The Symbolic Study in The Rising of the Moon

Harbin Normal University

【Abstract】This paper analyzes the symbolic meaning of the characters， scene and the moon itself in The Rising of the Moon. It also points out that Lady Gregory has successfully used multiple symbols to indicate the theme of the Rising of the Moon from different aspects， gives the theme a concrete image to make the meaning of the script more subtle and richer.

【Key words】The Rising of the Moon； Symbolism； Theme

Introduction

The Irish playwright， Lady Gregory， devoted all her life to the creation of Irish national play. Most of her works express the resistance to foreign rule， advocate the connotation of national independence. The one-act play， The Rising of the Moon， depicts an Irish Sergeant who was under the British government at that time， saw the escaped political criminal in the quay as a wandering ballad singer in the special historical context of the Irish struggle for national independence. Under the confliction between the official duty of arresting the escaped prisoner and the national compassion and national independence， the Sergeant finally gave up the arrest.

Symbolism is a writing skill of creative literature by using concrete objects to express a much deeper meaning. Lady Gregory used much symbolic features in her writing， such as the moon， the quay， even the characters. This paper mainly focuses on the analysis of the symbolism that used in Lady Gregory’s famous play ― The Rising of the Moon.

I. The Symbolic Meaning of the Moon

The title of the play， The Rising of the Moon， is symbolic. The rising of the moon is a symbol of the rising of political awakening as well as a symbol of the awakening of political independence. By the time Lady Gregory wrote this play， Ireland had been under the reign of the British Empire. Even though they were governed by the British government， the Irish people did not suffer a miserable life. For example， the Sergeant and his two assistants in the play are all Irish who work for the British government. Their basic needs and necessities have already been fulfilled. Even if they live under the British rule， their lives were quite comfortable.

However， there were also Irish people hold different opinions. They thought the basic food， clothes， money and other needs for comfortable lives do not mean they can forget the bloody truth that they were invaded and had no political independence. They also valued political freedom and independence. So they fought against the British government. But the fight was not easy. Some Irish heroes managed to launch an underground movement against the British government. Gradually the Irish people began to understand the importance of political independence and national freedom from the fetters of control.

The ragged man， the ballad singer in the play， is depicted as one of patriotic heroes who escaped from the gaol. During his waiting for his comrades， he met the Irish Sergeant who works for the British government. With the development of the plot， as the Sergeant and the ragged man became closer physically（they sit back to back on the barrel）， they also became closer sentimentally（when the ragged man sang the traditional national ballad the rising of the moon deliberately with some wrong lyrics， the Sergeant joined him and corrected him）. Both the sergeant and the ballad singer might have come to the level of the sentimental unity. The rising of the moon is not only a symbol of national independence， but also a symbol of the emerging national unity.

II. The Symbolic Meaning of the Quay

The quay is a place where ships are loaded and unloaded in an unnamed Irish port， and also is a place that connects the sea and the land. The stage in the play indicates that the story takes place in a seaport town， and the quay on which the story takes place is situated between the nearby town and its gaol where the ragged man escaped from. The very place was indeed a doorway where the wanted man who escaped from the British authority to the rebels against the British rule. On one hand， the quay connects the gaol which represents the British government’s tyranny， on the other hand， the opposite of the quay is the sea， which represents freedom. Furthermore， the function of the quay as a doorway represents the Sergeant’s change from his initial guards and blocks to the end that he helps the ragged man hide from the other policemen. The quay is the setting for Sergeant’s own self-realization prompted by the ragged man， that he， as an Irishman， might easily have been in the unseen boat on the sea of freedom and resistance to authority. However， he is attached to the police corps， jail， and British authority， located symbolically in the opposite direction.

III. The Symbolic Meaning of the Characters

All the characters in the play have no names except for their positions and appearances. The ragged man who disguised as a ballad singer named Jimmy Wash is actually a patriotic rebel fight for national independence. His disguise not only tells his situation， but also tells us that the rebels’ general situation， their movements are underground. The Sergeant reveals the ambiguities and divided loyalties of his professional role. He is a slow， cautious， and somewhat unimaginative character. Although he is not particularly enlightened， he is also not outside the range of patriotic sentiment’s appeal. Many Irish people like him are waiting to be awakened. Though Policeman B and Policeman X paid much attention on purchasing the escaped prisoner. They are lack of interest in national history and culture. Many young people like them are lack of national consciousness and are content with the current situation. All the characters in the play are epitomes of the Irish people who are under the rule of British government. Some rebel， some hover， and some satisfy.

Conclusion

The Rising of the Moon is a play full of meaningful symbols. The use of multiple symbols are like mirrors from different angles to suggest the theme of the play. The scene， the unnamed characters and the unique writing skill make the play more than just a play that can be enjoyed in the theater. It recalls the old beautiful days of independent Ireland and the national consciousness and national unity of the people， and we can gain a deeper understanding of this remarkable play.

References：

[1]Lady Gregory.The Rising of the Moon.

[2]Wang Li-na.Heroes’ Psychological Change as Reflected by the Actions in The Rising of the Moon[J].Journal of Heilongjiang College of Education.2011.

[3]Yu Hongbing.A Brief Analysis of the Main Characters in The Rising of the Moon[J].Campus English.2016.

作者介： 靳明玉（1990-）， 女， 黑龙江萝北人， 哈尔滨师范大学2015级硕士研究生，院系：西语学院，研究方向：美国文学。