The Corpse That Sits Up and Talks Back
Web Info
Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill’s “The Corpse That Sits Up and Talks Back.”
Language affects a person’s thoughts, feelings, and dialog. Hence, people who speak different languages often possess great differences in culture.
Nuala Ni Dhomhnaill defends and supports the Irish language in her writing, “The Corpse That Sits Up and Talks Back.”
She is infuriated by the people who have suppressed the Irish language, making it seem inferior to other languages. She refers to historical events that have made the Irish language what it is, in its vastness and humor.
These events have also contributed to how the language is now viewed by the people who have chosen not to sustain its usage.
Partly due to the simple state of the people who speak Irish, the language is looked down upon and has basically been thrown away by many. In paragraph four Nuala tells of a man asking her if there is a word for sex in Irish.
This question alone illustrates how the Irish language has been sub standardized in people’s minds.
Nuala states that Irish is the language of her soul. It is clear from her description of the language that it is a language of great figurativeness, humor, and flexibility.
In contrast to the English language, the Irish language possesses a great vibrancy filled with liveliness. It is ridiculous for people to place negativity on the Irish language itself or anyone who chooses to use the Irish language.
People think in the language that they are most comfortable with.
They lean to that language in writing and speaking.
Nuala’s choice of using the Irish language is hers alone. She should be able to write, speak, and think in “the language of her soul”.