A long day journey into the night

Name : Parmar Nidhi Shamjibhai

M. A : sem 2

Subject :American literature

Paper no : 108

 

Q 1) write a short summury of for whom the bell tolls. 

       

 For Whom The Bell Tolls

Introduction:

For Whom the Bell Tolls is a novel by Ernest Hemingway published in 1940. It tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War. As a dynamiter, he is assigned to blow up a bridge during an attack on the city of Segovia. The title is taken from a 17th century poem written by John Donne. The title means that the tolling of church bells, which signified the death of another human life, is a toll for each of us, as we are all bound together.

About the Author

Name : Ernest Miller Hemingway

Born : July 21, 1899

Oak Park, Illinois, U.S.

Died : July 2, 1961 (aged 61)

Ketchum, Idaho, U.S.

Notable awards : Pulitzer Prize for Fiction (1953) 

Nobel Prize in Literature (1954)

               American novelist, short-story writer, sportsmanjournalist. Noted for both intense masculinity of his writings & his adventurous life.His notable works include "A Clean Well-Lighted Place","A Farewell to Arms", "Moveable Feast" etc. 

Key facts : 

NOVEL

#Published in 1940, classic fictional novel.

#Tells the story of Robert Jordan, a young American volunteer attached to a Republican guerrilla unit during the Spanish Civil War.

#Published just after the end of Spanish Civil War (1936-1939).

#Classic war & romantic novel.

#Sets in mountains of Spain.

Summury : 

A young man and an older man meet in the mountainside and discuss a bridge in the distance. The young man, Robert Jordan, is an American Spanish teacher fighting for the Spanish Republican forces in the Spanish Civil War, and the older man is Anselmo, his guide to the mountain region. Two nights before, Golz, a Soviet officer working for the Republicans, ordered Jordan to blow up the bridge, thus preventing the Republicans' opponents, the Fascists, from entering the area and quelling their offensive. Anselmo introduces Jordan to Pablo, the "boss" of the group of guerilla fighters to which Anselmo belongs. Jordan immediately takes a disliking to Pablo, who is sullen and uncooperative.

Pablo and Anselmo lead Jordan to their camp, where Jordan encounters Maria, a member of the guerilla group. She is beautiful, despite her cropped haircut, and he is struck by her. Shortly thereafter, it is revealed that Maria had her head shaved as a prisoner in Valadolid, and that the guerillas rescued her from the wreckage of a blown-up train. Rafael, another one of the guerillas, recalls how traumatized Maria was when they picked her up, and how the "old woman"-Pablo's wife-tied a rope to her to beat her with in order to keep her moving through the mountains toward their camp. Jordan meets Pilar, the mujer ("woman") of Pablo; she is a stern, authoritative woman who seems to hold more power over the group than her husband. She reads Jordan's palm but refuses to tell him what she foretells. Later, while surveying the bridge in preparation for the attack, Jordan and Anselmo discuss religion and the nature of killing.

Upon Jordan and Anselmo's return to the camp, Pablo declares that he will not support the offensive on the bridge, though Pilar, who likes Jordan, agrees to his plan. Later that night, Rafael asks Jordan why he decided not to kill Pablo over his disobedience, and he tells Jordan that he will "have to kill him sooner or later." Pablo interrupts their conversation, seemingly in better spirits, and tells Jordan he is "welcome" in the camp.

Maria and Jordan begin to develop a connection, of which Pilar takes notice;

Maria visits Jordan in his sleeping bag at night, and they declare their love for each other and have sex. The group then travels through the mountains to reach El Sordo (Spanish for the "deaf one"), who leads another guerilla group, and ask for his support. Pilar tells Jordan about the brutal murder of several Fascist sympathizers in Pablo's hometown and explains that Pablo has become disillusioned with the war and the Republican cause. 

El Sordo decides to help Pablo's guerillas with the offensive on the bridge, and on the way back from his camp, Maria and Jordan have sex in the woods another time.

