Brian Friel Uses The Play To Investigate The Idea Of The Personal Needs In Lieu Of Colonisation. Discuss.
The sheer diversity of the characters in the play contributes to the multitude of personal needs which become apparent to the audience. Within the play itself, the different kinds of personal needs fall into four general categories: the need to have a sense of identity; the need to escape from reality; the need for modernisation and the need for love. Many of these are in direct conflict with each other and allow Friel to then force the audience to contemplate on the wider issues in the play. The effects of colonisation, is an example. By the end of the play, the fine and intricate web of relations that exists between the characters and much of the characters' hopes and dreams have been shattered. Friel uses it to make a statement about how colonisation often dwarfs and undermines the spirit and essence of the place. It is evident that as the play progresses, personal needs become swept away and destroyed by the wave of colonisation. Thus, from a certain perspective, it can be seen as a prop underlining the evils of colonisation.
Sarah's need for identity is most clearly able to illustrate this. As one of the first characters Friel allows us to see, Sarah's lack of ability to express herself explicitly creates a profound impact on us. By following this up with a halting first sentence which gives her her identity, Friel immediately embodies the central theme of the play through her words. Manus praises Sarah's accomplishment by saying
"Now we're really started! Nothing'll stop us now! Nothing in the wide world!"
His words indicate that he thought the greatest barrier and hindrance to Sarah's progress was the fact that she couldn't identify herself. It's almost as if by helping her find her identity, Manus has provided her with a key to solve the rest of her problems. It shows how important a commodity identity really is.
Also, Sarah's disability makes her vulnerable and Friel intends for the...
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