Language and Identity: Indifference and Singularity as Identity Destroyers

Abstract

My article proposes to study the use of language by individuals to construct their identity under the colonialist, imperial mainstream discourse of England in early twentieth century Ireland. The study puts emphasis on two major aspects. The first shows the way language is adopted as a personal strategy of inverting and of combating the imposed identity canons of the colonial power. The second aspect is concerned with language as a tool in the perpetual edification of an individual’s never-stable identity. In order to conduct this issue, I have proposed to analyze two tragedies by John Millington Synge as samples of the Irish identity quest against the English hegemony. I have relied on W.B. Yeats theatrical ideals because he underlined the paramount importance of language over the actor and scenery in theatre performance, and on Julia Kristeva’s post-modern criticism to demonstrate theatre and language appropriations of the Irish people in creating a literary and cultural movement of their own, the Irish Revival. As a conclusion, I have reiterated that language is a very important mean for a people to promote their identity.