『밤으로의 긴 여로』에 나타난 형제관계와 자아

Brother Relationship and Self in Eugene O"Neill"s Long Day"s Journey Into Night

  Brother relationships in fairy tales and literature follow the conventions of identification and separation. They also attest to the importance of brother relationships in the formation of identity. However, separation from siblings as well as from parents is necessary to achieve a selfhood that is complete and independent.   The relationship between Jamie and Edmund in Long Day"s Journey Into Night presents aspects of the process of identification and separation. Jamie has advised Edmund on life"s realities, but his self-destructive world of cynicism and despair has also influenced Edmund. The brothers have created their own world excluding their parents and in there, they used to share sufferings caused by their parents and secrets about girls. Jamie argues he made Edmund, and at the end of the play, he suggests eliminating his presence from Edmund"s mind for Edmund"s prosperity and success. But before that, Edmund confesses to his father that he experienced ecstatic freedom and oneness with Life itself when he was sailing on the seas separated from his family. His confession signifies that Edmund has already begun his own exploration of spiritual independence transcending Jamie"s world before Jamie"s suggestion of separation.   In this play, Eugene O"Neill pays homage to his brother Jamie by clarifying that he let Edmund be free from his influence even though Edmund is all he has left. This is Jamie"s way of loving his brother in the play and Eugene O"Neill"s way of forgiveness and repentance concerning his brother in reality.