David French is a well-known Canadian playwright and his play Salt-Water Moon showcases Canadian identity in many ways. Through the dialect spoken by the protagonists, Mary Snow and Jacob Mercer, in a Canadian accent instead of the Newfoundland accent the play intended, the Canadian identity is questioned. Also, with the play being focused around Mary and Jacob living in the aftermath of World War One and the battle of Beaumont Hamel, French makes known the battle that ultimately slaughtered thousands of Newfoundlanders and brings soldiers untold stories to the surface through Mary’s encounters with other characters. Additionally, the play shows the theme of class faced by the characters and the need to advance in Canadian society. Through
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The Battle of Beaumont was said to be the deadliest of battles for Newfoundlanders who entered the war, and French uses Mary’s character to retell the horrors of the war and what the soldiers encountered. One example is when Mary is trying to comfort her younger sister Dot, who is being physically abused by the orphanage, and decides to take her to the pharmacy to see Tommy Ricketts, a war hero. Mary tells Dot about Ricketts who was the youngest soldier to receive the Victoria Cross at 17 years of age, Mary then goes on to tell Dot that she needs to be a different kind of strong because although people will try to put her down, they cannot break her spirit. Through Mary’s recollection of Rickett’s story, she influences her sister to be more courageous and strong to get through her battle just like how Ricketts got through …show more content…
While in This is For You Anna, Marianne Bachmeier’s character is based on a real woman who is known for her actions and is mythologized through the play, Tommy Ricketts is mythologized in Salt-Water Moon as well. Even though Ricketts’s character, is only mentioned and not a physical character, Ricketts was based on the war hero of the same name who fought in the Battle of Beaumont Hamel and moved back to his home in Newfoundland after the war (Web Features, 2005). By French mentioning him in his play, he is mythologizing Ricketts and keeping his memory alive as a Canadian war hero. Also, by incorporating Ricketts and the soldiers from the Battle of Beaumont into the play, he is making their stories known and passing on their legacies to newer generations considering many of those soldiers in that battle died. (Canada, 2016) Also, through Ravi Jain’ s staging of the play, by stripping away sets and props, the audience focuses more on the raw emotion of the stories told by the characters. However, not only is the war a main theme of the play, but the theme of class arises as
The Battle of Beaumont was said to be the deadliest of battles for Newfoundlanders who entered the war, and French uses Mary’s character to retell the horrors of the war and what the soldiers encountered. One example is when Mary is trying to comfort her younger sister Dot, who is being physically abused by the orphanage, and decides to take her to the pharmacy to see Tommy Ricketts, a war hero. Mary tells Dot about Ricketts who was the youngest soldier to receive the Victoria Cross at 17 years of age, Mary then goes on to tell Dot that she needs to be a different kind of strong because although people will try to put her down, they cannot break her spirit. Through Mary’s recollection of Rickett’s story, she influences her sister to be more courageous and strong to get through her battle just like how Ricketts got through …show more content…
While in This is For You Anna, Marianne Bachmeier’s character is based on a real woman who is known for her actions and is mythologized through the play, Tommy Ricketts is mythologized in Salt-Water Moon as well. Even though Ricketts’s character, is only mentioned and not a physical character, Ricketts was based on the war hero of the same name who fought in the Battle of Beaumont Hamel and moved back to his home in Newfoundland after the war (Web Features, 2005). By French mentioning him in his play, he is mythologizing Ricketts and keeping his memory alive as a Canadian war hero. Also, by incorporating Ricketts and the soldiers from the Battle of Beaumont into the play, he is making their stories known and passing on their legacies to newer generations considering many of those soldiers in that battle died. (Canada, 2016) Also, through Ravi Jain’ s staging of the play, by stripping away sets and props, the audience focuses more on the raw emotion of the stories told by the characters. However, not only is the war a main theme of the play, but the theme of class arises as