In an extended stream-of-consciousness section, Jordan considers his own disillusionment with the war and his lack of politics; he feels uncertain about his future, though he wants it to include Maria. Reuniting with Pilar later, Maria tells Pilar that the "earth moved" when she and Jordan were together, and Maria notes that the earth only moves three times in an individual's life during love-making.

At the camp, Pablo has become angry and drunk, and he begins to antagonize the group, leading Jordan to consider killing him. Pablo leaves the camp, and the guerillas, including Pilar, decide that he must be killed for their own safety. Once again, though, Pablo's mood shifts as soon as he reappears, and he decides to continue with the bridge detonation. Jordan recalls his experiences in Madrid before the war, where he met Karkov, a Soviet agent and journalist. After, Maria and Jordan meet another time; they decide that they feel united, as if they share a body.

The next morning, Jordan is awakened by an approaching fascist soldier, whom he kills. The guerillas realize that El Sordo and his guerillas, camped on a hill nearby, have been attacked by the Fascists. The novel shifts to the perspective of El Sordo and his men during the ambush, and it is revealed that the Fascists succeeded in killing El Sordo's entire group.

Jordan writes to the Republicans and General Golz to cancel the bridge offensive, citing the Fascists' knowledge of the guerilla groups' locations. He thinks about his grandfather, an American Civil War veteran. Later, Maria visits him, and the two dream about a life together in Madrid. Maria tells Jordan about her sexual assault at the hands of the Falangists, members of a Fascist splinter group.

The novel then changes perspective again: Karkov, in Madrid at the Hotel Gaylord, learns from a reporter that the Fascists are "fighting among themselves," though in fact, the Fascists have attacked El Sordo's group. In the morning, Pilar tells Jordan that Pablo has left the camp with the explosives; despairing, she admits to Jordan that she feels she has failed him and the Republic. Andrés, the messenger tasked with delivering the letter from Jordan to Golz, travels through the hills, reminiscing on his love for bullfighting and the crises of civil war.

Meanwhile, back at the camp, Jordan lies next to Maria, silently raging about Pablo, the other guerillas, and the inanity of the war. In the hills, Andrés is stopped by Republican forces. At the same time, Jordan calms down and resolves to continue with the offensive. He and Maria make love, reveling in their last moments together. Pablo returns to the camp, claiming that he had a "moment of weakness" and revealing that he threw the explosives into a river. Jordan feels better once Pablo tells him that he has brought five men and their horses from a nearby village to join the group. Andrés is brought to Golz's headquarters, but André Marty, a Frenchman allied with the Republicans, suspects both André and his escort, Rogelio Gomez, are undercover Fascists and has them arrested. Marty later realizes that he has made an error and delivers the message to Golz, but it has come too late, since the Republicans have begun the offensive on the bridge already.

At the bridge, Jordan and Anselmo shoot attacking Fascists and prepare for the explosion. Anselmo is killed in the blast, and several of the other guerillas are killed by Fascist gunfire. Jordan's horse is shot by a Fascist as the remaining guerillas scramble to leave the area, and Jordan falls off of the horse. His left leg is broken as the horse lands on it. Maria and Pilar tend to Jordan, but Jordan tells them to leave and save themselves. As Jordan prepares for one final offensive on the Fascists before he succumbs to his injuries, he realizes that he has fought forwhat he believed in, and that though he hates "very much" to leave the world behind, he is lucky to "have had such a good life."

Home assignment

Q 2) write a themes of  A long day's journey into the night . 

Introduction :

Long Day's Journey into Night is a play written in four parts by the American writer Eugene O'Neill. He wrote it between 1939 and 1941, but the play was published only after his death in 1956.People consider this play his greatest work and one of the most important American plays of the 20th century. It was first performed in Sweden in February 1956. Later, in November 1956, it was performed on Broadway, where it won the Tony Award for Best Play.In 1957, O'Neill was given the Pulitzer Prize for Drama for this play, again after his death. The story of the play is autobiographical, meaning it is based on O'Neill's own life and family. The title refers to the fact that the whole play happens during one long and difficult day.

