“A theme or issue can reveal a character’s strengths or weaknesses”.
a) With reference to one text on your comparative course, discuss how a theme or issue revealed a character’s strengths or weaknesses
b) With reference to two there texts on your comparative course, compare how the same theme or issue revealed characters’ strengths or weaknesses
(LC 2014 Mock)
#625Lab. Corrected by experienced examiner, graded as H2 with feedback on how to improve below. You may also like: Leaving Cert English Complete Guide (€).
Throughout my study of ‘The Playboy of the Western World’ by John Millington Synge, the presence of the theme of migration became extremely evident. Its resounding effect on the characters in question controlled the dynamic of the piece. The reaction to the change in setting, surrounding characters and reasons for migration especially highlighted the strengths and weaknesses of Christy Mahon. (Good introduction)
An introduction to the protagonist of the story is given to us when we learn of his grief with his family. The main issue of his life lay in the form of his torturous, controlling father who drove Christy to the edge. His decision to take an active and definitive resolution to the problem shows the strength of his character. Already, we learn of his self-motivation to fix his problems and the factor of his attempted patricide feeds into his migration, to escape the consequences. His daring gamble to embark on a new life without foreplanning(L) demonstrates the self-confidence (L) yet naïve nature of Christy.
Upon arrival at Michael James’ public house in Co. Mayo, Christy demonstrates a sense of awareness. Having migrated to this strange and unfamiliar area, he consciously retains the details of his “deed” in fear. Upon reluctant admission to the crime, he carefully depicts the man in an unflattering light, “old and crusty”. His quick and intelligent reaction to such a new environment is a clear display of his mental strength yet again. His brutal honesty and ‘sense of Solomon’ earns him a job as pot-boy. With the introduction of these new surroundings, the reader can already sense that Christy is blossoming.
While migration and settlement may seem an impossible task, it has only had a positive result on Christy. Within days, he has become infatuated with Pegeen. He has been gifted the opportunity to show off his romantic nature, something he did not have a chance to do in his previous life. The apparent issue of adaptation has brought minimal trouble to the newest hero of the town. With marriage beckoning, Christy encounters his first issue with the theme of migration. He has not come to fully understand the community and upon their learning of the real fate of his father, he is shocked by their reaction. He is thrown out and rebuked from their society. His naivety has cost him his hard-earned position in the hierarchy of the town and his lack of foreplanning (L) has returned, like his father, to haunt him.
Upon reflection, it seemed as though the theme of migration had truly revealed a determined and resolute character in Christy. His unfortunate tendencies to live and think solely in the present were revealed towards the conclusion of the play. The theme which once benefitted had most certainly transformed into an issue. (Good attempt to deal with the question throughout, some points would benefit from more direct engagement with text. You allude to his dad reappearing but use the texts more. Be more specific with your use of key moments.)
b)
The theme of migration played an equally monumental and influential role in ‘Brooklyn’ (directed by John Crowley) and ‘Foster’ (written by Claire Keegan). Both Eilis Lacey and a shy young girl undergo life-changing and personality-revealing migrational experiences. In the case of Eilis, she departs to Brooklyn in searching of a new life, however, this would test her mental fortitude away from the familiar environment of Enniscorthy. The young girl appears to be being sent to a foster family as a short-term precaution and given the location of the move, the severity and consequences of a failed settlement do not loom as large.
Upon arrival, Eilis is plagued with an unfortunate beginning. She experiences extreme homesickness and longs for a return. Personality clashes between the new Irish girl and the other girls in the house coinciding with the pressures of Ms Kehoe begin to prove too much For(L) Eilis. This transition to a new environment displays to the audience that Eilis does not have an adaptability and is too attached to her previous life. These are significant weaknesses in her character. The same cannot be said for the young girl, however. She receives an accepting welcoming and immediately begins to feel at home. Despite being young and vulnerable, she displays confidence and does not long for the familiar, a much more positive revelation.
Eilis’ openminded outlook leads her to attend a dance, where she meets Tony. He would act as a means of a soothing and grounding influence to help ease the pain of homesickness. The audience can recognise her patience and resilience in the most strange and harsh of surroundings as the reason for discovering Tony. Mrs Kinsella acts as an equally calming figure in ‘Foster’ and brings out a more confident and self-assured side to the girl that we had not seen before. Both characters are incredibly influential in helping Eilis and the girl get over the initial struggles of migration. (Use the key moment in detail, reference the text to support your points)
As can be seen in both texts, the characters in question have grown in confidence as a result of their new environment. Unfortunately, there is one moment in both that reminds them of the continuing difficulties with new surroundings and humbles them to the idea. In Foster, the girl is exposed to Mildred (L)the gossip and learns of the death of the Kinsella’s son. Emotionally she crashes and cannot cope. She feels betrayal and loses connection having heard they kept it a secret from her. This is the lowest point for the girl and her need for pure honesty and truth can definitely be seen as a weakness. There is a similar moment in Brooklyn in the death of her sister Rose. The audience can sense she is still very connected to the previous life. When returning, she stays longer than intended and opens a potential relationship with Jim Farrell while ignoring letters from Tony. Once again she has shown a connection when moving to a new place, however this time it comes in the form of disloyalty and selfishness in her relationship to Tony. (Bring it back to the question)
Finally, there is equally a comparable moment in both texts, which shows us the strengths of the characters due to the effects of migration. The girl renews a bond with Mr Kinsella. In a repairing walk along the beach, he fulfils a dream unaware to her,(L) to have a loving father. The entire experience has shown her what love is like, and how to love back. It has been a coming of age period that allowed her to develop into a confident and caring girl. There can be no doubt that these positive traits that have been developed and revealed to us are as a result of her new loving home. Similarly, Eilis has learnt love and confidence. Her encounter with Mrs Kelly really highlights this to the audience. Her affirmative self-belief shines through as she asserts herself as a confident woman. She defends her pride in an accusation of marriage, showing us it is something she cares deeply for. This too has stemmed from her troubling yet character developing time in Brooklyn, where she has decided to return to. (How does she assert herself?)
In both cases, the theme of migration is one that developed the characters into strong and positive people. Their surroundings and the way in which the interacted with them strongly displayed to the audience how influential the theme was.
(Keep the question central to all points and be more specific in your use of key moments.)
A-25/30 B-33/40
