Long Day's Journey Into Night Lesson Plan

In Act IV of the play, Tyrone recounts his impoverished childhood after his father left the family, which has led to his present-day cheapness. How does this backstory complicate or add to the audience's understanding of Tyrone's beliefs, values, and personality?

When Edmund and Tyrone get into an argument about the latter's stinginess, even when it comes to his son's own healthcare and life, Tyrone launches into a lengthy explanation of his miserly ways that is rooted in difficulties from his childhood. Given the poverty of his youth, Tyrone explains that he lives in continual fear of ending up in the poorhouse. As part of this explanation of his own struggles, he...