Translations An Introduction

A lesson in Amharic…..  How are you (m/f)? Indemin neh/nesh?  FineDehna  1And  2Hoolet  3Sost age

Opening Discussion Points 1. Why is language important? 2. How is language linked to identity, culture, heritage, power and equality? 3. Is it important to teach Maori in schools? Why? Why not? 4. Which civilisations have lost their language? What impact has this had on these civilisations? 5. What factors are threatening these less spoken languages?

The Irish Language  ApFV0w&feature=related ApFV0w&feature=related Donegal S5M Vae3N0U&feature=related

Historical and Contextual Research Research and feedback on: 1. Hedge schools and National Schools 2. The Irish Language and Gaeltacht 3. English authority in Ireland and Penal laws (1704 onwards) 4. Religion in Ireland (Catholics and Protestants and the difference) 5. Key events in Ireland from 1770s to 1833 (including Daniel O’Connell) 6. Ordinance Survey ( ) and The Great Famine ( ) 7. The struggle for independence and the Anglo-Irish Treaty (1870s-1921) 8. The ‘troubles’ in Northern Ireland in 1950 to 1980s 9. Brian Friel – early life, political beliefs, related work e.g. ‘Making History’

Main features of a play:  Direct speech  Lack of narrative  Stage directions  Characters  Themes  Language devices  Structure  Setting  Dramatic devices: symbolism; dramatic irony; different types of conflict: internal, between individuals, between societies, between countries; dramatic contrast; music; lighting; imagery; foreshadowing

Key Themes  Language, Communication and Translation  Education  Love  Identity  Community  Family  Oppression by the English  Influence of the Greeks – language, mythology and drama

 What if we ALL spoke English? Would this be the solution to miscommunication and cultural misunderstanding?  Why or why not?  GENRE: Why does Friel choose this genre? Consider the features of a play – lack of description / narrative, inclusion of stage directions and speech.

CONTEXT: Opening of Play Annotate the opening stage directions.  How effectively does Friel convey a sense of place using the stage settings for Act 1? What do you notice about the historical and social settings? What context is given to audiences?  What is a ‘ hedge-school ’? Why was a hedge-school illegal? How could education undermine political intentions?

Stage directions in Act 1  “..disused barn or hay-shed or byre’. What is the function of the three part list (triple sting)here? The English thought of the Irish as animals. Also, the barn is ‘disused’ showing the decline in agriculture. The students at this school are from a farming background, so education is both voluntary and illegal.  “..wooden posts and chains” are used to tether animals. Link with the way the English tether the Irish by forcing them to be educated in the new schools where lessons will be taught in English. Irish schools are forced underground, along with their language and agriculture.  “..a wooden stairway without a banister..” Look at the way the schoolmaster and his son live with the animals, reinforcing the link with the British stereotype of the Irish being like animals. The lack of a banister is dangerous. This may lead to a discussion of Manus’s lameness and Hugh’s drinking. Look at these symbolically. Friel has handicapped his Irish educators physically and mentally. Why?  “..lobster pots..” Discuss the significane of these and their association with catching fish. Friel tells the audience of the proximity of water which may be linked with the Donnelly twins, who are ‘fish’ the English would like to catch!

Stage directions in Act 1  “..a pail of water and a soiled towel..” Tell the audience that students at this hedge school come straight from the fields and need to wash before their lessons.  There is no evidence of a “woman’s hand” in the school. Friel is emphasising the sterility of Manus and Hugh’s lives as well as the lack of agricultural productivity. He uses detail to let the audience know the Irish are doomed to failure. Their future is English.  Friel is Irish and has chosen the Irish perspective for his play. The audience see the action from the setting of the hedge school. Discuss the significance of this perspective.  The first characters who are introduced to the audience are Sarah and Manus. Discuss his lameness and her lack of speech. Why does Friel introduce these two young, disabled characters first? What does it say about Ireland’s future? What significance is there in having a dumb character? What is Friel telling his audience about the power of speech?

Stage directions in Act 1  Friel places Manus physically below Sarah who is ‘sitting on a low stool’. Why does he do this?  What is Friel’s message about identity when he describes Sarah who “..could be any age from seventeen to thirty-five”. Why does Sarah seem so unconcerned about her appearance?  Jimmy Jack Cassie is introduced next. His study of ‘dead’ languages needs to be discussed, as well as his age, the ironic reference to him as the ‘Infant Prodigy’ and the fact that he is unmarried. Organise your notes under the main themes of the play which Friel introduces via stage direction: place, character description, language, education, genre. Answer the following essay question: How effectively does Friel convey a sense of place using the stage settings for Act 1?