SEA ,OAR AND SORROWS

                   RIDERS TO THE SEA

                                                                          - J.M.SYNGE

The main character of the play is Maurya, an elderly woman who has lost her husband and all but one of her sons to the sea. Bartley, the last surviving son of Maurya, is ready to risk his life by crossing the ocean to sell a horse. Bartley is adamant about carrying out his intentions, despite Maurya's fears that he may share the same end as her other sons. 

Significance of Oar: 

                   Being the tool that the characters use to navigate the dangerous waters surrounding the Aran Islands, the boat's oar serves as a physical depiction of the strength of the sea. The oar is also a symbol of the characters' connection to the sea and their reliance on it for their livelihoods. However, the oar also represents the characters' vulnerability and the inevitability of their fate. They are ultimately at the mercy of the sea and the laws of nature, regardless of how skillfully the characters use the oar. The oar has a tragic significance as the play goes on and Maurya's greatest and worst fears come true, signifying the characters' vulnerability in the face of the sea and the inevitable nature of their fate. 

In the final scene of the play, when Bartley's body is washed ashore, the oar takes on a new significance. Maurya identifies the oar as belonging to the boat that Bartley was using, confirming her worst fears and emphasizing the tragic nature of the play. The oar develops into a powerful metaphor of both the might of the sea and the characters' inevitable fate.

Feminism and Nationalism :

The problems of women who live in a patriarchal society, where they have few possibilities and are under the authority of men, are portrayed in this play.  Maurya, the major female character, is a woman who has lost all but one of her sons to the sea along with her husband. Maurya exhibits a great tenacity and courage throughout the play in the face of loss, but in the end she is helpless against the forces of nature and the patriarchal culture that she lives in. The play might be interpreted as a critique of the obstacles women in early 20th-century Ireland had to overcome as well as the fight for equality.

Regarding nationalism, "Riders to the Sea" depicts the existence of residents of a remote, rural village whose survival is dependent on the sea and the surrounding landscape. The drama portrays the harsh reality of life on the Aran Islands, where residents depend on the sea for a living and the weather is frequently fatally unexpected. Language, customs, and interpersonal interactions all reflect the characters' deep ties to their native place and culture.