Eugene ONeills Before Breakfast portrays the tale of a couple entangled in a lengthy struggle, destined to end in tragedy.

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Sam Chuks

4/12/12

ENG102

Topic 1

A Shell of a Marriage

Many times people take for granted the objects in their lives and how they affect them. Sometimes, taking life for granted and not working hard in life can lead to a life of depression and sadness. Eugene O’Neill’s Before Breakfast portrays the tale of a couple entangled in a lengthy struggle, destined to end in tragedy. This drama shows that aspirations and dreams are dashed by hardships and cold reality. The short and gloomy play revolves around the broken relationship of Alfred and Mrs. Rowland, narrating a tale of disappointment, anger, and despair.

Alfred and Mrs. Rowland’s marriage is falling apart. Alfred is hung-over from drinking the night before and Mrs. Rowland has just about had it. She lives an unhappy life and is fed up with Alfred. He has no job and has no aspiration to go out and get one. They hardly make ends meet and live off of her paycheck. She believes Alfred has pawned all their valuable items to simply keep from getting a job when she says “It's been nothing but pawn, pawn, pawn, with you—anything to put off getting a job, anything to get out of going to work like a man.” (5). The relationship between the couple has begun to wear down on Mrs. Rowland, but little does she realize that Alfred is also mentally suffering from their turmoil.

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Mrs. Rowland’s anger is fueled by Alfred’s actions and his demeanor towards their relationship. Alfred is unable to sell any of his writings and spends any money he has on alcohol to drink his misery away. He’s lazy and does not put any effort towards his marriage with Mrs. Rowland. His depression contributes to a self destructive lifestyle, dragging his wife along with him. He even begins seeing a woman named Helen which even angers Mrs. Rowland even more when she reads the letter: “She opens the letter and reads it. At first her expression is one of hatred and ...

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