It's C-O-L-L-E-E-N, Thank You Very Much.

Brian Friel's play, "Translations," is knee deep in the topic of names. Whether it be a person's name or the name of the river down the road, the significance of names is a constant undertone throughout the play. But what really caught my eye was Owen's ability to ignore the fact that Yolland was calling him Roland when indeed his name was Owen, which we can all agree is not even close.

I feel like I can relate to this in a sense. I cannot even tell you how many times I have introduced myself and been mistaken for a Kelly or COOOOlleen, like my name resembles the colon or something. And I, too, just like Owen, brush it aside and laugh it off, making sure that next time I introduce myself I articulate my name more distinctly.

The thing that strikes me as odd is how Owen neglects to correct Yolland. But later on he then explodes, "For God's sake! My name is not Roland!" (Friel 54). At this point, I feel kind of bad for Yolland. I mean, until this time, he has been viewed as an ignorant jerk because he is an outsider who cannot even take the consideration to learn the names of those who are assisting him. But if no one stood up to correct him, is he truly at fault? More so, why did Owen blow up? He seemed not to mind and then BAM! Maybe Owen is not as comfortable with the English being there in Ireland as he may appear to be. In a way, I suspect that Owen's blow up is a reflection of his hostility towards the English men's presence, more than the issue of a mistaken name. Or maybe a name means more than we think? Either way, it should be interesting to see how the importance of a name continues to reveal aspects of the story and the people that occupy its pages.