The whole play happens in just one day in August 1912. The story takes place in the Monte Cristo Cottage, which is the Tyrones' house near the sea in Connecticut. There are four main characters. They are based on O'Neill himself, his older brother, and their mother and father. The father in the play is inspired by Eugene O'Neill's real father, James O'Neill, who was a well-known actor. 

About the Author :

Name :  Eugene O'Neill (Eugene Gladstone O'Neill)

Birth : October 16, 1888

              New York City, U.S.

Death : November 27, 1953 (aged 65)

Occupation :  Playwright

Education : Princeton University

Notable work  :Long Day's Journey into NightThe Hairy ApeMourning Becomes ElectraAh, Wilderness!

Notable awards : Nobel Prize in Literature (1936)

Pulitzer Prize for Drama (1920, 1922, 1928, 1957)

Tony Award for Best Play (1957)

Parents : James O'Neill

                  Mary Ellen Quinlan

Eugene O'Neill (1888–1953) was a groundbreaking American playwright and one of the most influential dramatists in the history of modern theater. He played a major role in introducing realism, psychological depth, and tragic intensity to American drama. O'Neill transformed American theater from light entertainment into a serious literary art. His influence can be seen in later playwrights such as Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller.

Themes : 

1) Fatalism and Resignation

Long Day's Journey into Night is a play about addiction, where the characters struggle to understand and deal with their problems. The Tyrone family members often deny their substance abuse issues, but at the same time, they seem to accept their addictions as if they are unavoidable. For example, James Tyrone refuses to admit he's an alcoholic, yet he spends most of his time in bars and money on alcohol. Similarly, Mary lets herself live in a fog of morphine. avoiding reality and ignoring her struggles. This way of thinking-avoiding reality--prevents them from truly confronting their problems. Instead of working to change, they give up and accept their addictions, which only makes things worse. O'Neill uses this behavior to show how harmful it is to give in to hopelessness, as it leaves people powerless to improve.

James, for instance, drinks all day, even though his family criticizes him for being an alcoholic. He insists he's not addicted but keeps pouring himself whiskey and acting like there's no way to stop. He even talks about Mary's morphine addiction in a hopeless way, saying there's nothing they can do. This attitude reflects his own approach to drinking he believes change is impossible, so he keeps indulging in his addiction. Mary also gives up on fighting her addiction. When she relapses, she justifies it by saying life has been cruel and there's no point in trying to fix it. She claims her addiction is something no one can understand or help, which allows her to continue living destructively without taking responsibility for her actions.

Edmund, the youngest family member, is slightly different. He criticizes this hopeless attitude,especially when James gives up on helping Mary. Edmund believes Mary can still recover and wants to talk to her, showing some optimism that the others lack. However, even though Edmund tries to stay hopeful, his family's negative views affect him. He struggles with his own drinking problem and seems unable to take control of it. Surrounded by people who believe change is impossible, Edmund also finds it hard to improve his life.

Through these characters, O'Neill shows how harmful it is to give up and believe things can't change. This kind of thinking keeps people trapped in their addictions and stops them from making their lives better.

2) Denial, Blame, and Guilt

In Long Day's Journey into Night, O'Neill shows how people often avoid facing their guilt by blaming others. This is especially clear in Mary's actions as she tries to hide her morphine addiction. She denies her problem and shifts the focus onto her family, accusing them of not trusting her. This makes them feel guilty, forcing them to pretend everything is fine. Once they stop questioning her, she relapses and then blames them for her struggles. For example, she accuses her husband, James, of causing her addiction and even blames her son Jamie for the death of her baby.

At the start of the play, Edmund notices signs that Mary might relapse, like staying up late and acting nervously. When he mentions his concerns, Mary turns it around, accusing him of hurting her by doubting her. Although Mary hasn't relapsed yet, her defensive behavior shows she is close to giving in. By making Edmund feel guilty for suspecting her, she stops him from confronting her, giving her the chance to relapse in secret.

