Is that my diary!?
Story-telling is less tedious to listen to when it is painfully humorous, especially when the story involves historically geographical problems in the region of Ireland. I don’t think I even knew much about the IRA and the problems that young Irish people faced until I watched Derry Girl’s.
Dramatic irony is taken further to personal ridicule, when Orla intently reads Erin’s diary in a raspy voice, about the inability to enjoy a normal teenage life in the small town of Derry. This invasion of privacy immediately illustrates just how ‘everyone is in everyone’s business’, and how we are irresistibly being pulled into this town and the lives dwelling in it.
Savage humour
The humour is apparent in the dramatically histrionic tone and attitude of Erin, that is first shown to us when she complains to her mother about the change in society towards teenagers having the liberty of ‘privacy’ now. This humour is further enhanced with the addition of Erin’s friends, the hilariously vulgar Michelle and panic-stricken Clare, against the backdrop of a devastatingly army-ridden town.
The effect of this brutal humour makes the audience wince with shock and laugh with understanding at just how family life and friends can be well… dicks, endearingly. Yet this extremely savage humour may resemble the hard times, as political violence and sectarian divide may be reflected through this aggressive humour that feels like a slap to the head.
The group of girls make fun of each other, especially the ‘wee English fella’, throughout the whole show, in a way that brings the group together, as they are brought closer by this vicious honesty but unconditional acceptance, as the fabric of their friendship stays in tact, while the nation seems to be turmoil. The centricity of the friendship allows us to see the army in the background, as if to show how the military activity is in the back of their minds; a relatable teenager attempt to try to forge your own reality when the outside world is abnormal. The pursuit of normalcy is somehow attained through the adjustment of ordinary life to be one of brutal humour, as opposed to brutal violence, almost like a coping mechanism for dealing in a difficult environment.
Masking fear with greater fret
The juxtaposition of humour and fear, illustrates a climate of tension that is coming to a boil, but the way that the show allows us to ease into understanding the climate while staying to have a laugh with the girls, is tone of shock when discussing bombs on bridges, which is contrasted by the description of everyday-normal mishaps, as if to be a travesty.
Despite being surrounded by a parade of angry Orange soldiers, Erin’s mother, Mary, only frantically has a breakdown after mistakenly believing that she lost her ‘punts’ while remaining nonchalant about being amidst an angry mob who shake the family car with hatred. This hilarious irony illustrates how Gerry, Erin’s father is the only reasonably alert one in the family, while he rest of the members have a heightened attitude of melodrama. Gerry’s responsible approach is obviously rejected, and the objection to reason also adds a comedic effect to illustrate lovingly, just how the Quinn family cope with awkward day-to-day matters and how isolated in his reality Gerry is in. Gerry is like the calm voice of reason that is flipped on its head by the disarray of quirky sardonic humour against a backdrop of horrifying political dysfunction.
Please see an interesting take on the disconnection with emotions in Derry Girls, by themindparadox.
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