Role of crossing boarders in Translations Essay Example for Free

Role of go through boarders in Translations EssayAt the windup of the play, Jimmy Jack says and the word exogamein means to marry outside the tribe. And you dont cross those boarders casually, both sides digest actually angry. In the light of this quotation, examine the dramatic and thematic significance of the role of hybrid boarders. In more ways, Translations is a demoralised play, particularly nigh the capacity of people from una same cultures to communicate to each other. It is pessimistic in the sense that all attempts to break past ancient barriers fail. It is in this sense that the al-Qaida of crossing boarders is very significant in the very foundations of the play.More specifically, Translations highlights the importance of language, and communication in general, for the competitivenesss between different groups. Lack of communication builds boarders and makes them impenetrable. The structure or Translations allows Friel to explore several layers of fifty- fiftyts and newspaper publishers. On one direct, it is about a series of local incidents in a small village in northwest Ireland in 1833, which bind the characters to change the way they live. On another level, its sole purpose is to explore the bows of cross cultural conflict and communication.This themes are explored through the characters, them relationships and what happens to them in the play. We see attempts to cross boarders in many of the characters. The rootage example is our first introduction to Owen, Hughs sophisticated and charming son who works for the British forces. It is made obvious from the description of him in the stage direction that he appears to have crossed from the typical country-bred Irish stereotype that has been hypothesize to a more commercial English one. He is smartly dressed and described as sounding like a city man in a great contrast with Manus, the lame soldier, who we trace is his brother.At this point in the play Owen seems to be tryin g to make what could be termed as a crossing bridge between the two cultures and languages he is the go between. While this could first imply that he has changed sides, so to speak, we see later in the play that this is not the case. If you analyse the language he uses when he first appears at the hedge school it is difficult to decide if he genuinely appreciates and elevates his heritage and tralatitious culture, thus supporting my argument, or whether he is mocking it.For example (Act I p27)I come bottom after(prenominal) six years and everythings just as it was Nothings changed (Act I p29)Honest to God, its such a delight to be back here with you all again-civilised people. While at this point in the play we could be lead to believe he is saying such things in mocking and thus abandoning his old culture and successfully crossing boarders, later in the play we see a foment in his tone and language. He looses his zeal for the British colonial cause and dejects to disagree with the English thinking that the Irish names should be standardized. (Act tierce p68) The originals Saint Muranus. Dont you think we should go back to that? We see him appreciating the historical significance of names that he had previously discarded in Act I as insignificant (Act I p37) Owen-Roland-what the hell. Its only a name. However, reinforcing my argument, even in his temporary shift of loyalty Owen creates tenseness, particularly with Manus. Hugh on the other hand is just merry to have him home. This is emphasized in the stage directions. (Act I p 26) He embraces Hugh warmly and genuinelyHughs look are moist-partly joy, partly the drink contrasts with Manus cold tone and manor Youre welcome Owen he speaks to Owen like he would when welcoming a guest. By attempting to cross boarder he is estranged. And so, even though he manages to cross the boarders of language, he never completes the transition to the other tribe. However, even this periodic shift of loyalty cau ses tension thus linking to the idea of Exogamein that Jimmy Jack refers to. One of the most conventional structures for a play is to begin with a situation, then introduces some complications, before moving towards a resolution.Friel follows this for the first two acts but in Act III he avoids resolving some situations. We see this is the character of Maire, the pragmatic rural cleaning woman who wants to learn English and emigrate. Even from the beginning of the play she is portrayed as a tough rural strong minded, strong-bodied woman, but still shows her practical character and pragmatic approach (Act I p 8) become me better if I had that much English She is the only character who wants to speak English thus exhibit her adaptability and acceptance to change in the early stages of the play.In the same way that whether or not Maire emigrates is leftover unresolved, so is the death of Yolland. We have little doubt that if Yolland is still alive he and Maire will get married and w ill the be only characters to successfully cross boarders. Their relationship is probably the most pertinent to the title statement by Jimmy Jack in the drop dead scene. It is interesting, in terms of the theme of the play, that Brian Friel chose not to resolve this issue, that he chose not to confirm their failure. Their relationship, however, causes many more serious consequences than Owens temporary shift of loyalty.We suspect the Irish rebels kill Yolland and then as a result the British Forces threaten to level the Irish town of Baile Beag. Friel was obviously trying to show the disastrous consequences of what such a simple impeccant relationship can result in. This, again, can be linked to Jimmy Jacks statement. It is interesting that Friel chose the last scene of the play to draw particular attention to this theme and leads us to believe that he does this so the audience will go away from the performance with the imagery of ravished farm lands, and militant violence and t his theme fresh in their minds.In conclusion, after analysis of the plays structure and central ideas we can see that the theme of crossing boarders is the most significant in the play as in a way, all aspects, whether they be linguistic, cultural or geographical are connected to it. Although Friel is quoted to have said Translations is a play about language and only language cannot be doubted that in writing Translations Friel wanted to make his audience assured of the consequences of crossing ancient barriers built by language, and made impenetrable by language.