i feel like the money side of things isn't talked about nearly enough and was way more overt in the book. i'm from the north of ireland and i had to turn down my acceptance into trinity a few years ago because the cost of rent (let alone living) in dublin was so extortionate that i had to find a cheaper city to go to for college

I studied normal people in my Irish lit class (melb, Australia), i read the book in one day, the entire show the following day, and then had my class discussions. I truly delved into it and never got out, planning on getting my np inspired tattoo sometime this year

Glad this is back up. I attended Trinity many years ago (the Trinity accent is real!) and I'm interested to hear your perspective. I agreed that the erasure of Irishness in the show is real, and is probably due to a desire to appeal to a British audience. This is a common tactic in Irish media which consciously or unconsciously tends to 'other' Irish characters as a post-colonial hangover. Also, Alice Birch, one of the adapters of the book is English, and apparently ignorant of many of the Irish mores. It's slightly more insidious in The Wonder, which she also helped adapt, where the background of the Famine and British guilt is totally erased. Also, the economic background of the recession was removed. One scene from the book was completely watered down and decontextualised - the 'ghost house', which in the book was a ghost estate, half-built during the boom. In the show, it was just portrayed as a run-down old house. It was slightly jarring, because socioeconomic issues are front and centre in Sally Rooney's books.

I wondered this when I watched it! I felt similar when Big Little Lies was changed from Australian to American to suit a global audience. I think the shift altered many pivotal themes and aspects of the story like DV against women in Australia and social factors like class in Au. Also, it totally diluted the role location plays in providing background to characters and their actions. The small coastal beach town of Au is a character in itself that was lost in the American setting. Shows like Deadloch and The Lost Flowers of Alice Heart keep these aspects in mind as the setting is integral to the story.

As a non-native English speaker, I didn't really picked up on any difference in accents so I didn't realize that some of the actors were British and other Irish, as I read the book before watching the show, and because they still mentioned Dublin, I just assumed all of the characters were being played with Irish accents or by Irish actors, but like you said in the book the class difference between Connell and Marianne plays a huge role in their relationship and dynamic so having actors playing those characters with their accents accordingly would've added another level of depth to it, as I remember correctly in the book most if not all of Marianne's friends come from affluent backgrounds so them having south Dublin accent while let's say the few friends Connell does make at trinity have northern Dublin accents or aren't from Dublin at all would've further portrayed the difference experiences Connell and Marianne were having at trinity.

i'm not irish and i haven't read or watched normal people but i found this video so fascinating. it's great to hear your perspectives and about your experiences, especially since i have enjoyed a lot of other irish media in recent years

Very insightful video!! I’m an American viewer of yours and tho I haven’t watched the show or read the book, this was very informative about some aspects to life in Ireland and such, I had a blast hearing y’alls thoughts and experiences - as well as highlighting both intentional and unintentional social commentary. Love your content and I wish you safe travels ☺️

@elleliteracy

Жыл бұрын

so glad you enjoyed it!! thank you 💗

i'm so glad you're back! totally love your videos 💓💓💓💓

Perfect timing! I loved the book and I’m starting graduate studies at Trinity in the fall 😊

Superb analysis and very interesting and unique perspective on life in Trinity. Really enjoyed. Thank you.

I love the way both of you unpack the series and compare it to its source. Your discussion enriches my experience reading the book and watching the series, and for that, I thank you both. To be fair, the points about the myriad Irish accents vs Trinity's own, presumably more upper crust/middle class one; the east and west divide etc parallels some of the same things in the UK's more elite universities. At Cambridge, for instance, accent-spotting is, at least among my British friends, a popular pastime. And students from other parts of the UK actually practice 'code switching' to Cambridge's more middle class one, similar to what was mentioned in this video, presumably in order to be better understood. This is all fascinating to me, as an international.

I love your coverage of the nuance accent could have played. It's a layer of analysis I've heard people make about other productions (for example, british actors in american movies having accents that imply particular class or origins which aren't taken into account) but I've never heard anything about the irish accent(s) before. Found it very interesting! Also every time Richard shied away from calling colonialism out and then you're just very direct about it, I loved it lololol

They certainly got the torrential rain that Ireland seems to be constantly plagued with right! 😂🇮🇪☔

Very interesting video ! As a French, I really missed some information. Thanks for those insightful details 🌷

this is a really really insightful video! im really happy w all the information wow

this is so insightful thank u xx

I really enjoyed this discussion ! I only read Normal People but I'm interested to see the show now and compare 🤔 as a French person I didn't know much about Ireland so that was interesting 😊

Ahh it's back! I only got to watch half of it yesterday lol

@elleliteracy

Жыл бұрын

so sorry!! we had some technical difficulties lol but hope you enjoy xx

@dashingtherouxthesnow4017

Жыл бұрын

​@@elleliteracy I appreciate the reupload! And I've yet to be disappointed by a video of yours yet, from the very first one you uploaded 😌

I love how it seems like college students are always like “That’s pretty, but it’s not campus life,” when it comes to college media. I’d being rolling laughing seeing a show try to romanticize my college 💀

@kritikabhaskar7965

8 ай бұрын

NP both show and the book are not really romanticising Trinity College in any way

I'm half Irish but I grew up in Greece. I now live in England and I'm only just starting to reckon with my identity and how others perceive Ireland, especially how the English perceive Ireland. The accent conversation really hit home since my heritage is West Ireland (Connemara).

