In 'Song of Soloman' and 'Translations' Morrison and Friel present racial domination through the point of view of the oppressed minority group, respectively Afro- Americans and Irish Nationalists. The concept of racial domination can be defined as the political act of dominating people through the belief in the superiority and inferiority of particular races. Both Friel and Morrison convey that racial domination is all about power, the level of which determines whether a race is the oppressor or the oppressed in a particular society. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay In “Translations,” the Irish are ruled by the English who assume the right to rule Ireland and dictate what is and is not acceptable behavior. By creating a “new map” of the “whole” of Ireland, the English oppressors impose their rule on Ireland by “rewriting” the country into cultural submission through the imposition of English as the language of “high culture.” However, it is only Manus who at first understands the political implications of such, what he perceives to be, “military operation” which would ultimately mean for the longevity of Irish culture and its national identity. Already Friel presents the act of translating as a form of racial domination and a clear division between the two cultures as 'superior' and 'inferior' is established through Owen who outlines his role as an 'intermediary' who translates the 'good English of the king" ” in the “picturesque archaic language” of Ireland. In doing so, Friel describes that Owen is rejecting his own identity by rejecting his ties to Ireland in both language and culture. This further reinforces the devastation of English oppression to Irish culture, as it will no doubt destroy its identity as it did with “Owen” who became “Roland” due to mistranslation and “standardized” English. Friel identifies the rapid process of cultural imperialism through the geographic metaphor of erosion, which ironically is first identified by the antithetical English oppressor “Yolland” when he poignantly declares “something is being eroded.” The idea of ​​erosion as a geographical metaphor suggests that layers are relentlessly worn away until nothing remains. This highlights the importance of language in preserving culture and memories which would otherwise be completely lost “beyond recognition” if the language were to be “anglicised” as demonstrated through the example of “Tobair Vree”. The concept of not being able to translate a memory or culture into a different language is fundamental in 'Translations' and it is precisely the Irish culture that is lost in translation; Friel seems to convey that the only way the Irish can exist in a modern world is through translation, Friel argues that the concept of translation is a metaphor for the Irish. Indeed, Friel's act of writing "Translations" is itself an act of translation, as he writes an Irish play into English, so as to demonstrate that the only possibility for the Irish language and culture to exist it is through the language of the oppressor. To varying degrees, Morrison also presents racial domination through the use of language, but not as a method of oppression used by the dominant race in the translation sense, but to give the black community a powerful tool to subvert white authority. In "Song of Soloman" the African American community in Michigan renames place names to reflect reality, as in the case of "No Mercy Hospital" where black mothers-to-be were denied entry and had to "give birth""on its steps" and therefore given "no mercy". It is this act of renaming place names that is almost doing the opposite of what Friel describes as cultural imperialism in 'Translations'; the black community is giving meaning to place names instead of “eroding” them. This ownership of the language is the only power the black community has in their oppressed condition and renaming place names becomes a political act as the community is attempting to take some control over their language. Additionally, Morrison highlights the power of language to carry meaning and have the ability to shape identity through the eponymous “Soloman Song.” The importance of language in defining identity is shown through the original mistranslation of “Soloman” as “sugarman.” Morrison shows how a translation error can completely erase an entire family's identity and remove a part of history. The discovery of Milkman's heritage through connection with the name “Soloman” gives him an identity and ensures that upon death he is never alive again as his journey of self-discovery is complete. It is impossible not to connect the importance of the name with the example of “Tobair Vree”, the meaning of the name would be lost in translation and would no longer exist if the language changed. Through the name "Dead" Morrison shows how language can serve as a tool to "erase the past" through Sing's insistence on keeping the incorrect name instead of inheriting the slave owner's name and thus hoping to disconnect future generations from this crippling legacy. of slavery which is the basis of African American oppression in American society. The name “Dead” has the meaning of being also metaphorically dead and incapable of progressing; the "Dead" family is a metaphor for the entire African American race suffering under the racial domination of the racist white