Later, when Edmund asks Mary to promise she won't use morphine again, she agrees but reminds him that she has made and broken such promises before. Her comment makes Edmund feel guilty, and he denies being suspicious, even though he has every reason to be. When she says she's going to lie down, a common excuse she uses to take morphine, Edmund doesn't stop her. Instead, he feels ashamed and leaves, giving her the opportunity to use the drug again.

Once Mary relapses, she openly blames her family for her troubles. She accuses James of being a bad influence on Jamie and claims Jamie deliberately infected her baby with measles, which ledto the child's death. She even suggests her addiction wouldn't have happened if James had hired a better doctor after Edmund's difficult birth. By focusing on these accusations, Mary avoids taking responsibility for her actions.

Through Mary's behavior. O'Neill highlights how denial and blame can damage relationships and prevent people from dealing with their guilt.

3) Loneliness, Isolation, and Belonging

In Long Day's Journey into Night, O'Neill shows how loneliness affects everyone, even when they are surrounded by family. The Tyrone family members are emotionally disconnected, dealing with their struggles alone. Mary, in particular, feels isolated despite her husband and sons trying to care for her. She blames this loneliness on never having a real "home." Her life traveling with James in cheap hotels left her without close friends or a sense of belonging. Now. even in a permanent house, she still feels cut off from the world.

Mary romanticizes the idea of having a home and a social life, believing it would cure her loneliness. She envies her neighbors, saying they have "presentable homes" and are "not cut off from everyone." Yet, she contradicts herself, admitting she hates the town and its people. This reveals that her longing for a perfect life is more about escaping her loneliness than genuinely wanting that lifestyle. By the end of the play, her inability to connect with others deepens her isolation, showing how chasing an ideal can worsen feelings of solitude,

Edmund also struggles with loneliness but approaches it differently. He accepts that he will always feel like an outsider, saying he's "a stranger who never feels at home." However, he finds brief joy and meaning in his isolation. He recalls a moment as a sailor when he felt completely alone yet connected to something greater while staring at the stars. Unlike Mary, Edmund doesn't try to escape his loneliness. Instead, he embraces it, finding moments of peace and transcendence in his solitude.

O'Neill suggests that loneliness is a natural part of being human. Mary's constant search for belonging only increases her isolation, while Edmund's acceptance of his loneliness allows him to find fleeting happiness. Through this contrast, O'Neill highlights that accepting loneliness is the key to finding meaning in life.

4) Love and Forgiveness

In Long Day's Journey into Night, O'Neill shows how the Tyrone family's love for each other keeps them together, even though they fight all the time. The family is full of anger and hurt, but they also care deeply for one another. No matter how bad their arguments get, they always try to apologize or move on. This shows that their love is strong, but it also keeps them stuck in a cycle of fighting and forgiving.

For example, when Jamie insults their mother, Edmund punches him in anger. At first, it seems like they will have a big fight, but Jamie quickly apologizes, blaming the alcohol. Edmund also apologizes for hitting him, and they forgive each other. This shows how much they care about their bond, even after arguments.

The family often tries to avoid fights, but it rarely works. When Mary says hurtful things about Jamie, both Edmund and James try to stop her, but they can't help getting upset and joining the argument. This shows that conflict is a normal part of their family, no matter how hard they try to avoid it.

Even though they argue a lot, the Tyrones love each other. After one fight, Mary tells James she still loves him and remembers the day they met. James replies that he will always love her, no matter what. These moments of kindness show how much they care, even during hard times.

But this love also keeps them stuck. They always forgive each other, so nothing ever changes-Mary continues using drugs, the men keep drinking, and the fights never end. O'Neill shows that love can be both a strength and a trap. It holds the Tyrone family together, but it also stops them from breaking free of their problems.

5) The Past. Nostalgia, and Regret

Long Day's Journey into Night is a play about a family stuck in the past. The characters constantly think about things that have already happened, which stops them from living in the present. For Mary, this obsession shows up as nostalgia-she dreams about her childhood and regrets the choices that led her to her current unhappy life. She remembers her days as a young girl in a convent, planning to be a nun or a concert pianist, and feels like she made the wrong choices. James, her husband, also looks back on his life with regret, realizing he gave up his artistic dreams for a career focused on money. Both Mary and James waste their present lives by dwelling on what they can't change.

