Indeed they did, Patrick. Apparently there was a real Fluther Good who tried to sue O'Casey for the use of his name! The goddess Juno is another perfect example from O'Casey. I've been listening to Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead on Audible lately and am struck by how she transposes Dickens' David Copperfield to modern Virginia, particularly the names - Steerforth becomes Fast Forward etc.
Thanks for that. But, is this something that Dickens and O'Casey shared - using names as signposts to their personas' personalities. Like Fluther, Irish people would understand and would have expectations as to how this character would behave and what they would say.
But Dickens was an expert at this: Ebenezer Scrooge, Inspector Bucket, Wemmick, Jaggers, and so on.
So annoyed with myself that I wrote 'infeasible'. It's like where is the spellchecker when you need him|her|it?
I will blame the Spanish beer 'Madri' for this mistake rather than my own ignorance. It's always better that way. (You get a free glass when you buy this beer. As Oscar Wilde said, I can resist everything except temptation! Or, you might say, I'm a cheapskate. Just wanted the glass. Let someone else drink the beer. No, wait, I can do both.)
Anyway, looking forward to your podcast, Aisling. Such a curious mix. Dickens, O'Casey, and Lizzie.
Great forum.
You are so articulate and thoughtful. You'll do an excellent podcast.
Thanks Catriona! Druid O'Casey was wonderful theatre. A shame you missed it. I'm glad my newsletter went some way to filling the gap. Lizzie was a very special person. I was lucky to have known her.
I was so disappointed to miss Druid's production of O'Casey's trilogy but, having read your article, I feel I have gained so much more! Who could imagine the production would lead to such an insightful comparison of O'Casey and Dickens - and introduce your readers to such a wonderfully wise and humorous woman from O'Casey's time. Thank you!
Thanks so much Mary for your enthusiastic response. Lizzie was very articulate and highly intelligent. Had she been able to complete her education (it stopped when she was 12) there's no knowing what she might have done. She never complained about her lot and was very forgiving of those who had hurt her. Best of all was her lively and quick sense of humour. I feel very privileged to have known her.
Thanks Patrick for your thoughtful response. Absolutely the different forms, play and novel, have different merits and limitations. Davoren in Shadow does gain some insight at the end when he calls himself "Poet and poltroon". It's true the characters are archetypes, their attributes neither exclusively male or female. The Druid productions were excellent, thoroughly enjoyable theatrical events and the experience of seeing the plays so close together brought out new aspects of the work.
Politically yes O'Casey and Dickens moved in different directions, partly by virtue of their historical situations, and partly by temperament. I would say their visions were equally idealistic and unfeasible. Dickens is sentimental about children but does not flinch from the more brutal aspects of the poverty in their early lives, something he had endured as a child.
I haven't mastered the art of the podcast yet! So my texts on Lizzie will appear in print on Friday. They were broadcast on Lyric FM almost 20 years ago. I'll look to see if they're available as podcasts . . .
Thank you for reading What's the Story? and for your responses. The engagement with readers is one of the great pleasures of the enterprise.
I loved this substack. I’d forgotten how articulate Lizzy was and how wonderfully she could turn a phrase. I agree with you that Lizzy probably sensed the hope for a different life in Dickens. She was living O’Caseys world and maybe didn’t have that hope. Can’t wait to read more Lizzy ‘Dickens’ stories. Please keep sharing them - Thank you!
Aisling, you always write very thought-provoking articles. And, yet again, because of my peculiar circumstances, I was not in a position to attend the Druid plays. That would have been a pleasure. The last time I saw O'Casey plays performed was some decades ago in the Abbey theatre.
First thing I thought was the two different media - play and novel - and how much you could devote to character development. Snapshot or a parabola of a character's development. And, I thought, too, of O'Casey's position in Irish society at the time - a working class socialist in a predominantly Catholic nationalist revolutionary country. The posturing of the male characters is universal - Walter Mitty syndrome. Doubt that it's gender specific. And O'Casey captured this so well. The female characters as a mythological bedrock - the true meaning of life on earth. They are as disillusioned as the men.
Dickens idea of benevolence - a rich capitalist - healing the world - the government of a country becomes a family led by a wealthy idiosyncratic individual - is idealistic, , not only unreasonable, but infeasible.
It is true that In Dicken's novels that the 'children' characters develop - realize like Pip in Great Expectations - from their experience discover something about themselves or others.
Not convinced that that takes anything from the the theatrical experience.
But, Dicken's portrayal of children was so saccharine sweet and so sentimental.
Just some thoughts. But, I do await your podcasts on your new venture. Good luck and all the best.
Your personal connection to Lizzie’s story makes it compelling. Can’t wait to read it. At one point my mother had a woman come in to help weekly. She didn’t like coming all the way to Goatstown from wherever she lived and referred to it pejoratively as Pucanstown!
Indeed they did, Patrick. Apparently there was a real Fluther Good who tried to sue O'Casey for the use of his name! The goddess Juno is another perfect example from O'Casey. I've been listening to Barbara Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead on Audible lately and am struck by how she transposes Dickens' David Copperfield to modern Virginia, particularly the names - Steerforth becomes Fast Forward etc.
