In his play, Molly Sweeney, Brian Friel
utilizes theatrical dialogue between his three main characters, situated in
connection with Molly’s blindness. Her blindness enables her to ‘see’ the world
in a way that the sighted cannot. She transports the other characters and thus,
the audience, from ignorance to awareness of cultural
expectations. Friel’s Molly Sweeney is a literary representation of the
iconic figure of Cathleen Ni Houlihan, and he creates the icon as a realistic
woman with real perceptions in order to bring the audience to an awareness of
the cultural dilemma of the dichotomy within the Irish historical perception of
self. Friel connects Molly’s new sight with an overall feeling of anxiety
that could be the personal reactions of one individual’s yearning for courage
or a nation’s.
© Jeanne I. Lakatos, Ph.D.
Introduction:
- Dr. Jeanne Iris
- Current: Danbury, CT, United States
- Welcome! A few years ago, I discovered an application that artists employ in their works to bring cultural awareness to their audiences. Having discerned this semiotic theory that applies to literature, music, art, film, and the media, I have devoted the blog, "Theory of Iconic Realism" to explore this theory. The link to the publisher of my book is below. If you or your university would like a copy of this book for your library or if you would like to review it for a scholarly journal, please contact the Edwin Mellen Press at the link listed below. Looking forward to hearing from you!
Thank you for visiting. I hope you will find the information insightful. ~ Dr. Jeanne Iris
Announcements:
I have demonstrated or will demonstrate the application of this theory at the following locations:
2023-24: I am writing my third book on iconic realism.
April 2022: American Conference for Irish Studies, virtual event: (This paper did not discuss Sydney Owenson.) "It’s in the Air: James Joyce’s Demonstration of Cognitive Dissonance through Iconic Realism in His Novel, Ulysses"
October, 2021: Sacred Heart University, Fairfield, CT: "Sydney Owenson’s use of sociolinguistics and iconic realism to defend marginalized communities in 19th century Ireland"
March, 2021: Lenoir-Rhyne University, Hickory, North Carolina: "Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan): A Nineteenth Century Advocate for Positive Change through Creative Vision"
October, 2019: Elms College, Chicopee, Massachusetts: "A Declaration of Independence: Dissolving Sociolinguistic Borders in the Literature of Sydney Owenson (Lady Morgan)"