EUGENE O`NEILL`S

E U G E NE O ’N E I L L’S
HUGHIE
STUDY GUIDE
HISTORY
HUGHIE is Eugene O’Neill’s rarely produced one-act masterpiece, which is being performed on Broadway
for the first time in 20 years.
Hughie was originally intended to be part of a series of eight one-act plays under the overall title BY WAY
OF ORBIT. It was O’Neill’s plan that in each piece, the central character would examine his relationship
to a person who had died while another character would do almost nothing but listen. O’Neill wrote, “Via
this monologue you get a complete picture of the person who died - his or her whole life story - but just as
complete a picture of the life and character of the narrator.” HUGHIE was written in 1941, shortly after
O’Neill completed THE ICEMAN COMETH and LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO NIGHT. It is the only
manuscript from the collection that survived; O’Neill completely destroyed his notes and drafts for the other
plays.
Although HUGHIE was completed in 1941, it was not until 1958 that it received its world premiere in
Sweden at the Royal Dramatic Theatre. Five years later, it was performed in English at the Theater Royal in
Bath, England, starring Burgess Meredith as Erie. In 1964, Hughie was finally staged on Broadway starring
Jason Robards. The play had two subsequent Broadway productions – first in 1975 with Robards reprising
his role and then again in 1996, directed by and starring Al Pacino.
SYNOPSIS
Summer. 1928. New York City. Just steps beyond the bright lights of Broadway, Erie Smith, a small-time
gambler and a big-time drinker, returns to the faded hotel that he has made his home. He encounters
the new night clerk, Charlie Hughes, and laments how his luck has gone bad since the death of Hughie,
Hughes’ predecessor. As the early hours of the morning give way to another dawn, Erie continues to tell tall
tales in chase of the American Dream in order to survive. HUGHIE beautifully investigates the themes of
loneliness and redemption and offers a unique insight into the human condition.
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ARTISTIC STATEMENT
FROM TONY AWARD WINNING DIRECTOR, MICHAEL GRANDAGE
Great drama addresses the human condition in a profound way,
and at the same time, has the ability to speak to us individually. As
one of America’s greatest dramatists, Eugene O’Neill consistently
tackles important topics such as loneliness, addiction, grief,
disillusionment and the search for the American Dream in a way
that reaches us on a very personal level and makes us reflect upon
our own lives.
Such is the case in HUGHIE. In HUGHIE, O’Neill masterfully
excavates a panoply of these big ideas into a succinct hour-long
evening of theatre. It is a play about the need for connection and
how through such connection, one can find redemption.
I am thrilled to be directing this rare revival with two extraordinary
talents. Forest Whitaker is a towering actor with a remarkable ability
to define character. To be working with him to tell the story of Hughie is not only an incredible opportunity
but also a privilege. I feel equally inspired by Frank Wood, a celebrated Broadway veteran, who through
his carefully crafted silence speaks volumes about O’Neill’s themes of desolation and hopelessness.
Now, more than seventy years after O’Neill put pen to paper, the themes in HUGHIE resonate louder
than ever – especially our desire to stay connected to others. I cannot think of a better way to connect than
through the shared experience of theatre. I hope you will enjoy studying this rare gem and exploring the
inner lives of these two dynamic characters.
CHARACTERS/CAST
“Erie” Smith, A teller of tales. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Forest Whitaker
A Night Clerk. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Frank Wood
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FOREST WHITAKER (Erie Smith) is one of Hollywood’s most
accomplished actors, directors, and producers, has showcased
his talents in a multitude of demanding and diverse roles. In 2007,
he earned critical acclaim for his performance as Ugandan
dictator Idi Amin in THE LAST KING OF SCOTLAND, receiving
the Academy Award, BAFTA Award, SAG Award, and Golden
Globe for Best Actor. Forest’s intensive character work in films such
as Lee Daniels’ THE BUTLER, THE CRYING GAME, GHOST
DOG: THE WAY OF THE SAMURAI, and BIRD, for which he
was named Best Actor at the 1988 Cannes Film Festival, have
made him one of the most versatile performers of all time.
