The Aesthetic Characteristics Of John Singer's Comedy Creation

The Irish Literary Revival,labelled as a cultural nationalism movement,saw a flowering of Irish literary talent in the late 19th and early 20th century.It helped Ireland produce a number of world famous literary giants and canons.Unfortunately,John Synge(1871-1909),one of the key figures in this movement,a major dramatist,a co-founder and manager of the Abbey Theatre,has long been neglected in China,which should be considered as a great loss for our domestic Irish study and research on English drama.Synge played an important role in the history of Irish literature,mainly because of the unique "Irishness" in his works and his influence on many literary figures in world literature.Though a great patriot,Synge triggered heated discussion in the Dublin literary circle whenever a new Syngian play was produced on the stage.And noticeably,the "Playboy Riots" have become one of the biggest stage events in world theatre.It was the unique aesthetic features demonstrated in his plays that have caused such tremendous controversy.Throughout his life,Synge only produced four comedies:The Shadow of the Glen,The Well of the Saint,The Tinker's Wedding and The Playboy of the Western World.By analyzing the aesthetic origins,the basic themes,the main characters,the plot structures and artistic styles,this dissertation tries to explore the unique aesthetic features of Syngian comedies.Synge fully integrates the ancient literary traditions inherited from Ireland and Europe,which in turn contributes to the essential realistic features of all his comedies.At the same time,Synge learns in modem Europe many modernist techniques.By combining them with the traditional factors,he creates a special kind of comedy with humor,irony,carnival and absurdity.In fact,every Syngian comedy has its source originated from real life in Ireland,and the book The Aran Islands,based largely on the playwright's journals,can be regarded as the beginning of all the Syngian comedies.Synge's literary career was closely related to his time,environment and his identity in particular.He was a conscientious patriot,living in the period when Ireland was struggling for its independence.Though his comedies might seem absurd,they all express realistic themes and become representatives of the resistance literature.The four comedies,by exploring the true reality,deal respectively with women's issues,religious conflicts,the relationship between individuals and society,and the problem of self-identity and recognition.The typical Syngian protagonists are anti-heroes:women with low social status,street beggars,tramps or peasants.Compared with the traditional archetype,they are marginalized ordinary individuals.Synge creates new images of Celtic women with strong,independent and powerful will;another group of Syngian heroes,known as the "Fools" and "Idiots" in the plays,are actually the literary follies who have obtained worldly wisdom;the most important and original characters Synge depicts are the anti-heroes who have seen through ups and downs of life and finally found their own ways.To arouse the audience,Synge presents his stories in an irregular way,which finally produces a shockingly dramatic effect.The typical Syngian comedies are based on incredible stories,developing with various forms of lies,violence and reverses,which all help to bring the plot to unexpected but reasonable anti-climax and open-ending.By exploring antithesis,Synge creates a series of symmetrical figures,scenes and events,keeping the dramatic plot and structure in balance and leaving a lasting impression in the audience.In general,Syngian comedies are full of unbelievable plots,characters and events,which will lead to the outbreak of loud laughter from the audience.But as the plot develops,the dramatist deliberately combines the comic and tragic elements together,and the happy atmosphere will soon be replaced by sadness and gloomy feelings.Consequently,the realistic details provide basic elements for the universality and profoundness of the comedies,while the typical comic elements help to deepen the tragic themes.The use of parodies and carnivalized style,violating the balance and uniformity of dramatic structure,also helps to strengthen the importance of literary irony,thus intensifying the aesthetic experience of the audience.Synge also revives a lively and animated local language--Anglo-Irish,which becomes the label of his "Irishness".The typical aesthetic features of Syngian comedies are true-to-life stories,humor stemming from folk tales,magic and myth,irony and parody,and a local language combining wisdom and wit.By establishing unique Syngian comic plot,personal style and local language,Synge expresses "the tension between dream and actuality".In general,the themes of Syngian comedies are serious,but the characters,plots and styles are typically subjective and "Syngian"."Syngian"has now become a specific term to refer to this unique kind of drama,which is deeply rooted in the Irish literary tradition,depicting realistic social values by creating special characters with a combination of realistic methods and modernism,even post-modernism techniques.In accord with his time and environment,Synge creates a distinctive local literary form with expressive Irishness.With these special aesthetic features,Synge's works present definite and recognizable meanings to enlighten his people.After experiencing fierce tests in the past century,the Syngian comedies distinguish themselves in world literature because of their aesthetic vitality and significance.