The Irishness of Murphy

张喻

【Abstract】The essay is an analysis of the Irishness of Murphy from the perspective of hybridity of Homi Bhabha.It explores the hybrid identity of Samuel Beckett and the Irishness of Murphy，and reveals the identity problem and suffering of Irish people.As marginal people in Ireland，the English descendants are influenced by English culture and feel disgusted of the internal politics and culture chaos of Ireland.As an Irish writer，Samuel Beckett describes the dilemma of English descendants in pursuing absolute freedom.His Murphy is a tragic story of Irish people in England and English descendants in Ireland shortly after its independence.

【Key words】S.Beckett； Murphy； Irishness； Hybridity； English Descendants

The Irish，as a branch of Celtics，created splendid ancient and modern culture.However，the separation and independence of Ireland made a great difference in Catholic Irish peoples life，culture and policy and English descendants sense of belonging respectively.The hybrid identity of English descendants left them homeless.One of the central ideas of the famous post-colonial scholar Homi K Bhabha is that of “hybridization”，which defines the emergence of new cultural forms from multiculturalism.“...，Bhabha shows how its histories and cultures constantly intrude on the present，demanding that we transform our understanding of cross-cultural relations.” （Dong Xuewen 484）Samuel Beckett （1906-1989）was a reluctant biographical subject，who had the same hybrid identity of Homi Bhabha.Though friends and acquaintances recollected a kind and generous man，he guarded his privacy with seldom interviews and claimed that his work should speak for itself.The hybrid identity of Samuel Beckett accorded to the Irishness of Murphy，who was the protagonist of his novel Murphy，and revealed identity dilemma of Irish people.

I.The Hybrid Identity of Samuel Beckett

Samuel Beckett，one of the most famous dramatists and novelists in the world，was born in Dublin，and attended Trinity College Dublin.“The key to understanding Beckett，” according to his friend and doctor Dr Geoffrey Thompson，“was to be found in his relationship with his mother.” （McDonald 7） Besides，Samuel was affected by the religious and political struggles between Ireland and England.Such a hybrid identity became the theme of his novels and plays.His works often offer a bleak，tragicomic outlook on human nature，coupled with black comedy and gallows humor.His Irish nationality left a great impression on his creative writing.Although living in Paris for most of his adult life and using both French and English in his career，he remained Irish.He was greatly influenced by previous Irish writers，such as Jonathan Swift and James Joyce etc.Irish people believe Catholicism，while Beckett was a protestant.As a member of the Irish Protestant minority in a largely Catholic country，the young Beckett was something of an ‘outsider，an experience which might have led to his later explorations of dislocated or marginal conditions.Thus，loneliness，solitude and alienation followed him all the way.

Beckett states in the first line of his Murphy that “the sun shone，having no alternative，on the nothing new.”（Beckett 5） This sentence is a metaphor for most of his subsequent writings，especially for his plays.The sun shine anew on the nothing new somewhere every day，It presents a different variation of the recurring theme，which emphasizes the human condition.Indeed，the sun has no choice but shine on the nothing new，which symbolizes Becketts helplessness for life and his identity dilemma.He struggled for his life and religious belief，but it was in vain.However，he was never the most consistent of Protestantism anyway，just like the truth that the sun always shines on the nothing new.

Living in Ireland，Beckett struggled with contradictory impulses.He was not only much influenced by Catholicism，but Protestantism deeply rooted in his heart since he was young.The contradiction between Irish Catholicism and British Protestantism tortured him all along.Falling into an identity dilemma，Beckett endowed his religious contradiction to Murphy by narrating the prostitute Celias struggle in her religious belief.She had to believe Christianity as she was influenced by Londoners.Besides，Beckett distrusted most political arguments for their geographic，historic and ideological shortsightedness.“He expresses openness to communism taking root in Ireland.” （Kennedy 61）Meanwhile，Irelands political disappointments also led him to be angry with any idealism and distrust political consolidation.However，Beckett was worried about Irelands political issues and the tragic life of English descendants.He understood the suffering of Irishmen，but knew that they had to wander in other countries.Such a hybrid identity brings much trouble for them.

II.The Irishness of Murphy

Murphy，born in Ireland but living with Celia in London，likes to pursue physical and spiritual freedom.As Becketts novel begins，Murphy has left behind Miss Counihan and stays with a prostitute in London，where he eagerly avoids employment in order to meditate so that it might set him ‘free in his mind”（Beckett 6）.He keeps seated in his rocking chair and enjoying his lonely time.His self-satisfaction arouses readers curiosity： Who is Murphy？ Just as Mr.Kelly asks Celia： “Who is this Murphy？ What is he？ Where does he come from？...” （Beckett 14）Celias first answer is that “Murphy is Murphy”，and then reveals that Murphy “belongs to no profession or trade； came from Dublin” （14）and lives on “small charitable sums” （14）.Here，we come to know that Murphy has been a wanderer，who doing no job，having no money，no home and no family but a prostitute who has accidentally fallen in love with him.