Most recently, Forest had an eventful year, starting with his
supporting role alongside Jake Gyllenhaal in Southpaw. He
recently finished filming Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi drama THE
STORY OF YOUR LIFE, opposite Amy Adams. Forest also filmed Lucasfilm’s ROGUE ONE: A
STAR WARS STORY, in which he worked alongside Felicity Jones, Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, and
Ben Mendelsohn with director Gareth Edwards. He then shot A&E Network’s remake of the 1977
miniseries, ROOTS, where he took on the role of Fiddler.
In addition to all of Forest’s upcoming films, he has decided to explore his passion for theatre. He will
make his Broadway debut in Eugene O’Neill’s HUGHIE directed by Tony Award Winning director
Michael Grandage in the spring of 2016.
As president of Significant Productions, Forest aims to support young, talented filmmakers. In 2013,
he co-produced Ryan Coogler’s directorial debut, FRUITVALE STATION. That film, the winner of
Sundance Film Festival’s Grand Jury Prize and Cannes Film Festival’s Best First Film, was distributed
by The Weinstein Company. Significant Productions’ latest two films, DOPE and SONGS MY
BROTHERS TAUGHT ME, were also selected to debut in competition at the Sundance Film
Festival, where they received excellent reviews. Additionally, both films were selected for inclusion
in the 2015 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight.
Forest made his directorial debut with STRAPPED in 1993, for which he won the International
Critics’ Award at the Toronto Film Festival. Since then, he has directed and executive produced
WAITING TO EXHALE, HOPE FLOATS, and FIRST DAUGHTER. He has produced numerous
other award-winning films and documentaries, including the Peabody Award winning BRICK
CITY, and has executive produced several made-for-television movies and miniseries.
Forest was the creator and producer of DEWmocracy.com, an interactive video game and website
that allowed people to select a new flavor of Mountain Dew. Under Frank Cooper, he also directed
the short film that opened the game. This campaign turned into the most successful launch of a soft
drink in Mountain Dew’s history.
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Over the past decade, Forest has devoted much of his time to his humanitarian work. He is the
founder and CEO of The Whitaker Peace & Development Initiative, which has current branches in
Uganda, South Sudan, Myanmar, Mexico, and the United States. Forest is also the co-founder and
chair of the International Institute for Peace, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation,
and a member of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities. He previously served
on the President’s Urban Policy Committee. Additionally, in 2014, he started collaborating with the
Office of the Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict
as an Advocate for Children Affected by War, a topic on which he was invited to speak before the
UN Security Council in September of that year.
FRANK WOOD (Night Clerk) won the Tony Award and the
Drama League Award for SIDE MAN. He went on to play the
role of “Gene” on London’s West End and in Australia. Frank was
last seen on Broadway in CLYBOURNE PARK. Off-Broadway,
he was in MCC’s production of THE NETHER at The Lucille
Lortel Theatre, and played “Roy Cohn” in the Signature Theatre
Company’s revival of ANGELS IN AMERICA. Wood’s additional
Broadway credits include AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY; BORN
YESTERDAY; HOLLYWOOD ARMS and he has been seen OffBroadway in the original productions of SPRING AWAKENING
at The Atlantic Theatre, Sam Shepard’s THE GOD OF HELL,
Soho Rep, Playwrights Horizons, Minetta Lane Theatre and CSC.
He has been seen on film in GOLD, CHANGELING, TAKING
OF PELHAM 1 2 3, DAN IN REAL LIFE, THIRTEEN DAYS,
POLLOCK, PEOPLE I KNOW, IN AMERICA, DOWN TO
YOU, ROYAL TENNENBAUMS, GREETINGS FROM TIM BUCKLEY, and THE MISSING
PERSON. Frank’s Television credits include “The Newsroom,” “The Good Wife,” “Modern Family,”
“Elementary,” “Blue Bloods,” “The Knick,” “Girls,” “Flight of the Conchords,” “Grey’s Anatomy,”
“Sopranos,” and “Law & Order: SVU.” Frank Wood has performed regionally at The Goodman
Theatre; ACT; Long Wharf Theatre; Hartford Stage; Williamstown Theatre Fest.; McCarter Theatre;
Cincinnati Playhouse; Arena Stage, DC; Mark Taper Forum, LA. He is a graduate of Wesleyan
University (BA) and NYU Graduate Acting Program (MFA).
