Concerning J. M. Synge's The Playboy of the
Western World, the "Western" part of the title refers to the West of
Ireland. The play stems from a story or stories Synge heard while on the Aran Isles,
west of the coast of Ireland. The play features the peasant population of such a
place.
More importantly, you should know that "Playboy"
does not carry the same denotation or connotations the word carries for us
today.
The playboy is what Christy becomes. When entering
the stage for the first time, he is much like everyone else in the play. But the play
is partially about myth making, and Christy soon gains the status of myth. The story of
his rebellion against his father and supposed killing of his father, gains importance
every time he tells it, and reaches the point of myth. Christy gains self-confidence,
which is only enhanced by the domination he displays at the
games.
Seen from a distance, Christy becomes the playboy
of the Western world, an almost mythological and, by the way, Christlike figure, who
carries the hopes of the peasants on his shoulders, so to speak. "Playboy," I believe,
refers to his daring deed and athletic prowess, rather than his "clubbing" and financial
situation, etc., that the term suggests to us today. Christy is a
hero.
Of course, seen up close, when Christy kills his
father in "their own back yard," the bloody deed loses its romance and illusion, and
Christy loses his status among the community, although the self-confidence he gains
seems to remain.
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