Dancing at Lughnasa

Father Jack ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ is a play written by Brian Friel which was first published in 1990. The play is about five Irish sisters and their struggles in a 1930’s Ireland. With reference to the way Friel present Father Jack, how far do you agree that he deserves our sympathy? Friel first presents Jack as an almost god-like figure and a war a hero. Our first impression of Jack is positive, we look up to and admire him, because he is presented in such a hero manner we don’t think we have anything to sympathise with him for. Friel uses descriptive adjectives to show his pristine uniform. “immaculate uniform of dazzling white.” However, by the end of the play Jack’s once immaculate uniform is falling apart. We can see this as symbolism for Jack reputation, because at first it was perfect but as we’ve progressed through the play we learn more…

Dancing at Lughnasa, by Brian Friel is a story of character Michael reflecting his summer of 1936, aloud to us readers. One of the reasons I chose to read this play was because of the history I might get out of it. I enjoy reading novels and plays that were set in early periods of time because I get a pretty accurate snapshot of what times use to be like. This is also different than reading a history textbook because it was more about their way of life rather than facts and dates. What I also…

September 18, 2016 at 6:30pm, I had the privilege of attending Dirty Dancing, the classic story on stage written by Eleanor Bergstein at the Memphis, Tennessee Orpheum. Bergstein is an American writer who wrote and co-produced the popular film Dirty Dancing back in the 80’s. She wrote the story based partly off her own childhood. James Powell was the director, Trinity Wheeler was the producer, and Michele Lynch was the choreographer for this musical. With this being a musical there were many…

"By the end of August 1518, nearly 400 people had experienced the madness."(Waller, n.p.) John Waller, a leading expert on the dancing plague of 1518, had this to say on the strange occurrences in a small, French town during 1518(Waller, n.p.). There is still much debate as to what caused the dancing plague to occur in 1518. Some people believe it was caused by the ingestion of ergot by the local people of Strasbourg, France(Israel, n.p). Others believe it was caused by a mass hysteria that…

Personal Analysis of Blue Winds Dancing The short story, Blue Winds Dancing by Tom Whitecloud is about a young Native American’s struggle to exist in both the white mans world and the Native American world. The narrator of the story perceives these two different worlds as the civilized and uncivilized America. This short story is an example of a human existence and communicates the importance of young Native American’s cultural struggle to fit into the white world within the history of America.…

been on a missionary trip for the past twenty plus years and has come home to live out his remaining days. Uncle Jack is an important figure because not only does his return impact the Mundy sisters who hope that he can help around the house yet only to find out they will have to take care of him because he is too sick. He also represents the old pagan traditions, something that makes the Catholic Church fear him. In the play Kate represents the Catholic Church and it’s morality and belief that…

In Dancing at Lughnasa, an adult Michael narrates the story of one of his childhood summers, set in the house where he grew up, raised by his single mother, four aunts, a mentally sick uncle, and a father who occasionally dropped by. Although Michael, played by Wyn Moreno, is the main character, he was merely a voice on the stage. Moreno stood to the side, reciting the lines of a young Michael, whose presence was only implied by the other actors. Moreno had a very powerful voice with great…