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CREATIVE TEAM
Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Michael Grandage
Scenic & Costume Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Christopher Oram
Lighting Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Neil Austin
Sound Designer & Original Music. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Adam Cork
General Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 101 Productions Ltd
Company Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lizz Cone
Production Stage Manager. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Peter Wolf
Assistant Stage Manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Lisa Buxbaum
Technical Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ben Heller
Wardrobe Supervisor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Eileen Miller
Casting Director. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . James Calleri
Associate Director . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Tim Koch
Associate Set Designer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Daniel Muller
Associate Costume Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Amanda Seymour
Associate Lighting Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Gina Scherr
Associate Sound Designer. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Chris Cronin
AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY
Eugene O’Neill is the Great-grandfather of American Drama. In a departure from Vaudeville, which was
popular during the early 20th century and which featured a mixture of specialty acts such as burlesque
comedy and song and dance, O’Neill was the first American playwright to put personal experience on
stage. He drew from his own autobiographical experiences and in doing so, paved the way for the likes
of other American writers such as Arthur Miller, Tennessee Williams and Sam Shepard to name but a few.
Eugene O’Neill was born on October 16, 1888, in the Barrett House, a hotel on Broadway and 43rd
Street– very similar to the one in which Hughie is set. O’Neill’s parents emigrated from Ireland and he was
sent to a Catholic boarding school in the Bronx. His father, an actor, suffered from alcoholism, while his
mother suffered from mental illness. The family summered in New London, Connecticut where O’Neill spent
a considerable amount of time writing his plays in his adulthood.
O’Neill went on to Princeton for one year before being expelled for “poor scholastic standing;” he then
returned to New York City. In 1909, he married Kathleen Jenkins who gave birth to a son before divorcing
him shortly thereafter. It was during his time at Princeton that O’Neill began drinking and his addiction
worsened when he moved to the City, especially throughout his divorce. In 1912, while living in a boarding
house/saloon in New York, he attempted to kill himself.
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Around this time, O’Neill contracted tuberculosis and during his recovery, he began to read plays. In 1916,
he founded a theatre company in Provincetown, MA with a group of young writers and painters. There,
BOUND EAST FOR CARDIFF was produced, the first play in which he would explore the themes of the
sea, a subject that would be forever associated with him as a writer.
Shortly thereafter in 1918, O’Neill married his second wife, writer Agnes Boulton. They had two children
together before O’Neill left her for Carlotta Monterey. On February 3, 1920, O’Neill’s opened his first
Broadway play: BEYOND THE HORIZON, for which he won his first Pulitzer Prize. He received his next
Pulitzer Prize in 1922 for ANNA CHRISTIE.
In 1923, O’Neill’s brother, a long time alcoholic, who also suffered from mental illness, was taken to a
sanitarium where he died. His death inspired O’Neill to write A MOON FOR THE MISBEGOTTEN.
In 1929, O’Neill married Carlotta Monterey, his third and last
marriage. Throughout the 1930’s and early 40’s, O’Neill wrote
some of his best known plays including AH, WILDERNESS!,
THE ICEMAN COMETH, and A LONG DAY’S JOURNEY
INTO NIGHT. On November 12, 1936, O’Neill was the first
dramatist to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature.
On November 27, 1953, O’Neill passed away after suffering
from a neuromuscular disorder that prohibited him from writing.
Over the course of his career, O’Neill wrote 50 plays and had the
fortune to see 35 of them produced in his lifetime.
O’Neill’s third and final Pulitzer Prize was awarded to him
posthumously in 1950 for A LONG DAY’S JOURNEY INTO
NIGHT.
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GLOSSARY
In HUGHIE, O’Neill incorporates slang vernacular from the 1920’s.
