The Superlatives

Author:

Brier, Mary Siobhan

Area of Honors:

English

Degree:

Bachelor of Arts

Document Type:

Thesis

Thesis Supervisors:

Dr. Jessica Jane O'hara, Thesis Supervisor
Dr. Marcy Lynne North, Thesis Honors Advisor

Keywords:

Ireland
England
The Troubles
Play
The Guinness Book of World Records
IRA
Fiction
Political Polarization
Historical Fiction
Norris McWhirter
Ross McWhirter
Harry Duggan
Joseph O'Connel
Sir Hugh Beaver
History
The Superlatives
Siobhan Brier
Mary Siobhan Brier

Abstract:

The Superlatives is a two-act historical fiction play. It tells two parallel stories that alternate scenes, then intersect toward the end of act two. The first story is that of Ross and Norris McWhirter, identical twins with photographic memories, the original creators of the Guinness Book of World Records. The second story revolves around Emma Duggan and Colleen Butler, two impoverished women in Northern Ireland who grow up to become passionate Irish Republicans. Throughout the show, the main characters have similar experiences in their personal lives, but move further and further apart politically, with the girls becoming IRA leaders and the McWhirter twins spearheading political campaigns opposing the IRA. The storylines meet when Ross places a bounty on the head of Colleen, and in retaliation, Emma assassinates him. The play contains themes of political polarization and radicalization, and is a poignant commentary on the current divineness of our times.