Different from citizens of the so-called civilized metropolis，people from the so-called uncivilized world must be discriminated.When Murphy is forced to look for job by Celia，the situation of chandlers humiliation is vividly presented.Murphy says，“at last I find it，it finds me，I am half dead with abuse and exposure，I am in a marasmus.” （Beckett 80）It hints at Irish peoples tragic living predicament in London and satirizes the Irish governments inability.Tragic life in other countries and the Irishness of Murphy makes him feel homeless.“‘Murphy，all life is figure and ground，But a wandering to find home， said Murphy.” （Beckett 6）These words not only show Becketts fate as a displaced Irishman living out his days in London，but also sum up the situation of so many of his partners in the history of the novel.Murphys statement is poignant to the extent that it denies the possibility of closure and expresses his wish to go home.Moreover，his words evoke a lost unity between man and the world，figure and ground.

Murphy，a Dubliner locked in the grip of postcolonial conservation and a Londoner experiencing a Depression-era influx of immigration，finally comes to work as a nurse in the mental asylum.This experience is modeled after Becketts life in London.In the closed world of the mental asylum，instead，Murphys life is just like a duck in water.Outside the asylum，Murphy has been more ill-adaptable owing to his Irish identity.Indeed，as the subject of historical migration and cultural relocation，Murphy is “driven inward in the process as a defense against enforced social accommodations，so that his subjectivity becomes more disillusioned and alienated.” （Bixby 92）Homi Bhabha calls it “the estranging sense of the relocation of the home and the world…that is the condition of extra-territorial and cross-cultural initiations.” （Bixby 84）Carrying out a self-imposed exile in the English capital，Murphy occupies the in-between position of the migrant whose life story challenges narratives of authentic identity by renegotiating claims of communal affiliation and cultural value.

III.The Identity Dilemma of Other Irishmen

Beckett presents six major Irish characters in Murphy，and the images of secondary characters in Murphy are vivid.For Celia，Beckett explores the intersection of pervasive socio-political forces （the “big world”）and a vulnerable subjectivity （the “small world”）.Forced by circumstances to transform herself into a commodity，As an Irish in England，Celia feels that London is not Englands capital，but a city where an anonymous outsider spends years of lonely destitution，where personal and communal histories give way to dispossession.There is no doubt that she has felt a sense of loss in London and is nostalgic for her birthplace，a land she has not visited since the age of four.In Celias mind，Ireland is a land with “the sky，cool，bright，full of movement anointed her eyes，reminded her of Ireland”.（Beckett 63）As an orphan，her life is thoroughly in darkness.If Miss Counihan regards Ireland as a “sweet，sad mother”，then Celia evokes a ghostly double of the nation.Without any support，Celia has no chance of returning to her “home”.Therefore，only by continuing to sink into degeneration could she make a living.

Neary，living in Cork，Ireland，authentically realizes the political chaos of Ireland.His outrageous gesture to the “holy ground” GPO，turning the living human body against the durable castings of tradition，suggests a protest against the identity produced by colonial cultures.His insulting to the statue of the Irish national hero Cuchulain with his bared head because of his hatred the chaos of Ireland then which marks his anger and boredom for the Easter Rising in 1916 and Becketts helplessness for the political situation of Ireland.Neary，an English descendant，is humiliated by people，in whose life there is no sunshine.Miss Counihan，the woman Murphy loves，never loves him.In fact，the name of Miss Counihan echoes the Irish legendary figure Cathleen ni Houlihan，“who had returned to the Irish national imagination at the turn of the century in the play that W.B.Yeats named after her.” （Bixby 85）Murphys flight from Miss Counihan，who is ironically transformed from queen to prostitute under Becketts pen，thus suggests an escape from “the stifling state-sponsored nationalism of the 1930s，especially since he left behind an identity based on communal identifications for the hybrid possibilities of the metropolis”.（Bixby 86）

All in all，Samuel Beckett mocks at the narrow-minded and short-sighted Irish government and sympathizes with dislocated Irish people.In fact，“in the heart of every Irishman there is a native undying desire to see his country politically free，and not only free but truly Irish as well.” （Bixby 86）The novel Murphy has more ironic sentences，for example，“the skill is really extraordinary with which analphabets，especially those of Irish education，circumvent their dread of verbal commitments.” （Beckett 115） The author satirizes those so-called “civilized” people in Ireland who have control over Irish economy，politics and religion and worries about the Irish political development then.

Conclusion

Literary criticism has created many Becketts，from absurdist to post-structuralist.The idea of an Irish Beckett has，however，remained encumbered by a degree of reluctance in critical discourses，the notion often being perceived as overly limiting in terms of Becketts creative endeavors and artistic contexts.The early experiences of Samuel Beckett have a great influence on his works.Deeply affected by Irish national liberation movements and Englands strict colonial control，Beckett was annoyed about his hybrid identity，so that the major characters in Murphy get into identity trouble.Much like Homi Bhabha，Samuel Beckett feels that he is an outsider，as “others” living in other countries.He was born in the colonial country，but receiving English education.Thus，living in London，Murphy tries to melt into metropolis life，but fails.So he chooses to escape.The hybrid identity of Samuel Beckett results in the problematic Irishness of his protagonist and some other characters.Eventually，the author attempts to reveal Irish peoples identity crisis by presenting the Irishness of Murphy.After its independence，the Irish government implemented parochial nationalism and many Protestants left the country so that the domestic politics and religious situation were in chaos，which also affected the development of Irish economy.

References：

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