Off on a bat – to go on a spree
Sap – a foolish or gullible person
In the sticks – in a small, rural town
Punk – Worthless, bad
Burg – an ancient walled town
Took a Run-out powder - left a place in a hurry
Shotgun ceremony – a wedding in which the bride is pregnant
On the lam – on the run, usually from the authorities
Bangtails – horses (usually refers to those whose tails have been cut)
Big Stem – Broadway
Hanging on the ropes – Boxing metaphor indicating that
a fighter is close to defeat
Follies, Scandals, Frolics – all refer to the glamorous
showgirls from the Zeigfield theatre revues
Brooklyn Boys – gangster thugs (many Mafia families
were based in Brooklyn in the 1920s)
Jack – money
Man o’ War - considered one of the greatest Thoroughbred
race horses of all time. During his career just after World War
I, he won 20 of 21 races and close to $250,000.
Deef – deaf
Put the bite on – ask for money
Dead wrong G’s – are owed thousands of dollars
Welshing – failing to honor (as in a debt or obligation incurred through a promise or agreement), reneging
In the bucks – rich, with cash
Piker – small-time gambler
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HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
TIMES SQUARE IN THE 1920’S
Before becoming an entertainment and business district, Times Square, formerly known as Longacre
Square, housed the carriage-making industry. The area, acquired its current name in 1904 when The New
York Times moved its headquarters to the newly erected Times Building. With the invention of cars and the
completion of a subway that connected it to Grand Central, the area rapidly changed. After World War I,
Times Square grew dramatically, becoming a cultural hub full of theatres, music halls, and upscale hotels.
The nightlife in Times Square attracted many celebrities. Especially
popular at the time were vaudeville performances that included
unrelated acts performing in a single show. The most famous act
was thought to be the Ziegfeld Follies, which was known for its
beautiful chorus girls in elaborate costumes.
During this period, Times Square was also besieged by crime and
corruption, in the form of gambling and prostitution. Gangsters
dominated local nightclubs, often bribing the police. When
Prohibition went into effect, many of the legitimate cabarets
and restaurants in the area closed and were replaced by movie
theatres and tourism that would attract advertisers to bring in the
bright lights that are associated with Times Square today. This is
how Broadway earned its nickname, “The Great White Way,” as
it was the first street in American to be fully lit by electric light.
PROHIBITION
In 1920, the 18th Amendment was ratified to the U.S.
Constitution, banning the manufacture, transportation and
sale of intoxicating liquors – thus beginning a period in
American history known as Prohibition. Prohibition was the
result of a widespread temperance movement, which was
born out of religious roots and believed that excess alcohol
consumption was responsible for society’s moral corruption.
Prohibition led to an increase of the illegal production and
sale of liquor (known as “bootlegging”) as well as illegal
bars (known as “speakeasies”). It was a time that invited
clandestine behavior and saw an accompanying rise in
gang violence and other criminal activity. Prohibition was
difficult to enforce, especially as consumption itself was not
illegal. Furthermore, Prohibition had a negative impact on
the economy. Thousands of jobs were lost through the closing of distilleries and breweries. Restaurants and
theatres saw a sharp decrease in revenue, and the government lost valuable income from excise taxes.
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This, coupled with all of the difficulties that arose out of the Great Depression, led to waning support for
Prohibition. In early 1933, Congress proposed a 21st Amendment to the Constitution that would repeal the
18th Amendment. It was ratified by the end of that year, bringing the Prohibition era to a close.
GANGSTERS
Gangsters had a prominent place in New York City in the 1920s.
One such gangster, who is referred to in HUGHIE, is Arnold
Rothstein. Rothstein was a legendary gambler, who is notorious
for having fixed the 1919 World Series. Having built his empire on
fixed horse races, card games and a Manhattan gambling houses,
Rothstein diversified his business during Prohibition to the illegal
sale of alcohol. He moved into bootlegging, selling narcotics,
racketeering, loan-sharking and all that went with it including
bribery and murder. Rothstein was nicknamed “The Brain” for his
sharp intellect and polished demeanor. He was associated with
other famous gangsters including Jack “Legs” Diamond, Charles
“Lucky” Luciano, and Dutch Schultz as well as politicians and
legitimate businessmen. Rothstein was known to have conducted
his business at Lindy’s Restaurant on Broadway and 49th Street, just a few blocks from Erie’s run down hotel
as well as the Booth Theatre, where our current production of HUGHIE is housed. Rothstein was murdered
in 1928 by rival gamblers for not paying debts.
