J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World

How do some little angels turn into bigoted little monsters? This is a study of how people's prejudices towards one another develop from an early age. Based on empirical research of children aged five to 11, it explores the nature of categorization and stereotypes - from groups to nations.

I''m thinking this night wasn''t I a foolish fellow not to kill my father in years gone by.'' Christy Mahon

On the first night of J. M. Synge''s The Playboy of the Western World (1907) the audience began protesting in the theatre; by the third night the protests had spilled onto the streets of Dublin. How did one play provoke this? Christopher Collins addresses The Playboy ''s satirical treatment of illusion and realism in light of Ireland''s struggle for independence, as well as Synge''s struggle for artistic expression. By exploring Synge''s unpublished diaries, drafts and notebooks, he seeks to understand how and why the play came to be.

This volume invites the reader behind the scenes of this inflammatory play and its first performances, to understand how and why Synge risked everything in the name of art.

Get J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the Western World by at the best price and quality guaranteed only at Werezi Africa's largest book ecommerce store. The book was published by Taylor & Francis Ltd and it has pages.