Families are complex and complicated things. They can function as individuals or come together to function as a single entity. There is always at least one person in a family who is the glue of the family, which makes it function well or poorly in certain cases. In the case of Long Day's Journey into Night written by Eugene O'Neill, it is Mary Tyrone who is the proverbial family glue that causes the family problems throughout. Since Mary blames everyone but herself, this seems to indicate that she herself may be responsible for these problems. The play's four main characters, the Tyrone family, each have their individual problems with alcoholism, illness, and addiction. affect the family as a whole. Overall, it is Mary and her problems that bring the family together while tearing them apart at the same time, making her the central character. This also makes the principal responsible for family misfortunes. At one point in the play, Mary defends her actions by saying that nothing can change the course of things that are meant to happen in life, that a person has no control over their destiny. This is false. People inherently have choices to make that guide them throughout their lives, which can be influenced by outside people and decisions, but there is never a chance of not choosing where you go. Ultimately, every person must make a choice to move forward in their life, and sometimes there is never a right choice, just a less bad one to make. A situation is reached because of one's previous choices, not because one's destiny is resolved and has already decided how one will end up. It depends on the route the individual chooses to take. There is always a choice. Mary is the central character of the play, if only for no other ...... middle of paper ...... oneself now. Mary states several times throughout the play that no one can help anything. life did to them. Earlier in this article we presented the idea that his view is incorrect because every person has a choice. If Mary's point of view is to be believed, the play is somewhat fatalistic because all the characters (except Edmund) are stuck and unable to break free from the habits they develop due to heredity and 'environment. But if one believes that it is the choices a person makes and not fate, then there is no fatalistic view of the play. Overall, Mary Tyrone is the central character in Long Day's Journey into Night written by Eugene O'Neill. It is by blaming everyone that the reader can come to the conclusion that Mary herself is responsible for the family's misfortunes. And since we don't believe in Mary's vision of destiny, the play cannot be fatalistic..