Why is it that the night clerk obsessively asks Erie if he knows “The Big Shot” Rothstein and why is it that both
characters idolize his gangster life? To them, Rothstein represents the possibility of power, wealth, glamour
and respect that they are so lacking in their own lives. He also represents – albeit in a corrupted fashion –
the realization of the American Dream after which so deeply aspire.
THE GREAT DEPRESSION
The Great Depression was a worldwide recession that
deeply affected the United States in October 1929, after
the Wall Street stock market crashed. It had a deep impact
on individuals in cities where unemployment reached as
high as 25% in 1932-1933. Inner city men with few skills
over the age of 45 were among the worst demographics to
suffer. Hoovervilles - named after President Herbert Hooverformed in the urban centers, where the homeless created
slums made of cardboard and wood. Both Central Park and
Riverside Park were overrun with such shanty-towns.
Economic depression is often accompanied by emotional
depression. By setting HUGHIE on the eve of The Great
Depression, and focusing on his characters desolation,
O’Neill foreshadows the destitution that would ravage the
country for the next decade.
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STAGE DIRECTIONS
Some scholars believe that O’Neill never intended for HUGHIE to be performed, but rather to be read as
a work of literature. As such, his stage directions are as important as the dialogue he puts into the mouth of
his characters, underscoring his themes of loneliness, desolation and hopeless through figurative language,
metaphor and symbolism.
Consider for example the following passage:
“The Night Clerk regards him [Erie] with vacant, bulging eyes full of a vague envy for the blind.
The garbage men have gone their predestined way. Time is that much older. The Clerk’s mind
remains in the street to greet the noise of a far-off El Train. Its approach is pleasantly like a memory
of hope; then it roars and rocks and rattles past the nearby corner, and the noise pleasantly
deafens memory; then it recedes and dies, and there is something melancholy about that. But
there is hope. “
Through these stage directions, O’Neill uses vivid imagery
to give voice to the night clerks’ inexpressible inner thoughts
and memories in a way that could not possibly be conveyed
through spoken dialogue. He seems to wrap the past, present
and future into one inseparable knot that defines the feeling
of absence and longing in the human existence.
Later in the play, the night clerk’s mind wanders to the passing
siren of a fire engine. He fantasizes about the city burning
down, but realizes, “There’s too much stone and steel…..
There’d always be something left….” Although he has lost his
will to live and is desperate to give up, he cannot. He is part
of something larger than himself.
In performance, the stage directions function as an aid to
help the actor develop the inner life of a character and to
establish the disconnection between the two characters.
The Booth Theatre, New York City
Including elaborate stage directions was a trend for playwrights writing early in the 20th century. Noted
British dramatists such as George Bernard Shaw and Harley Granville Barker used extensive stage
directions to convey intentions and to offer psychological and sociological explanations.
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DISCUSS
Examine the stage directions after Erie tells the night clerk about Hughie’s funeral. What happens
when the city become silent? What does this prompt the night clerk to do? Why?
TO WATCH FOR DURING THE PERFORMANCE…..
How do the elements of design – specifically sound and lighting – help to bring to life O’Neill’s stage
directions and the idea of being lost in memory?
ACTIVITY
Has there ever been a time when someone was talking to you – a parent, a teacher, a friend – when
you have “tuned out”? What is distracting you? What are you thinking about in those moments?
Write a short two-character scene in which one character is trying to connect another other who is
“tuned out”. Using stage directions, help us to understand what the “tuned-out” character is thinking?
Also, use the stage directions to give us a clue about the setting. Where are your characters? What is
going on around them?
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DELUSION
REDEMPTION
LOSS
HOPE
FEAR
GRIEF
LONELINESS
DISILLUSIONMENT
ADDICTION
THE SEARCH FOR THE
AMERICAN DREAM
ISOLATION
DEATH
CONNECTION
THEMES TO DISCUSS
LONELINESS/ISOLATION/FEAR
Consider these two quotes by Eugene O’Neill:
“Life is a solitary cell whose walls are mirrors.”
“Man’s loneliness is but his fear of life.”
