The Anti-Bildung Theme In Martin Mcdonagh’s Leenane Trilogy

Martin McDonagh’s works are famous for the themes of violence,murder,black humor,black comedy and post-modern elements such as pastiche and parody.Since the premiere of The Beauty Queen of Leenane,McDonagh has become one of the brightest stars of the contemporary Anglo-Irish Theatre.Researches on The Leenane Trilogy are mainly on McDonagh’s Irish identity,the horrific and hilarious style and the postmodern elements.However,the scholarship on The Leenane Trilogy in mainland China has been rare.Apart from the distinct features of McDonagh’s style,the anti-bildung theme can be found in the three plays.Being connected with each other,the plays together construct a dystopia in which all the characters are child like adults who could only resort to violence to have their way.Thus,this thesis attempts to analyze the antibildung theme revealed in the entire trilogy,which includes the mother-daughter relationship between Mag and Maureen,the domestic violence,the loss of faith and the collapse of the social system.Through thorough analysis,this thesis finds that the domestic violence,the incapability of police system and the loss of faith result in the failure of growth in Leenane.Chapter Ⅰ introduces Martin McDonagh,The Leenane Trilogy and the relevant researches on them.Chapter Ⅱ introduces bildung and anti-bildung theory.Chapter Ⅲ analyzes the sick mother-daughter relationship in the Folan family.In this house,the old mother Mag is a child who cares her life and safety at the cost of her daughter,taking her daughter as a tool for survival.Being raised in such a family,Maureen has been twisted,unable to develop into a mature adult.She could not fit into the outside world and goes mad as a way of protecting herself.Chapter Ⅳ analyzes the social environment of Leenane,a town filled with both domestic and social violence.A Skull in Connermara shows how a teenager become aware of the “beauty” and pleasure of using violence.The Lonesome West display the whole picture of Leenane.The horrific crimes of the girls’ football team suggest what the children in Leenane have become;the Connor brothers’ games of fight and the game of confession reveal how twisted they are.Chapter Ⅴ is the conclusion part.The characters in Leenane fail to grow up to be mature and independent adults who are able to think and act according to morality and laws.The childlike adults could only raise their children to be another generation of childlike adults,which leads to a vicious circle.Therefore,the main characters are trapped in the abyss forever.