Option One – Theme or issue


Although many of the male characters are unhappy with their public face and their inability to change it, at least they have some sort of identity and sense of belonging. Vasya, a labourer from Siberia, is literally left with no identity at all when Pokey’s company collapses. He is not legally registered in Ireland, so he officially doesn’t exist. Vasya is called ‘the Russian’ by his fellow workers, but he does not mind. The language barrier means he is unable to participate in conversations, but sometimes he wants to fit in and make the others laugh. On these occasions he roars out rude words he has heard the other men use and they call him a ‘GASMAN’. Vasya feels ashamed of himself for acting the clown, and he feels he has lost another part of his sense of self: ‘I am too far from my father’s home and from my brother’s grave’. Vasya’s brother was killed in a drunken brawl and now Vasya can never return home because of the shame of having failed to protect him. Vasya belongs nowhere now and seems doomed to drift from job to job, barely earning enough to get by and never being known for who he really is.


Some of the characters are so unhappy or confused about their own identity that they escape into a fantasy world. Réaltín is stuck in a house on a ghost estate and is another victim of the financial collapse. She has a very poor relationship with Seanie, the father of her child, and she is unhappy with her life. As a result, Réaltín loses herself in a dream of a life with Bobby. She seems to believe that he will leave Triona for her even though he has never responded to her flirtation in any way.


Through the series of different narratives in the text, we see how the characters struggle to cope with the profound difference between their public and private identities. Only Triona, who is unwavering in her love for Bobby, seems truly comfortable with who she really is. She believes that love is the only thing that matters, and this gives her the confidence and clarity to be the same person both publicly and privately despite financial difficulties, the pressures of the community and – most terrible of all – Bobby’s murder charge.


Comparative study: The theme of identity Some Like It Hot


Persepolis


Over the course of the text, several characters in Some Like It Hot discover startling things about the theme of identity. In each case, it is being exposed for who they truly are that forces each character to look closely at their own identity. For Jerry, the moment of revelation comes when he realises that he has found a devoted suitor in Osgood Fielding. When Joe points out that Jerry can’t marry Osgood because Osgood is unaware of Jerry’s true gender, Jerry has to tell himself, ‘I’m a boy – I’m a boy – I wish I were dead – I’m a boy – I’m a boy.’ The fact that he has to repeat this declaration and that he feels so unhappy about it shows us that Jerry has become almost totally immersed in his identity as Daphne and is reluctant to give it up.


Marjane, like the characters in Some Like It Hot, has a moment of revelation that leads her to look closely at her own identity. She eventually learns that what others think of her is less important than what she thinks of herself, and she regains her sense of pride and self-worth. It is the hurtful behaviour of others that makes Marjane decide what sort of person she wants to be. Her moment of revelation occurs when she is studying in Vienna. In an effort to fit in with Western life, Marjane denies her Iranian nationality and pretends to be French. She feels ashamed as she does so, remembering her grandmother’s words: ‘Always keep your dignity and be true to yourself.’ Marjane’s moment of revelation is more similar to Joe’s than it is to the other characters in Some Like It Hot


The Spinning Heart Characters in each of the texts have a moment of revelation about their identity.


Key moments in The Spinning Heart reveal how both Bobby Mahon and Seanie Shaper struggle with their identity. The characters in The Spinning Heart are more like Jerry in Some Like It Hot than any of the other characters in the texts. This is because they wish they really were who they pretend to be.


Bobby Mahon has to deal with the conflict between his public and private identity. Unlike the characters in the other texts, however, Bobby does not deliberately adopt a false identity but rather has it thrust on him by the locals who see his reserved manner as a sign that he is tough and in control of his emotions. To an extent, Bobby believes that this version of himself is the reality. However, Bobby is actually a vulnerable, gentle man. When he


Leaving Certificate English 345 Excellence in Texts


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