What do you think O’Neill meant by these two quotes? How do they relate to the characters in HUGHIE?
Can you find quotes from the script that show the depth of their loneliness? How do Erie and the night clerk
try to escape their isolation? What are they afraid of?
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Think about a time when you felt lonely, did you also feel afraid? Do you agree with O’Neill that
loneliness and fear are connected?
DELUSION AS A MEANS OF COPING WITH LOSS
“The theme of “Hughie” is one with which O’Neill wrestled again and again—the
pathetic illusions men create for themselves to fill the glaring voids of their dreary lives.”
– The New York Times
In HUGHIE, Erie Smith is described as “a teller of tales.” He is constantly embellishing his personal narrative
such that the line between reality and fiction blurs. We are never exactly sure if his stories are true. When
Hughie is alive, Erie uses his stories to give himself a grandeur identity. After he passes, Erie relies on these
stories as a coping mechanism for his grief and feeling of abandonment. He lives the lonely life of a gambler
and an addict, but through his tales he is able to give himself a new image and effectively a new life.
PERSONAL REFLECTION
Is there a time in your life, when you have been a teller of tales - when you have altered the truth of
your own personal narrative to cope with loneliness, loss or abandonment?
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DEATH/GRIEF
There is a great tradition throughout the history of theatre, dating back to Greek tragedies, of plays being
born out of or propelled by the death of a character. For example, in Sophocles’ ANTIGONE, the central
character is trying to secure burial for her dead brother, who has died in a civil war before the action of
play begins. Sophocles uses this device again in ELECTRA, as does Shakespeare in HAMLET, which was
written over a thousand years later; in each of these subsequent plays, the grief-stricken title characters seeks
revenge for the murder of his/her father. This tradition has continued through to the 21st century; in more
recent Pulitzer-prize winning dramas, RABBIT HOLE, by David Lindsay-Abaire and AUGUST: OSAGE
COUNTY, by Tracy Letts, the death of a family member raises tensions and highlights the dysfunction of the
survivors.
In all of these plays, the death of a character, although never actually present on stage, helps to define the
psyche of surviving characters and serves as a catalyst for the action in the drama.
In HUGHIE, O’Neill uses this device to give life to Erie and the night clerk and to create the dilemma
between them. Erie must be able to resurrect the memory of his dear friend Hughie and the night clerk is
unresponsive.
DISCUSSION
Why do you think it is so important for Erie to keep the memory of Hughie alive? Do you think they
were truly friends? What needs did they fill for each other?
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CONNECTION/HOPE/REDEMPTION
In HUGHIE, O’Neill introduces us to two characters, who have
lost their will; they are barely surviving. Erie has just returned from
a five-day drinking binge, devastated at the lost of his friend,
Hughie. His confidence is decimated; he is down on his luck and
afraid to return to the solitude of his hotel room.
Charlie Hughes, the night clerk on duty, barely exists; O’Neill
writes:
“There is nothing to do. He is not thinking. He is not sleepy. He
simply droops and stares acquiescently at nothing.”
Even when Erie enters the lobby, the night clerk barely engages.
His mind wanders to the sounds of the city grudgingly enduring each and every passing minute of the night.
It is only when the two characters finally connect at the end of the play that O’Neill offers us hope and light.
It is through each other that Erie and the night clerk find redemption and the will to carry on.
SCRIPT EXPLORATION
Can you find the place in the script where the relationship between the characters starts to shift and
they begin to connect? What do you think prompts this shift? What do you think O’Neill is saying
about our need to connect with others? How does this manifest in our lives today?
What, do you think, is the significance of O’Neill naming the new night clerk Charlie Hughes? How
does he relate to his predecessor?
PERSONAL REFLECTION
What in your life offers you hope and inspires you for the future?
LITERARY COMPARISON
The themes raised in Hughie of loneliness, loss, delusion and the pursuit of the American Dream are
prevalent throughout 20th century literature and drama including Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman,
John Steinbeck’s Of Mice and Men and Tennessee Williams’ The Glass Menagerie to name but a few.
What other books or plays have you read that explore these themes? Can you draw comparisons
between Erie Smith and other great literary characters that you have studied?
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