...Is that all?

After completing the play Translations, it got me really wondering to what happened to Yolland. It is interesting that he suddenly disappears after he shares a romantic evening with Maire. It makes me think of Romeo and Juliet. Maire seems to know that he will return and where he will return. This is like the idea Juliet has to return to Romeo after faking her own death. In the end of that play though there is definitive knowledge to what happens to the couple: they die. But here the ending is left purposely ambiguous to what will happen to everyone in the play.



I think that this would be a good piece for the creative writing assignment. Writing a play is difficult because it involves much more dialogue between characters and stage directions, but I also think that they are a bit more fun. Having written screenplays before to add a different ending to a book or play, I know that they are hard work but they also allow for more creativity. Stage directions allow for the setting to be incorporated into the storyline without sounding awkward like some other creative stories may have it seem with random descriptions throughout. They also allow for the reader to describe how they picture the characters in their own mind. I think it would be nice for a creative writing assignment for students to write what they think happens at the end of the play.

English vs Irish

After reading the first Act of Translations, I was reminded of the cruelties that the English have imposed on the Irish after taking Ireland as a part of their empire.
"And from the very first day you go, you'll not hear one word of Irish spoken. You'll be taught to speak English and every subject will be taught through English and everyone'll end up cute as the Buncrana people." Bridget says on page 19.
This quote reminded me of a film from my childhood called "The Secret of Roan Inish. In one scene a boy is beaten for speaking Gaelic in school where he should be speaking English.
The bad sentiment between the English and Irish is beginning because of the enforcement of English culture on the Irish by language. In Frank McCourt's memoir Angela's Ashes he describes dislike towards the English at a young age. McCourt was taught at a young age that the English were evil while the Irish were good. McCourt goes on to believe that the English are the cause of all of the sufferings for the Irish people.
I think that this play will have a similar turn between the Irish and English people.

The end of innocence

I thought it was very interesting that Omishto seems to feel that she no longer needs her family or her house. She was changed by the storm and the hunt that followed, but on page 151 it is solidified that she is no longer a part of her home. She even believes that she no longer needs it. It is also sad that her mother does not think she will be returning after she goes to see the elders. Omishto and her mother no longer seem to belong to one another. It seems to be an even deeper separation than Omishto's struggle between the modern and Taiga ways. Omishto no longer needs her family or her mother to take care of her anymore. This seems to be turning into a coming of age novel, like Lucy. Lucy did not need her family or anyone else in her life, just herself. And it seems Omishto is headed in the same direction as Lucy.

Cover Art

Cover Art is very influential to a novel. I remember talking about the original cover of The Great Gatsby thoroughly in my English class before reading the novel. F. Scott Fitzgerald had actually been inspired by this piece of art, and integrated it into the story of The Great Gatsby.

So cover art is not totally separate from the novel itself. The cover of Lucy also seems to tell you about the story itself. A young woman is on the cover, and it is clear that she has darker skin and darker hair. This young woman could be Lucy who is from the West Indies, and I believe that it is her. Also, the woman does not appear to be wearing anything to cover her torso. I think that this follows the story because Lucy is constantly narrating about sexual encounters. Also, the woman may not be wearing anything because she is still finding where she fits in life, so she may be unsure of how to appear to others. The cover also includes a large area of red and orange. The color is fiery, and Lucy has strong emotions and a fiery personality. Lucy also has a very unstable relationship with her mother, and is constantly angry with her. Red is often a color associated with anger, so I believe it is fitting Lucy would appear with a lot of red. There is also an area of dark blue on the cover. This could represent Lucy's sadness she has for leaving behind her innocence by having to grow up so fast. It may also represent her sadness that she is still mourning the loss of her mother's total love and affection to her brothers.