Explore the presentation of identity in Friel's 'Making History' and Pierre's 'Vernon God Little'.

Authors Avatar

Explore the presentation of identity in Friel's 'Making History' and Pierre's 'Vernon God Little'.

        Identity is the individual characteristics by which a thing or person is recognized or known. These characteristics can be expressed through many factors, such as a person's image, their personality, where they were brought up or their accent. All the characters in the play, 'Making History', are identified through where they come from and their accent. Friel is attempting to illustrate the differences between class and social status in Ireland during this time. In a way this is equivalent to the characters in 'Vernon God Little' where the characters are identified by the items they own, even if Pierre is trying to lampoon the American society.

        In 'Making History'; Harry, O’Donnell and Lombard all have strong Irish accents which reflect the strong Irish culture they live by. Mary and Mabel are English and have ‘Staffordshire accents’, Mabel's accent is weaker, symbolising that she is slowly losing her identity as an English Protestant as she is married to a prominent figure in Irish monarchy and is an English settler living in Ireland. She is married to O'Neill who lives in Ireland, but 'always speaks in an upper-class English accent' as this is where he was brought up. This reflects his reluctance to forget his English childhood. This may also suggest that he is still uncertain of his true identity. This can be seen as similar to Vernon in Pierre's 'Vernon God Little'; throughout the novel, there is many plays on Vernon Little's middle name 'Gregory': 'Vernon Gone-To-Hell Little'; 'Vernon Gonzalez Little'; 'Vernon Gucci Little'; 'Vernon Godzilla Little'. The 'God' however, comes from the final words spoken to him by Lasalle; the axe murderer who Vernon mistakenly thought was a preacher: 'You're the God. Take responsibility. Exercise your power.'

Join now!

        Vernon's thoughts repeatedly go back to these final words of Lasalle's, and Pierre cements their significance in the book's title. In Mexico, Vernon claims he could change his name, 'but it's still me, without any trace of the slime around.' Mexico allows Vernon to be himself, without being corrupted - this can be seen in his observation about what the Mexican-born Lally has been transformed into upon crossing the border to the US. Not too dissimilar to O'Neill who feels he is able to be himself around Mabel. He does not have to put up a false façade where ...

This is a preview of the whole essay