Internationalist Review of Irish Culture

In his play, Translations (1981), regarded by many as his theatrical masterpiece, Brian Friel, deals extensively with the relationship between translation, language, and identity. Throughout the play, it becomes evident that language cannot be separated from identity, and therefore translation becomes a process of identity trans/formation. Identity formation, an already complex process, becomes even more complicated by the urge to translate Irish names into English. Translation, in this respect, is represented as the tool of the Imperial English in colonizing Ireland. By mapping Ireland linguistically, the English aim to conquer the land from within, reducing language to a means of oppression. Within this framework, this paper argues that translation is used in the service of colonization, and through translation, the English thrust their culture upon the Irish, paving the way for colonization.