Aisling,
Thanks for that. But, is this something that Dickens and O'Casey shared - using names as signposts to their personas' personalities. Like Fluther, Irish people would understand and would have expectations as to how this character would behave and what they would say.
But Dickens was an expert at this: Ebenezer Scrooge, Inspector Bucket, Wemmick, Jaggers, and so on.
No worries Patrick! A touch of the Fluthers must have got to you! Glad you enjoyed the beer too!
So annoyed with myself that I wrote 'infeasible'. It's like where is the spellchecker when you need him|her|it?
I will blame the Spanish beer 'Madri' for this mistake rather than my own ignorance. It's always better that way. (You get a free glass when you buy this beer. As Oscar Wilde said, I can resist everything except temptation! Or, you might say, I'm a cheapskate. Just wanted the glass. Let someone else drink the beer. No, wait, I can do both.)
Anyway, looking forward to your podcast, Aisling. Such a curious mix. Dickens, O'Casey, and Lizzie.
Great forum.
You are so articulate and thoughtful. You'll do an excellent podcast.
Thanks Catriona! Druid O'Casey was wonderful theatre. A shame you missed it. I'm glad my newsletter went some way to filling the gap. Lizzie was a very special person. I was lucky to have known her.
I was so disappointed to miss Druid's production of O'Casey's trilogy but, having read your article, I feel I have gained so much more! Who could imagine the production would lead to such an insightful comparison of O'Casey and Dickens - and introduce your readers to such a wonderfully wise and humorous woman from O'Casey's time. Thank you!
Thanks so much Mary for your enthusiastic response. Lizzie was very articulate and highly intelligent. Had she been able to complete her education (it stopped when she was 12) there's no knowing what she might have done. She never complained about her lot and was very forgiving of those who had hurt her. Best of all was her lively and quick sense of humour. I feel very privileged to have known her.
Thanks Patrick for your thoughtful response. Absolutely the different forms, play and novel, have different merits and limitations. Davoren in Shadow does gain some insight at the end when he calls himself "Poet and poltroon". It's true the characters are archetypes, their attributes neither exclusively male or female. The Druid productions were excellent, thoroughly enjoyable theatrical events and the experience of seeing the plays so close together brought out new aspects of the work.
Politically yes O'Casey and Dickens moved in different directions, partly by virtue of their historical situations, and partly by temperament. I would say their visions were equally idealistic and unfeasible. Dickens is sentimental about children but does not flinch from the more brutal aspects of the poverty in their early lives, something he had endured as a child.
I haven't mastered the art of the podcast yet! So my texts on Lizzie will appear in print on Friday. They were broadcast on Lyric FM almost 20 years ago. I'll look to see if they're available as podcasts . . .
Thank you for reading What's the Story? and for your responses. The engagement with readers is one of the great pleasures of the enterprise.
I loved this substack. I’d forgotten how articulate Lizzy was and how wonderfully she could turn a phrase. I agree with you that Lizzy probably sensed the hope for a different life in Dickens. She was living O’Caseys world and maybe didn’t have that hope. Can’t wait to read more Lizzy ‘Dickens’ stories. Please keep sharing them - Thank you!
Aisling, you always write very thought-provoking articles. And, yet again, because of my peculiar circumstances, I was not in a position to attend the Druid plays. That would have been a pleasure. The last time I saw O'Casey plays performed was some decades ago in the Abbey theatre.
First thing I thought was the two different media - play and novel - and how much you could devote to character development. Snapshot or a parabola of a character's development. And, I thought, too, of O'Casey's position in Irish society at the time - a working class socialist in a predominantly Catholic nationalist revolutionary country. The posturing of the male characters is universal - Walter Mitty syndrome. Doubt that it's gender specific. And O'Casey captured this so well. The female characters as a mythological bedrock - the true meaning of life on earth. They are as disillusioned as the men.
Dickens idea of benevolence - a rich capitalist - healing the world - the government of a country becomes a family led by a wealthy idiosyncratic individual - is idealistic, , not only unreasonable, but infeasible.
It is true that In Dicken's novels that the 'children' characters develop - realize like Pip in Great Expectations - from their experience discover something about themselves or others.
Not convinced that that takes anything from the the theatrical experience.
But, Dicken's portrayal of children was so saccharine sweet and so sentimental.
Just some thoughts. But, I do await your podcasts on your new venture. Good luck and all the best.
Thanks Catherine. Lizzie's story is remarkable. I hope I can do her justice. I love Pucanstown!! I'll never think of it as Goatstownnagain!
Your personal connection to Lizzie’s story makes it compelling. Can’t wait to read it. At one point my mother had a woman come in to help weekly. She didn’t like coming all the way to Goatstown from wherever she lived and referred to it pejoratively as Pucanstown!
Thanks Tod. Yes indeed there is so much in Lizzie's story it's hard to know where to start!
Such a rich history and personal story.
You are fortunate to have so much to work with.
Thank you , Laurence, nice to get ratification!
Excellent, thank you!