George W. Russell - A Study of his life, paintings and impact on Irish culture
MICHAEL ARRHENIUS DIT, AUNGIER STREET GEORGE W. RUSSELL Æ A STUDY OF HIS LIFE, PAINTINGS AND IMPACT ON IRISH CULTURE INTRODUCTION George William Russell (Æ), poet, painter, statesman and friend of many. George Russell definitely was all of those things. But why is it that I, a visiting student from the far North, takes such an interest in a man who despite his greatness not many people outside Ireland has heard of. When asked about visual arts in Ireland, names like Jack Yeats, Paul Henry and James Barry might be heard but only people with a deep interest in Irish culture will also mention George W. Russell, or Æ as he is more commonly known. But Æ Russell was, and still is, Irish culture, which is what I will try to prove to you with this paper. My first encounter with Æ Russell was when I heard about one of the greatest love stories ever heard, the Irish legend about Deirdre and Naisi. Æ Russell took this tale and made it into a play, the one and only play he would ever write, published in 1901 under the name "Deirdre". The mythological tales has always been a keen interest to me and to learn that Æ Russell wrote plays, poems and painted pictures with mythological content, sure was a true excitement for me. But to get a better understanding of what kind of man Æ Russell was and what he had done for Irish culture I embarked on a cultural trip around Dublin. I
Shirley Valentine
SHIRLEY VALENTINE HOW DO THE DRAMATIC TECHNIQUES USED IN THE PLAY HELP THE AUDIENCE TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORTANCE OF SHIRLEY'S TRANSFORMATION? The play, 'Shirley Valentine', written by Willy Russell tells the story of Shirley Valentine's life, showing her character transformation from Shirley Bradshaw to Shirley Valentine, it is a play about a stifled middle-aged woman who finds relief abroad from her tedious, routine lifestyle in Liverpool. The dramatic techniques used by Will Russell in the play help the audience comprehend the importance of Shirley's transformation. In this circumstance, it's Shirley Valentine and her life. Other dramatic devices used are, voice over, flashbacks, dramatic monologue, pathetic fallacy as well as others. These devices help us to understand Shirley's character and with this it easier to understand how Shirley has changed Willy Russell's authorial context is seen through the character of 'Shirley Valentine' and his past experiences of him growing up in a feminine household has influenced this play by being the basis of Shirley's aspects on life. The social historical context is also from Russell, Russell coming from a working class background and him being born in Liverpool which is where half the play was set. He started of as a hairdresser and from here he got an insight into womens life .He started to attend night class on drama and this
How do the dramatic techniques used in the play help audience to understand the importance of Shirley's transformation?
Shirley Valentine How do the dramatic techniques used in the play help audience to understand the importance of Shirley's transformation? In 'Shirley Valentine' Willy Russell presents the transformation of a stifled middle-aged woman who changes dramatically from her married self. This is represented by the use of different dramatic techniques such as voiceovers, flashbacks, monologues and other effects which are some of the devices Willy Russell uses to display changes during the play. This will alter the audiences view towards Shirley - a stifled, bored, middle-aged woman to an outgoing, adventurous and free woman. This play is influenced by kitchen sink drama although it is not exactly similar. A kitchen sink drama is about pessimistic working class men, with an emphasis on domestic realism and their social problems. However in this play the main protagonist is a woman. This play also contains humour unlike a kitchen sink drama but both type of play are similar as these plays are based on the unfulfilled life of the main character. This play is focused on a working class life, social problems and relationships of a woman who hasn't fulfilled her life and is stuck at home. The character of Shirley represents the frustrations of working class women who remains isolated from the outside world and instead have to dwell in work of domestic labour. From this we can tell that
Shirley Valentine - How do the dramatic techniques used in the play help the audience to understand the importance of Shirley's transformation?
