J. M. Synge

Paper Summary:

This paper critically examines two of J. M. Synge's best-known and most beloved plays, "The Playboy of the Western World" and "Riders to the Sea." The paper discusses the qualities of Irish life and characters that Synge was intending to evoke, as well as those qualities that establish these plays as two of the more successful Irish dramas of the last century.

From the Paper:

"While the island setting of Riders to the Sea is not so distant geographically from the western coast of Ireland where The Playboy of the Western World takes place, the disparate features of the two play sets them apart from one another in stark contrast. One gets the impression from Riders to the Sea that human conflict is very rare on the island; the characters are too busy just trying to survive the brutalities of nature that constantly interfere with their lives. By contrast, the characters in The Playboy of the Western World seem incredibly bored with their natural surroundings - which, while far from resourceful, are certainly not as dire as what the inhabitants of the Aran Islands experience in their day to day lives. As a result of this boredom and complacency, the characters in The Playboy of the Western World are driven to seek out conflict with one another constantly. In fact, it is this pursuit of conflict that motivates much of the action of the play. Nature is hardly present, except for vague references to the physical surroundings of the environment throughout."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Synge, J. M. The Complete Plays. London: Eyre Methuen, 1981.

More papers on J. M. Synge:

• Comparison Essay # 100814 : "Juno and the Paycock" vs. "Playboy of the Western World"
• Book Review # 111888 : "Discourse and Power in J. M. Coetzee's "Disgrace"
• Analytical Essay # 27640 : "Nora"

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