This document summarizes and analyzes Brian Friel's play "Dancing at Lughnasa". It discusses the play's depiction of an Irish family in the 1930s and how their lives were impacted by Article 41 of the Irish Constitution of 1937 which promoted traditional gender roles. The play contrasts the family's past happiness and independence before these laws with their struggles afterwards, when two sisters were forced to emigrate and the others took on roles they disliked. The analysis concludes the play was making a statement about negative changes to Irish society and family structures brought about by the conservative constitution.

1. Where the Heart is:The Irish Constitution’sFailure of Defining Family in Brian Friel’sDancing at Lughnasa Carla Sue Schmidt Loras College Dubuque, IA

2. The Mundy Family Kate – a schoolteacher Agnes - knitter Maggie – homemaker Rose – knitter Chris – homemaker, the youngest sister Uncle Jack – missionary priest Michael – Chris’s young son Gerry Evans – Michael’s father Economic and social troubles Dancing at Lughnasa by Brian Friel

3. 1937, one year after the play’s setting Article 41 – The Family 1.1 Fundamental unit of society with rights 1.2 Protecting the family 2.1 Importance of woman’s life “in the home” 2.2 Protecting women from work outside home 3.1 Protecting marriage 3.2 Divorce forbidden 3.3 No divorce from outside Ireland recognized Irish Constitution

4. Constitutional referendums Divorce 1986 - failed 1996 – amendment passed Other debates: Contraception 1992 Abortion Pro-Life Amendment 1983 Only permitted if the life of the mother is at risk Dancing at Lughnasa 1990

5. Spontaneous dancing The sisters “suddenly catching hands and dancing a spontaneous step-dance and laughing” Contrast with Uncle Jack Old, sick, confused “shrunken and jaundiced” The Mundys: a happy family

7. Self-sufficient family of women Kate, Rose, and Agnes make money Chris and Maggie keep house Michael and Jack are subordinate, dependent Kate as matriarch Gentle authority The Mundys and patriarchy

8. Harvest Dance Lughnasa, a pagan god Inappropriate for the sisters to attend Emphasis on how they used to love it Idealized past - parallel Pagan dance Time before the Constitution’s restrictions Catholic vs. Pagan

9. Rose and Danny Bradley Relationship impossible Kate’s job Doesn’t live up to social standards Kate and searching for Rose Won’t contact authorities for fear of the shame Catholic: destructive

10. Agnes and Rose Forced to run away, die in poverty Chris Forced to work at the factory, hates it Kate, the rest of the family Uncle Jack dies, and Kate is inconsolable “Much of the spirit and fun had gone out of their lives” Catholic: destructive

11. Idealization of the past 1937 Constitution, play written 1990 Pagan & Catholic: past & present Past was happy, productive Present is dead, destructive Statement on the changes taking place in the Republic of Ireland at the time the play was written Conclusion