Shirley Valentine How do the dramatic techniques used in the play help the audience to understand the importance of Shirley's transformation? In this essay I will be looking at how the dramatic techniques used in the play "Shirley Valentine" help the audience to understand the importance of Shirley's transformation. In the play Shirley makes a very dramatic change. At the beginning of the play she was lonely, she was just an ordinary working housewife, her relationship with her husband Joe wasn't very good, she hardly went out and she talked to her kitchen wall. "There's a women three doors down- talks to her microwave...talking to a microwave Wall, what's the world coming to". This shows us that she thinks its normal to be talking to a wall but not to a microwave which makes the audience think that she is a bit weird and a "...nutcase..." which she gets called by her husband. When she goes to Greece that's when she starts to change. She is no more the housewife she used to be, shes finally happy, she goes out more, she starts living her life again and more importantly she becomes Shirley Valentine again. The audience feel by the end of the play that she changed her life for the better and that she overcame some of her fears by leaving her husband Joe to go to Greece. The play "Shirley Valentine" was written by Willy Russel. His life experience influenced the play because
shirley valetine
How does Russell invite the audience to sympathise with Shirley? In the play ["Shirley Valentine"] feeling sympathy for Shirley is a regular occurrence, Shirley Valentine is a character who was endlessly trapped and is taken for granted, but then rediscovers herself. Shirley mourns for the lost possibilities of her ''unused life,''. Shirley Valentine was written in the 1980s, as a kitchen sink drama, by a play writer named Willy Russell. He presents a basic ordinary woman's working life, with unhappiness, regret, humour and at twist. This essay will be analysing the effects of the character, action; dramatic devices: languages, ideas, themes, and show how the audience is invited to sympathise with Shirley. I find Shirley to be humorous and a gentle person, looking for an easier, comfortable, relaxed life with a hint of spice! In the opening lyrics Russell cleverly combines words of sorrow and sympathy towards Shirley. Some of these are "Shirley Valentine just wasn't there any more, a girl was born to fly: all her dreams, dreams are broken." This introduction of influencing words already paints a picture in the mind about the character before she is introduced, hence triggering impressions into setting the frame of mind to a sympathetic mode. Shirley is portrayed as a sad house bound woman, forgotten, not appreciated nonexistent (not liteary) ["anymore"] and a woman with
Describe, Examine and Analyse how Willy Russell uses dramatic devices to illustrate issues in "Shirley Valentine".
Describe, Examine and Analyse how Willy Russell uses dramatic devices to illustrate issues in "Shirley Valentine" The 1980's was a time of great change in Britain, but it was the changes to who worked, where they worked, and how society changed. In this play "Shirley Valentine", by Willy Russell, many different aspects of the change are shown on an average forty something housewife. The changes included the privatisation of public companies and economic growth, but the factors that would have impacted on Shirley the most would have been the rise of women out of the home and into work, feminism and the package holiday. The play also highlights stereotypes, which it then (in most cases collapses). Audiences would have been able to relate to these issues and so would be able to understand and enjoy the play more than if it had been about everyday life in somewhere like the Amazon rainforest. Russell himself was born in Liverpool in the 1940's to working class parents. His parents wanted him to get on in life, and rise from his "low beginnings". In the play, Russell may have meant to make a reference to his home life, when Shirley's father is mentioned as buying the whole encyclopaedia Britannica for his children and then wondering why they weren't clever. Russell himself left school at 15 with just a basic English qualification- hardly the dizzy
How do the dramatic techniques used in the play help the audience to understand Shirley's transformation?
How do the dramatic techniques used in the play help the audience to understand Shirley's transformation? In 'Shirley Valentine' playwright Willy Russell conveys the transformation of a disheartened and lonesome middle aged women going through a period of slow awakening, and along the way having to look after her rather insular and unappreciative husband. We see a bright young girl who has vast amounts of self belief and ability within herself, gradually are diminishing away from her very eyes. Russell uses various dramatic devices, which is pivotal towards portraying change, such as Flashbacks, dramatic monologue and setting. Willy Russell, an acknowledged playwright, has written several plays, one of which is 'Shirley Valentine'. Russell bases the narrative around the life and transformation of Shirley. The fact that Willy Russell was born in Liverpool and grew up in the 1960's. This very fact could give him a coarse sight into Liverpool suburbia, where the play in set. Willy Russell left school at the age of 15, which gives him an idea of life without educational qualifications. Throughout six years of his career he was the owner of a hair salon, which tremendously influenced the play; For instance, he was constantly around 'working class women' which gave him a natural instinct of how these ladies were day in day out. Unfortunately he only managed to obtain one 'O'
How does the writer, Willy Russell encourage us to sympathise with Shirley?
