The Baby: A Symbol of Betrayal, Obligation, and New Beginnings in Long Island
What Is the Baby in Long Island?
The baby is the unborn child conceived during Tony Fiorello’s affair with a married Irish-American woman. The pregnancy is announced in chapter 1 when the woman’s husband arrives at Eilis’s door, declaring he will not raise the child and will leave it on her doorstep. Throughout the novel, the baby never appears as a physical character; it exists only as a threat, a topic of argument, and a catalyst for change. Its symbolic weight shifts as Eilis’s understanding of her marriage and her own agency evolves.
Where the Baby Recurs
| Chapter | Context |
|---|---|
| 2.i | The Irishman’s visit: he threatens to leave the baby with Eilis after birth. |
| 4.iii | Eilis confronts Tony; he confirms the threat is real. Frank reveals Francesca plans to adopt the baby. |
| 6.v | Francesca discusses taking the baby. Eilis later tells Larry and Rosella about the pregnancy. |
| 11.ii | Eilis reflects that the affair happened during the same months she and Tony were rekindling their intimacy. |
The baby also appears indirectly in the Fiorello family’s Sunday lunches and in Eilis’s decision to travel to Ireland without Tony.
How Its Meaning Changes
From Shock to Betrayal
When the Irishman first appears, the baby represents a devastating rupture. Eilis is “shocked and isolated” (outline, chapter 2). She cannot share the news with anyone. The baby is evidence of Tony’s infidelity and of a betrayal that shatters the domestic peace she has built on Long Island. In chapter 11, Eilis realises the affair occurred during a period when she and Tony had become “so passionate” again—making the betrayal feel even more personal.
From Burden to Unwanted Obligation
The baby quickly becomes an unwanted obligation. The husband’s threat—“I’ll leave it right here on your doorstep”—makes the baby a physical burden Eilis refuses to accept. She tells Tony she will not have the child in her house. When Francesca proposes to adopt and raise the baby next door, Eilis feels trapped: she would have to watch Tony’s child grow up in plain sight. The obligation is not only emotional but practical: everyone expects Eilis to go along with the plan. Her refusal to accept the baby marks the beginning of her rebellion.
From Obligation to Catalyst for Independence
The baby ultimately triggers Eilis’s assertion of autonomy. Unable to prevent Francesca’s plan, Eilis decides to leave for Ireland to attend her mother’s eightieth birthday. She negotiates a job and salary with Mr. Dakessian, buys a car, and tells Tony that she and the children will go. The baby, intended as a punishment or a test of her loyalty, instead forces her to make choices that prioritise her own needs. In Ireland, she begins to reclaim a sense of self separate from the Fiorello family.
Connections to Major Themes
- Infidelity and Betrayal: The baby is the concrete proof of Tony’s affair. It forces Eilis to confront a lie at the heart of her marriage.
- Immigration and Displacement: As an Irish immigrant, Eilis already feels she has “no-one to rely on in this still-new country” (chapter 1). The baby reinforces her isolation: she cannot confide in her Italian in-laws and her mother is an ocean away.
- Family Loyalty and Obligation: The Fiorello family closes ranks. Francesca decides to take the baby without consulting Eilis, demonstrating that family loyalty often excludes Eilis.
- Secrecy and Identity: Tony’s secret affair and his mother’s secret adoption plan highlight how identities are hidden. Eilis later learns that Tony’s brother Frank is gay—another secret that reshapes what she thought she knew.
- Independence and Agency: Eilis’s journey to Ireland is a direct result of the baby. She takes control of her finances, her travel, and her narrative. The baby becomes the catalyst for her to assert her agency.
Character Connections
- Eilis Lacey: The baby forces her to re-evaluate her marriage and her place in the Fiorello family. She moves from shock to resistance to self-assertion.
- Tony Fiorello: The baby is a result of his infidelity. He remains passive, unable to promise Eilis that she will never see the child. His vulnerability (“Will you promise to come back?”) underscores his own powerlessness.
- Francesca Fiorello: She seizes control of the baby’s fate. Her plan to adopt the child reveals her dominance and her disregard for Eilis’s wishes.
- Larry and Rosella: The baby forces them to learn about their father’s affair. Larry becomes an ally for Eilis, asking to go to Ireland.
- The Irishman: He embodies the baby as a threat. His determination to punish Tony by leaving the child makes the baby a weapon.
Study Questions and Answers
1. How does the baby function as a symbol of betrayal in the opening chapter?
The baby is introduced as evidence of Tony’s affair, delivered as a threat by the wronged husband. Eilis is “shocked and isolated” and cannot tell anyone. The baby thus symbolises the collapse of trust and the secret that has already damaged her marriage before she even knows about it.
2. Why does Eilis refuse to care for the baby, and what does this refusal reveal about her character?
Eilis tells Tony she will not have the baby in her house and later refuses Francesca’s plan to raise the child next door. Her refusal shows she will not accept the emotional and practical burden of Tony’s mistake. It marks the beginning of her reclaiming agency after years of accommodating the Fiorello family’s expectations.
3. In what way does the baby become a catalyst for Eilis’s journey to Ireland?
Unable to prevent Francesca from taking the baby, Eilis decides to visit her mother. She trains a replacement, negotiates time off, and tells Tony he has no say. The baby—intended as a burden—instead pushes Eilis to act independently and prioritise her own family of origin.
4. How does the baby’s meaning change from the beginning to the end of the novel?
Initially, the baby is a revelation of betrayal and a threat. Midway, it becomes an unwanted obligation that Eilis resists. By the end, the baby has propelled her to leave Long Island and make decisions for herself. The baby thus transforms from a symbol of victimhood into a catalyst for empowerment—even though Eilis never actually sees the child.
Conclusion
The baby in Long Island is never born on the page, yet it drives the entire plot. It stands for Tony’s infidelity, the weight of family obligation, and the secret life of a marriage. More importantly, it becomes the tool through which Eilis Lacey rediscovers her own independence. The symbol evolves from a sign of betrayal to a gateway to new beginnings—making it one of the most potent motifs in Colm Tóibín’s novel.