Translations (Cyclopedia of Literary Characters)
At a glance:
- Author: Brian Friel
- First Published: 1981
- Type of Work: Play
- Type of Plot: Social realism
- Time of Work: 1833
- Setting: Baile Beag, in County Donegal, Ireland
- Genres: Social realism, Drama
- Subjects: History, Language or languages, Nineteenth century, Progress, Ireland or Irish people
- Locales: Ballybeg, County Donegal, Ireland
Characters Discussed
Hugh Mor O’Donnell, the master of an Irish hedge school, in his early sixties, who persists in educating his charges (most of whom are adults) in the classical languages, despite his growing recognition that English is the language of the future. Fond of his pint, he has usually taken a drop too much, but he is never really drunk. Irascible and arrogant, he, more than anyone else in the play, understands that the translation of Irish place-names into English involves a transition from one world to another. Furthermore, despite his personal regret at the...
[The entire page is 831 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
Navigate
See Also
