“Bold Girls” by Rona Munro Essay

In her drama Bold Girls, Rona rice beer has created a relevant and inspiring legacy of war-torn Northern Ireland. Her drama depicts the quotidian struggles and predicaments faced by four picky women, who seem to thrive on their fantasies and illusions solely except Deirdre who is marked out as different from the dramas root systemDeirdre is not in this room, shes crouching on all(prenominal) fours on her own lectureout of darkness in which only her face is visible.Introduced as a phantasmagorical and somewhat eerie character it is no surprise that Deirdre contrasts greatly with the three opposite women. It is her persistent search for the rectitude that polarises her from the differents and shits her to be at odds with them as they wriggle out out rightfulness and cushion themselves with their raised(a) dreams. This base of fantasy versus humans is a main concern within the looseness, and it is by thinks of monologues and stage direction that we be allowed a dee per understanding of severally characters situation and of the forms themes.A particular monologue of Deirdres doubtless confirms that her search for truth will forget in the hurt of others and possible confrontations and fiery scrapsThe lights changeI need a knife a wee brand name of my ownIt was the knife he was talkingabout. It was the truth. I thought Id like that. A wee irregular of hard truthyou could hold in your hand and leg where you liked.The lights changeI swear this monologue verifies Deirdres social function as catalyst. By this point we have been introduced to all four women and to their dreams and fantasies, which Deirdres wee stigma of truth threatens to destroy. Deirdres yearning for the truth ca works her to kill these dreams, saving the three idealistic women crashing back to the tart universe that surrounds them. Deirdres conflict is sterling(prenominal) with the central character, Marie. Comp ard with mimosa bush and Noras buttoned-down dreams of redecorating her living room (Nora) and leaving capital of Northern Ireland ( flamboyant), Maries delusions of her late husbands heroic acts and credibility are not as empty as her friends.These dreams are ins bowled within objects in the womens homes for example Noras dream is symbolised by a steady polyester mix, Cassies by a wad of money mystical behind Michels photograph and Maries by a grainy bobble up of her late husband, Michael. As the play progresses it becomes apparent that Deirdre is intent on destroying from each one characters dream, but I think it is in like manner suggested that she is somewhat unit of measuremented with Marie and her dream. sake again consecrates use of symbolisation to connect these dickens characters. For example, Deirdres miniskirt dress is reminiscent of Maries spousals dressThen other times she looks like meyou remember that dress I wasmarried in, that wee white mini-dress?She stands. And stares.I believe it is as though Munro i s depicting Deirdre as a weirdy of Maries past. This becomes relevant later in the play when Deirdre reveals to Marie that she is in fact Michaels lady friend.The simple observation of Deirdre standing solo at the bottom of the path reflects how she appears dislocated from the others in her search for truth she longs to campaign the truth and become part of the family unit maintained by the three other womenIm potent, Im cold. I insufficiency to get innerI want to get inside. dopetkeep me out.This monologue has quite a threatening undertone , it is as though Deirdres isolation formers her distress. I believe also that the use of wet and cold highlight the harsh purlieu and the fact that Deirdre is unloved. I think all of these factors isolation and the longing for truth cause Deirdre to act as catalyst. In winning on this role, Deirdre threatens to destroy the fellow womens dreams. Her first act as catalyst is when she steals Cassies money because ruining her dream of escape and freedom. Deirdre makes intelligible to the reader that Cassies cautious dream is false and unobtainable in a short, eerie monologueThe hale towns a pri countersign, conk out chunks off the wall causewere all in a prison.Cassies dream of escape is pellucidly unrealistic and false and I believe Deidres destruction of the dream validates this idea.Deirdre also appears to be in conflict with Nora, Cassies mother, a she goes on to use her wee blade of truth to drip Noras shiny peach polyester model and ultimately her dreamDeirdrelooks at the broad, smoothen stretch of material then startsto berate at it, ripping it, trampling it till shes breathless.Deirdres violent replyions I believe show what harsh and offensive situations she has been exposed to. She desires to know the truth so much, that she finds happiness in destroying the illusions and fantasies of others, forcing them to face their reality and embrace the truth.Although Cassie and Nora do invalidate the truth that their materialistic hopes will everlastingly elude them, it is Maries complete glossing everywhere of the truth that causes her to be most at odds with Deirdre. Her lullaby that she uses to calm her son for example, shows how dependant she is on her delusions about MichaelYour dada was a good man and a brave manthats whatkeeps us all together, keeps me going, keeps me strongMarie finds comfort in her deluded memories of Michael. I believe this blanking of the truth angers Deirdre and causes her to react violently and destructively toward Marie and her dreamsDeirdre hurls the clothes at her. She snatches the knife outof the chair and waves the blade at Marie. She advances onher slowly.I want the truth out of you. I mean it.This I believe is symbolic in showing that Deirdre uses the truth as a harmful device and that Marie is threatened by its potential exposure. Maries reaction is portentous and uncharacteristic of her gentle, nurturing nature she takes Michaels des ignate and using Deirdres knife, destroys it. Marie in turn destroys Deirdres dream of knowing the truth about her father.These two characters, who are at the greatest point in their conflict portray through their actions the main concerns of the text edition reality versus illusion reality conquers oer dreams and pointless fantasies. The unveiling of the truth brings these two closer together allowing them to reconcile. The conclusion of the play suggests hope and optimism for the recovery of these women. They share in a special, ritual feeding of the birds, their kinship to emulate that of a mother and daughterDid you ever feed the birds, Deirdre?NoI like the common wee birdsyoud need to be something specialto gird a nest around the Falls. someone should feed them. Deirdre and Maries conflict is refractory by Maries embracing of the truth that she has for so long avoided. The central idea of Bold Girls of reality versus dreams is made obvious by the characters actions, they cope by blow up their harsh reality and cushioning themselves with fantasies and illusions. These qualities are instilled within the characters of the play, Marie, Cassie and Nora thrive on fantasies and dreams whereas Deirdre lives for the truth.The fence forces I feel cause the characters to be in conflict with each other. Their compromising situations and contrasting ideas about reality create friction between the opposing characters of Deirdre and Marie. Munro expertly uses stage direction, soliloquy and the opposing forces of truth and fantasy to make apparent the concerns of the text and to heighten my person-to-person appreciation of their importance in these womens lives.