How does the writer, Willy Russell encourage us to sympathise with Shirley? In Willy Russell's 1989 screenplay, 'Shirley Valentine' we examine the life of a middle-aged liverpudlian housewife and her she struggles with her monotonous life. From the start of Secondary School till now, her life was in a fiasco. No one listened to her and she grew up in what she became, a lonely, and disconsolate, low class person that no one seemed to care about. This sympathisation with Shirley and the audience is revealed in many ways, through the use of a variety of dramatic techniques; flashbacks for example, reveal her past, on how she had the most mundane and dull life, this encourages us to sympathise with her. She then finds herself to have tickets to Greece with her friend, still trying to find out who she really is. After an affair and few happy moments she had finally fulfilled her life. She has found her inner self; she is in love with the idea of living. The central message that is being examined through the character of Shirley is that to find out who she really is, to find that inner person stuck inside her; the Shirley Valentine years when she was a teenager and a rebel. This whole story is linked to Russell's past. Russell was born in Whiston; Liverpool in 1947.The story is also based in Liverpool where Shirley lives. His family were working class just like Shirley was. He
How Does Willy Russell Invite us to Fell Sympathy towards Shirley Valentine
How Does Willy Russell Invite us to Fell Sympathy towards Shirley Valentine A 1983 hit screenplay 'Shirley Valentine' by Willy Russell who was raised in a house full of woman, his father worked at 4 jobs to support his family so that Russell did get an education in English. This meant at home he could only talk to woman which he found fascinating, learning about their lives and dreams', being brought up in a working class family it was not surprising he'd be in working class when he grew older. He became a hair dresser for a while before realising that he should take what he learnt and write books. Once he learned their apathy and how antonym their views were on class, politics, education, language, society and stereotypes, he wrote kitchen sink drama screenplays, like 'Shirley Valentine' and 'Educating Rita' . He uses dramatic devices, character and language to help us feel moved towards Shirley Valentine. Shirley Valentine is about a woman who was once a complete anarchist who turned into a tedious middle aged housewife and mother. She then after being used and taken for granted by her family and friends goes to Greece and falls in love with something she had lost but it isn't too soon until she is used and taken for granted even on holiday. Russell invites us to feel sympathy for Shirley by making us her confidantes seeing through the eyes of the camera and being
To what extent do Thelma and Louise and Shirley Valentine tell stories from a women's point of view about women's real life problems.'
Women in Film: 'To what extent do Thelma and Louise and Shirley Valentine tell stories from a women's point of view about women's real life problems.' Throughout the history of film actresses have always received the worst roles in which to portray women. Women are often featured as lovers or prostitutes, backstage roles that support the power and domination of men. Hollywood has always been dominated and 'run' by the influence of male actors and directors. Statistics have shown that 71% of male actors are given major roles compared to women who receive only 29% of centre stage roles. Thelma and Louise and Shirley are two films, which change that. They portray woman in a positive role, showing them in a positive light against male oppression. Although Shirley Valentine is a British film and Thelma and Louise is American, both films still show women facing the prejudice of society in the 20th century. In this way women viewers can relate to the films believing them to show the difficulties women face in life, the loss of women's individuality due to the domination of their husbands and their experiences of sexism and prejudice in modern day society. There are many similarities as well as differences in both films and the storylines are varied, yet both films still feature woman who overcome the typical stereotype that they are nothing but sexual objects for men to