community. In "Translations" Friel tries to find hope in a racially divided society in the unity of two cultures through the relationship of Marie and Yolland who use the act of “jumping” across a “ditch” to metaphorically suggest the possibility of daring to jump and cross between the two fields. Friel seems to say that although Yolland may have been killed, the love between the two characters is not defeated and shows a sort of hope that the two different cultures do not have to be defined as racially separate. Friel's work is radically opposed to the definition of these colonial borders and the grouping of individuals into categories called "British" and "Irish" that do not allow any traffic or crossing between them. "Translation" as an act of border crossing may offer a way out of colonial conflict of hatred and division through love, Friel seems to suggest, but it remains a dangerous act and will likely meet resistance from those who would divide us into groups and put boundaries between us hence the “ditch”. Through the construction of “Yolland” as an antithetical “accidental soldier,” though ironically a hibernophile and the first to identify that “something is being lost” in the process of cultural imperialism, Friel challenges the predetermined racial stereotypes that he describes as an inevitable side effect of any racially divided community as Yolland can only be identified by his English racial identity in the eyes of oppressed Irish nationalists. The hatred between the two races is such that individualism is overlooked and only Yolland's identity as a British Army officer is taken into consideration. This concept is particularly apt for Friel's work which, although set in the 19th century, was written in the ethno-nationalist conflict "The Troubles" in 1960s Northern Ireland, where racial hatred andIRA violence divided and turned Ireland into a battleground. However, the inextricable link between culture and identity and how the former defines the latter is the essential principle underlying racial stereotypes and the understanding of why Yolland will always be “an outsider” in the Irish community and why Owen cannot never parting with his Irish heritage. Ultimately, Irish culture is “all [they] have” and by denying the community of their native language and therefore culture it is intended to remove their identity, which is shown at the end of the play when Sarah, who symbolizes the Irish oppression (metaphorically and literally voiceless) is silenced in the closing scenes which show the death of the Irish language and culture and thus the end of Irish identity. However in "Song of Soloman" Morrison presents racial domination as an intractable part of American society, which can never be truly racially equal until the legacy of slavery is completely removed from memory. White Americans are able to racially dominate the black community by controlling the law. Morrison communicates the corruption of the American justice system through the example of a police force that will “stop anyone” if he is black, suggesting a widely held belief that the entire black community was inherently suspicious. Furthermore, the lack of criminal justice that is brought to the “butlers” after they “shot” Jake “five feet in the air” further restores the way the white race dominated the law in American society. Ultimately, Morrison assesses that the black community is trapped in a white-dominated society and that the black American dream is unattainable, as shown in the example of Ruth who is literally crushed by the oppression imposed on her by the white community at so much so that its name defines it as metaphorically "dead". The intrinsically unjust social power of the black community is represented in the case of Corinthians Dead who after a degree and studies in France could only find work as a "waitress" and even then the job was only rewarded because her employee "liked" her “name”, demonstrating once again the importance of the name. Morrison presents racial domination as a limitation and barrier to the oppressed community, preventing them from taking any position that would allow them to gain social power in a white-dominated society and have nearly equal status with the "superior" race. Morrison believes that while the black community can distance itself from its slave past, it is impossible to truly erase the past from history and start over, as Sing hoped by keeping the misspelled surname "Dead" in place of the slave owner's surname. This is perhaps the reason for Solomon and Milkman's final escape at the end of their journey of self-discovery, as Morrison suggests that the only way to progress and be truly "free" from an oppressed society is to "surrender to the air" and “ ride it.” Keep in mind: This is just one example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a custom essay Morrison and Friel both present how the condition of oppression creates radicalized recipients of oppression who otherwise would not exist in a context racially equal society. Morrison and Friel present the radicalized groups “The Days” and “the Donnelley Twins” from different perspectives. Through the presentation of “The Days” Morrison shows and the reader understands Guitar's journey from an oppressed individual whose life is destroyed by harsh realities of racism in the Deep South to a black extremist..