Testimony for the Forgotten: Sebastian Barry's The Pride of Parnell Street as Celtic Tiger Critique
Kristi Good
Abstract
Irish playwright Sebastian Barry often writes about members of society who have been marginalized for their failure to fit within the approved narrative of Irish history. In The Pride of Parnell Street, Barry investigates Celtic Tiger Ireland at the turn of the century, a time when the country quickly became one of the wealthiest in Europe. Despite the projected guise of growth and prosperity, there were many Irish citizens who did not reap the benefits of this economic boom, people like Barry’s characters: Janet, a battered single mother, and Joe, an ex-convict drug addict. Barry positions himself as an advocate, a secondary witness, for people who—like Janet and Joe—suffered through life’s traumatic experiences and continued to struggle even in the face of the prosperity around them. His play is an act of testimony that entreats its audience to recognize and remember those who have been pushed to the margins of society. Connecting the psychology of trauma studies with the idea of selective editing in collective memory clarifies both the psychological underpinnings of the act of censure from the historical narrative, and the necessity of recovering that information for the benefit of both the marginalized victim and the current society. The play’s relevance continues today, as Ireland faces a crippling recession in the wake of the Celtic Tiger, and many individuals are forced into trying economic situations.
Irish playwright Sebastian Barry often writes about members of society who have been marginalized for their failure to fit within the approved narrative of Irish history. In The Pride of Parnell Street, Barry investigates Celtic Tiger Ireland at the turn of the century, a time when the country quickly became one of the wealthiest in Europe. Despite the projected guise of growth and prosperity, there were many Irish citizens who did not reap the benefits of this economic boom, people like Barry’s characters: Janet, a battered single mother, and Joe, an ex-convict drug addict. Barry positions himself as an advocate, a secondary witness, for people who—like Janet and Joe—suffered through life’s traumatic experiences and continued to struggle even in the face of the prosperity around them. His play is an act of testimony that entreats its audience to recognize and remember those who have been pushed to the margins of society. Connecting the psychology of trauma studies with the idea of selective editing in collective memory clarifies both the psychological underpinnings of the act of censure from the historical narrative, and the necessity of recovering that information for the benefit of both the marginalized victim and the current society. The play’s relevance continues today, as Ireland faces a crippling recession in the wake of the Celtic Tiger, and many individuals are forced into trying economic situations.
| etudesfeb2015good.pdf |
