Freedom of the City
In Brian Friel's play "The Freedom of the City," the three protagonists, Lily, Michael and Skinner (each part of Northern Ireland's marginalised Catholic poor) are locked within the Londerry's Guildhall. At one stage of the play Lily acknowledges that the two others are way above her. It can be established in some aspects that Lily's claim is founded, however there are far more characterisations of Lily (many of which she is unaware) that reject such a notion. It is correct that Lily is less educated than both Michael and Skinner: I never could do nothing right at school. She uses words such as youse, which is language that Skinner who went to a grammar school and Michael who goes to the tech four nights a week do not use. Lily is also aware that she is not as politically secure as her companions, initially unsure of why she marches (no more gerrymandering. And civil rights- you know civil rights) eventually stating that she is marching for Declan. However while she believes this reason to be the stupidest thi
However a major aspect of Lily's life that heightens her status in comparison to Michael and Skinner and many other men, thereby contradicting her self judgement, is that she works. Skinner lives the life of Riley, continually moving around, doing whatever odd jobs he can pick up (potato picking. Michael is marching purely for himself, parroting the reasons of others, while it was questionable whether Skinner was on the march at all. Not only is Lily cleaning down fifteen houses a week, but she is also supporting her twelve family members who are solely dependent upon her; incapable of helping themselves: there they all were. As Skinner reflects: the poor are always overcharged. She is not part of the fourteen per cent unemployed. Such a concept also highlights Lily's motherly instincts. She continually talks of people and events that occur within her small living quarter such as Johnny the Tumbler and Minnie McLaughan, illustrating that she does not have the capacity to think on a global level. While it cannot be generalised, such a belief is not unfounded, with the soldiers demeaning the three by labelling them yobbos and the judge automatically assuming they are callous terrorists. conductor on the buses), while Michael has lost his last two jobs due to the faltering economy: he went bust. This sense of connectedness with others has also lead Lily to be extremely provincially and locally orientated. Even Dodds' statement that the only certainty they have is death classifies them apart from people like you and me, rating their lives almost as if they are meaningless.
Common topics in this essay:
Michael Skinner,
Nevertheless Lily,
Minnie McLaughan,
Londerry's Guildhall,
Lily Friel,
Northern Ireland's,
michael skinner,
Freedom City,
Brian Friel's,
lily educated,
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Acceptance Essays
