The theme of language in Brian Friel’s Translations

Abstract or Introduction

The Irish history is a history of disempowerment. The invasion by the English triggered a decline of Irish history and language, which resulted in a rise of English power. However, the English have not been able to gain full control over Ireland, and the Irish defended their land not only physically but also verbally through literature. This struggle for power is represented in Brian Friel’s Translations. The play takes place in 1833, a time of the first Ordnance Survey, and emergence of the new National Schools; the action happens at a hedge school in a small Irish speaking community, where no English is taught or thought to be important.

Nevertheless, throughout the story the English language becomes more and more dominant as English soldiers arrive, the mapping of Ireland becomes central, or the national schools were simply responding to the needs of the times. Language plays not only a significant role in the story but is also a powerful element. In Translations, a power shift is represented through the change in the use of and the attitude towards language as well as through the process of language substitution. This paper discusses these changes in relation to the element of power within Ireland.