Larry Slade

Larry Slade is a fictional character from Eugene O'Neill's play "The Iceman Cometh," first published in 1939. He is a disheartened, idealistic man who grapples with the harsh realities of life and the burdens of unfulfilled dreams. Slade, a traveling salesman and a former radical, represents the struggle between hope and despair. Throughout the play, he interacts with other characters in a bar, revealing themes of existentialism, the power of denial, and the search for meaning. His complex character highlights the human tendency to cling to illusions in the face of life's challenges.