Great video

The accent and class stuff was really interesting. I am from New England in the United States and only recently learned I didn't have the typical American accent. I had an internship in San Fransisco last summer and people would point out the way I said certain words and ask me where I was from. It was a really weird feeling. I felt a little odd and almost like I was saying something wrong? I knew I said it on a few words (I say ah-range instead of or-range and draw instead of drawer) but I thought that was it. Like obviously I am American so I have an American accent but it kinda changed the way I think about myself and the way I talk

@shushunk00

10 ай бұрын

There is no typical American accent

I spent two years writing a dissertation on the politics in the book, so it's safe to say that I am so happy to see this video. I find your insight so interesting, and having not spent much time studying the TV show, it's so interesting to actually draw links between both. For example, englishness/britishness is not addressed directly in the book and hearing how it's handled in the TV show is fascinating. Even if I think that the TV show misses a LOT of Sally Rooney's political commentary, the choices to cast so many english people almost makes sense to me. Normal People is a commentary on class and gender, so in that way the TV show almost addresses postcolonialism by linking the rich population of Ireland/ Dublin/Trinity to englishness

Very interesting video! I haven't seen NP, I've only read the book and... man, I had opinions haha. I didn't like the book at all, but it is very cool to hear your thoughts.

I'd love to hear what you think of Moone Boy, though I think the era portrayed is before you were born. ;)

Just a PSA that Northern Ireland isn't British either tho. It is (unfortunately) part of the UK and therefore (kinda) leaving the EU as well, but it is not in Britain. It's quite literally the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

Love this, as a fellow triner I feel vry seen lol

@elleliteracy

Жыл бұрын

we’re bonded by the trinity trauma

The problem with Connell and Marianne is that they're too good for the Pav and thats why they have such problems

@elleliteracy

Жыл бұрын

correct!!!!!

The accent thing in particular sounds like such a missed opportunity, as a tv show is so much better positioned to explore that than a book (aside from an audio book)

My only gripe with this video is the idea of a "British culture" and "British audience" - there is a lot of diversity within Britain and the UK.

I think also when referring to "America" you could say "the US" if you mean the US because America is a continent :)

Is Marxism big in Ireland? I’m American and I guess I have always taken my freedom for granted. But, from what I have read Marxism isn’t fair. I believe what you earn from a job you keep apart from taxes and Social Security. But,I really loved Normal People but it threw in a lot of political points that I am not familiar with. Capitalism is what I believe in for my life. In the book, Connell is very intelligent but shy and in the show he really didn’t show his intelligence as much as I had hoped. My grandfather was born in Ireland in 1922 then moved to America as a baby. I have always heard a saying “ you old drunk Irishman” . Is alcohol a big problem in Ireland? Please, know I mean no offense… I am just curious since watching NP. I liked it a lot and I’m an adult who has a college degree. Kinda felt silly liking it as much as I did. Great video 😊

@sophie8605

Жыл бұрын

Hi! I’m not the creator of the vid but as an Irish young person I do have experience with the drinking culture here. I really do not know much about Marxism so won’t comment on that hahah. The government would be generally slightly left leaning now, but the election system is very fair. Electing politicians is done by proportional representation. Personal Income taxation is much higher here than in the USA, I think our lowest rate is 20% of annual gross income. This is used to fund our economy and social/health services. Yes, alcohol is a big problem in Ireland, although the “all Irish are alcoholics” isn’t true of course. Alcohol is largely tied to our social lives, beginning at around 14. Most young people begin regularly drinking at 16 at house parties or in fields. My friends and I literally got breath tested multiple times when we were 13/14 going into youth discos. It wasn’t unusual for my then-12/13 year old classmates to go out to a field and get drunk a few years ago. Additionally, We have the second highest rate of binge drinking in the world. The government are trying to tackle the problem in recent years e.g legally certain alcohol prices have had to increase and education in schools. Alcohol isn’t as big of a problem in some places in Ireland and I can’t speak for everyone but these are just my personal experiences. I hope this helped :)

@shanareilly6649

11 ай бұрын

I would definitely consider that saying very offensive if someone non Irish said it to me. Yeah I wouldn't say it's not a problem but you have to consider that Ireland is a post colonial country and these are stereotypes by the British and Americans. There is defo some alcohol problems but imo there's post colonial trauma and dealing with issues of trauma of poverty through drink. Not getting at you. Just this is my take.

@LucaDolanRuiz

7 ай бұрын

Capitalism is killing this planet.

can’t believe this doesn’t have more views!! such an insightful and interesting video, thank you🤍

I read normal people but i haven’t watched the show. As someone from Switzerland i would have neverrrrr notice the things you guys mentioned. It was interesting to learn more about Ireland 🫶🏾

Just looked up the average rent in Dublin and holy shit. Nearly $3000 CAD. 🫠 How does anyone survive?