Lam 1 Jessica Lam 21L.486 Modern Drama Dr. Henderson Consequences of Anglicizing Gaelic Names In Translations, the act of Anglicizing the regions in Ireland, by supplanting their Gaelic names with English labels, has both damaging and beneficial consequences on the Irish locals. More formally known as the British Army Ordinance Survey Operation, this act forms a social hierarchy that places the British Army at the top the Irish Catholic locals at the bottom. The Ordinance also supplants Irish culture that is rooted in both the locals and the original Gaelic names of the regions, despite efforts by the locals to preserve this culture. Furthermore, Yolland and Owen, the characters who directly create the English labels, struggle with their own identities as they perform this operation. However, this operation also symbolizes opportunity to the locals. Yet this benefit is small compared to the overall negative effects of this operation. Thus, the results and themes from supplanting the Gaelic names of locations in Ireland with English labels are mainly detrimental to Irish culture and identity. In the beginning of the play, we already see British Army, agents of this ordinance, imposing political dominance and discrimination against the locals. Lancy reads from the British charter, “‘Ireland is privileged. No such survey is being undertaken in England. So this survey cannot be but received as proof of the disposition for this government to advance the interests of Ireland.’ My sentiments, too” (1.1.31). According to Lancy and the British charter, the ordinance is beneficial to Ireland by helping it undergo modern progress. The charter suggests that Ireland is better off than England because England does not have this survey. However, England does not need this operation because its entire nation is already Anglican and modernized! Furthermore, charter has an arrogant tone implying that the British sees themselves as superior, and thus, in order “to advance the interests of Ireland,” it must replace the Irish language and culture with its own. This image of the British as superior than the Irish creates a social hierarchy, supported by the power of the organized British military over the unarmed, dispersed locals. The hierarchy consists of the British Army, such as Lancy, Yolland, and Owen, at the top and the rest of the locals at the bottom. Recognizing this social structure, Owen is partial to speaking English and affiliating with the British Army in the beginning of the play. He repeatedly requests that Manus to speak English throughout the play. For example, when Yolland speaks to Manus in English and Manus replies back in Irish, Owen asks Manus, “Can’t you speak English before your man?” (2.1.36) Owen tells Manus to “speak English” so that Yolland can understand him. However, Owen also addresses Yolland as Manus’s “man,” suggesting that Yolland is higher up on the social structure than Manus, and thus Manus should respect him. The social hierarchy also allows the British to discriminate against the locals. Lancy tells the locals that the British plans to make a map of Ireland, saying, “A map is a representation on paper—a picture—you understand picture?—a paper picture—showing, representing this country—yes?—showing your country in miniature—a scaled drawing on paper” (1.1.30). Because the locals do not understand English, they do not know what Lancy is saying. Lancy speaks to them slowly and loudly, suggesting that the locals appear to him inferior and dim-witted. Lancy’s tactic clearly shows that he isLam 2 mocking the local’s inability to speak English, ignoring the fact that he is in a Gaelic speaking country but cannot speak Gaelic himself. In addition to creating a social hierarchy and discrimination, the ordinance also uproots the Irish culture and traditions. For example, Owen and Yolland supplant “Druim Dubh,” meaning the “south end” containing a “ridge of rocks,” to Drimduff (2.1.36). Similarly, “Bun na hAbhann,” meaning “soggy, rocky, sandy ground where that little stream enters the sea…” becomes Burnfoot (2.1.35). These examples show that the Gaelic names contain historical significance, whereas the new names (Drimduff and Burnfoot) are trivial. Moreover, the English labels sound comical, which devalues and mocks the historical significance behind the Gaelic names of these regions. Despite this cultural loss, most of the locals attempt to preserve their Gaelic heritage all throughout the play. From the first to the last scene, Jimmy continually = recites phrases from the classics in Greek and Latin. Similarly, Bridget and Doalty are horrified at the new National Education System, which makes all students learn and speak English in the public school classrooms. When Marie encourages Doalty to apply to the new national school, Bridget explains to Doalty: …[E]verything’s free in [these national schools]…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 as cute as the Buncrana people. (1.1.22) Because the education is free in these schools, with the exception of textbooks, this incentive may seem enticing to a student like Bridget, who currently has to pay to be educated in Hugh’s hedge school. Yet she is pessimistic about the idea of replacing her Gaelic dialect with the English language. Bridget mocks the “Buncrana people,” another community of Irish peasants in Donegal, Ireland who had adapted to the English language. Thus, Bridget values preserving her Gaelic heritage over a free education and discourages those, such as Doalty, who may be attracted to the national school. Similarly, Manus understands English but refuses to speak in it. As seen in the example above when Owen tells him to speak English, Manus upholds his disapproval of converting to the English language, responding to Yolland, one of the agents of Anglicizing the Gaelic names, in Irish even though he knows that Yolland cannot understand him. Manus also expresses his distaste for the English language by refusing to teach at the new local national school. Because this is one of only chances of securing a sufficient salary for Marie to marry him, taking on this job may at first seen attractive. However, Manus argues that his “father has already