Mary believes the past controls her present and future. She tells James, "The past is the present, isn't it? It's the future, too." This shows she feels trapped by her past choices, which leads her to spend all her time thinking about what might have been. She regrets leaving the convent and her dreams of being a musician to follow James and live his lifestyle. Though she once found it exciting, she now feels it wasn't worth giving up her own goals. She romanticizes her convent days, saying she was happier before she met James, but this only makes her current situation harder to bear.

James also spends a lot of time thinking about the past. He often talks about the highlight of his acting career, when he was praised for playing Othello. But he admits that chasing fame andmoney ruined his potential as an artist. He tells Edmund that he would trade everything he has now to go back and follow his dreams. Like Mary, James's nostalgia turns into regret, and he can't stop reliving his past mistakes.

At the end of the play, Mary comes downstairs holding her wedding dress and talks about becoming a nun. This shows how deeply she is stuck in her past, pretending she's young again to escape her present pain. O'Neill uses this moment to show how harmful it is to live in the past. Both Mary and James waste their lives regretting things they can't change. Through their story, O'Neill suggests that people need to let go of nostalgia and regret if they want to find happiness.

 

~~Essay:

Q  3 write note on stopping by woods in snowy evening... By Robert Frost

Introduction :

             Stopping by the woods on a snowy evening poem is written by Robert Frost. The poem was published in 1923 in his volume New Hampshire.

Poem

About the poet : 

Robert Frost(1874–1963) was one of the most celebrated American poets of the 20th century, known for his realistic depictions of rural life and his command of American colloquial speech.

Early Life

Born on March 26, 1874, in San Francisco. After his father’s death, Frost moved with his family to Lawrence.

He briefly attended Dartmouth College and later Harvard University but did not earn a degree.

 Career Highlights

Frost moved to England in 1912, where he published his first poetry collections:

 A Boy’s Will* (1913)

 North of Boston* (1914)

After returning to the U.S., he became widely recognized and respected.

He won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry four times,more than any other poet.

 Famous Poems

Some of his most well-known works include:

The Road Not Taken

Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

Mending Wall

Fire and Ice

 

Writing Style & Themes

Focused on **nature, rural New England life, isolation, and human choices**.

Used simple language with deep philosophical meanings.

Often wrote in traditional verse forms and meters.

Later Life & Legacy

Frost read his poem ''The Gift Outright” at the inauguration of John F. Kennedy in 1961.

Died on January 29, 1963,in Boston. He remains one of America’s most studied and quoted poets.

First Stanza:

            The opening lines introduce the speaker’s journey and highlight their encounter with the woods:

~~~~"Whose woods these are I think I know. His house is in the village though; Here, the speaker suggests familiarity with the woods but acknowledges that they do not belong to him. The act of pausing indicates a moment of reflection.

Second Stanza:

In the second stanza, the speaker describes the charm of the snowy evening: The only other

sound’s the sweep Of easy wind and downy flake. The gentle sounds of nature provide a sense of peace, inviting the speaker to linger longer. 

Third Stanza:

The third stanza juxtaposes this peace with the revelations of duty: The woods are lovely, dark,

and deep, But I have promises to keep. The woods symbolize beauty and the allure of escape; however, the speaker acknowledges his life’s obligations.

Fourth Stanza:

The conclusion of the poem encapsulates the conflict between desire and responsibility: And

miles to go before I sleep. This repetition emphasizes the weight of duty and the long journey ahead, suggesting the need to address personal commitments before succumbing to rest.

Themes

1) Nature vs. Society

In Robert Frost’s poem “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening,” the speaker pauses to admire the snow falling in a quiet forest while riding a horse at night. This moment highlights the contrast between nature and society. Nature in the poem is both beautiful and powerful, drawing the speaker in with its peace but also reminding them of its untamed and isolating qualities.The speaker notices that the woods belong to someone whose house is far away in the village. This reflects how people try to claim ownership of nature, even though they cannot fully control it. The owner’s absence shows that nature exists beyond human rules and ownership. 

The snow continues to fall and cover the woods, emphasizing that nature follows its own path, unaffected by human ideas like property. The forest, far from any signs of civilization, feels distant from society. There are no nearby houses, and the only sounds are the wind and the horse’s harness bells. This isolation reinforces the idea that nature is separate and untamed compared to human life. The dark and cold surroundings make the woods feel mysterious and intimidating.

However, the woods also have a calming and inviting side. The speaker describes the snow as soft and the wind as gentle, making the forest seem peaceful. The woods are described as “lovely, dark, and deep,” showing the speaker’s appreciation for their quiet beauty and solitude.

This creates a balance between the threatening and comforting aspects of nature.

Even though the speaker is tempted to stay in the woods, they are reminded of their

responsibilities and must return to society. This moment of stillness in nature allows the speaker to reflect in a way that is hard to achieve in the busy world of human life. The poem shows hownature can be both a refuge and a reminder of its untamed power, standing apart from the structure of society.

2) Social Obligation vs. Personal Desire

In Robert Frost’s poem, the speaker feels attracted to the quiet beauty of the snowy woods and wants to stay there longer. However, they have responsibilities and promises to keep, which stop them from staying. This shows a conflict between doing what society expects and following

personal desires.

In the last part of the poem, the speaker admires the woods, calling them “lovely, dark, and deep.” Still, they know they must move on because of the promises they’ve made. This moment is unusual for the speaker, as their life seems busy and full of rules. Even the horse finds it strange that they have stopped to watch the snow. The speaker seems like someone who is careful about keeping their promises and doesn’t usually take time for themselves. Despite this, they clearly wish they could stay in the peaceful woods.

The speaker feels torn about their duties. While they know they must leave, they regret not being able to stay. The woods feel calm and inviting, offering a break from the busy and stressful world. But the speaker has to give up this peaceful moment to fulfill their promises. This makes their responsibilities feel like a heavy burden.

The woods are described as soft and comforting, like a cozy bed. The speaker seems tired from

traveling and from the demands of life. The woods represent their wish to rest and escape, but the “miles to go” remind them they have more to do. This shows how the speaker feels tired, not just physically, but emotionally, because of their duties.

The poem doesn’t clearly say what happens next. The speaker might leave to keep their

promises, accepting that responsibilities come first. Or they might stay in the woods for a while, unsure of what to do, still caught between their duties and the freedom they long for.

3) Hesitation and Choice

In the poem, the speaker feels torn between the responsibilities of society and the peace and solitude that nature offers. They think about both options but never truly decide, suggesting that choosing might not even be possible because society’s rules limit their freedom. The poem explores the struggle between what the speaker wants and what they are expected to do, as well as whether real choice is possible at all.

From the start, the speaker hesitates. In the first line, they say, "Whose woods these are I think 1 know," showing both confidence ("I know") and doubt ("I think"). This introduces the theme of uncertainty. The speaker pauses in the middle of their journey, not at the start or end, which symbolizes their indecision.

The speaker's position reflects this indecision. They stop "between the woods and frozen lake," literally in the middle of two places. It's the "darkest evening of the year," likely the Winter Solstice, which falls between autumn and winter. This setting mirrors the speaker's struggle to choose between their responsibilities and their desire to rest.

In the end, it's unclear if the speaker truly decides to fulfill their promises or simply accepts that they have no choice but to follow their duties. They might want to stay in the "lovely" woods, but they feel obligated to leave and continue their journey, not because they choose to but because they feel they must.

The repeated final lines-"miles to go before I sleep"-leave room for another interpretation. The speaker might still be standing in the woods, thinking about their responsibilities but not acting on them yet. They might even be dreaming of rest instead of facing their duties, avoiding a decision altogether.

The poem shows a moment of hesitation, where the speaker is caught between two worlds: society's demands and nature's calm. It reflects how life is often full of uncertainty and how making clear choices is not always simple or possible.