors. However, the enforced time in a sanatorium holds the potential to steer him towards a more disciplined life and help him realize his artistic ambitions.
Cathleen
Cathleen, referred to as the "second girl," serves as the maid in the Tyrone household. In her early twenties, she is described as "a buxom Irish peasant" with black hair and rosy cheeks. Despite her amiable nature, she is characterized as ignorant and clumsy, displaying little awareness of the boundaries expected of a servant. Her ingenuousness allows Mary to treat her with the familiarity of an old school companion, and Cathleen occasionally serves as a confidante. Being about the same age as Edmund, she provides some exposition in the play, often engaging with either Edmund or Mary before the other family members join the scene.
Edmund Tyrone
Edmund, the youngest child of James and Mary Tyrone, is twenty-three years old, making him a decade younger than his brother, Jamie. He is taller and slimmer than Jamie and bears a stronger resemblance to their mother rather than their father. Edmund also shares some of his mother's nervous tendencies, noticeable in the way his hands move. A budding journalist and poet, he is more intellectually inclined than his brother and is rapidly becoming more well-read. Despite his scholarly pursuits, he has experienced the world, having worked on merchant ships as a common sailor and frequented waterfront bars and flophouses. He possesses a profound love for the sea but also harbors a morbid outlook on life, which deeply troubles his father. Edmund shares a close bond with Jamie, whom he holds in high esteem. Unfortunately, he suffers from tuberculosis, a condition that is apparent in his emaciated figure, persistent cough, and pale complexion.
James and Mary Tyrone
James Tyrone
James Tyrone, the sixty-five-year-old head of the family, is a financially successful and attractive actor whose strong appearance makes him seem younger than his years. Despite his popular success, he remains grounded, largely because he is a self-made man who grew up in a poor Irish immigrant family abandoned by his father. This background instilled in him a deep fear of poverty, turning him into someone obsessed with money and property, often seeking bargains even at the expense of his family's well-being. His heritage also means he lacks snobbery and pretension. Tyrone wears his clothes until they are worn out, giving him a somewhat shabby and careless appearance. Nevertheless, he shows the "studied technique" of a seasoned actor and takes pride in his powerful, resonant voice and mastery of language. His wife's morphine addiction and his sons' reckless behavior have left him feeling resentful and angry. He finds some solace in whiskey but cannot escape the blame his sons place on him for their mother's addiction.
Mary Tyrone
Mary Tyrone, James's wife, is fifty-four years old, several years younger than her husband. She is described as having a "graceful figure" and a distinctly Irish face, once beautiful and "still striking." From the beginning, she appears on edge, nervously fluttering her fingers, which were once lovely but are now twisted by rheumatism. Mary has been addicted to morphine for several years and has been in and out of sanitariums, trying desperately to break free from her dependency. Under the influence of the drug, she retreats into an idealized version of her girlhood at a convent school, dreaming of becoming a nun or a concert pianist. She finds the real world lonely and depressing, offering little hope or joy. She struggles to face unpleasant truths, such as the possibility that her son Edmund might be suffering from something more serious than a cold. Despite everything, she retains the "unaffected charm" and "innate unworldly innocence" of her youth, which explains her family's protective loyalty and love, as well as their crushing disappointment when she succumbs to her addiction once again.
James Tyrone, Jr.
James Tyrone, Jr.
The eldest son of James and Mary Tyrone, Jamie, at thirty-three, exhibits clear signs of his dissipated lifestyle. He resembles his father in appearance but lacks the elder Tyrone's robust energy and elegant demeanor. Jamie is an unrepentant drunk with a track record of failure in nearly all his endeavors. He is also a notorious womanizer, often frequenting saloons and brothels. Possessing a biting cynicism and a sneering attitude, he constantly mocks his father, attributing many family issues to Tyrone's stinginess. Despite being protective of his brother Edmund, Jamie admits he wants to corrupt him, molding Edmund into his own likeness, and he understands why. Jamie's deep-seated resentment stems from the fact that their mother's morphine addiction began after Edmund's birth, leading Jamie to partially blame his brother for her suffering. To Tyrone, Jamie is nothing more than a freeloading, ungrateful loafer, rapidly approaching a point of no return. Jamie, at least, is honest enough to concur with this grim view of his character.
