Analysis Of Yu Ming

This section analyzes how Yu Ming, a non-Irish immigrant and protagonist in the Irish production, is portrayed. Moreover, it illustrates how the portrayal of a character can vary by applying different cinematic or expressive techniques.

Firstly, according to Villar-Argáiz (467), several Irish films represent non-Irish immigrants as mono-dimensional and secondary characters, who provide stark contrast to Irish protagonists. Furthermore, she notes that “[immigrants] largely function as cinematic elements which emphasize the marginalization of other ‘inner’ Irish outsiders…” (Villar-Argáiz 467). The portrayal of an immigrant in O’Hara’s film differs to Villar-Argáiz’s claim. The protagonist is called Yu Ming who is a Chinese immigrant desiring

Despite the fact that a large number of people are visible in O’Hara’s fictional Dublin, the main character is completely isolated by any of the Irish society. Yu Ming’s isolation is emphasized when he is not able to communicate with the locals. Throughout the short film, multiple scenes where Yu Ming speaks the Irish language are shown. Initially, when he arrives at a hostel in Dublin, he realizes that the receptionist does not understand him. However, the Mongolian man has no problems in communicating with the Irish man; thus, Yu Ming feels excluded. His repeated attempt of having a conversation fails as well because the next interlocutor is not a living person but a statue of Patrick Kavanagh. Paradoxically, Kavanagh was an Irish poet who “was unsympathetic to the language revival movement.” (McMahon 213) Hence, Yu Ming’s attempt to converse with that particular statue corresponds to the notion of isolation because the main character would have not received any response, even if it was actually Kavanagh himself. Moreover, the scene where he has struggles to use the cutlery further alienates him from the urban society, marking him as an outsider. Nevertheless,

Connemara is shown as a quiet, rural area with picturesque landscapes, where there are no signs of industrial development. At first glance, it seems as if Gaeltacht, the western region of Ireland where only Irish is spoken, is more alienating and isolating than the modern city. The Cliffs of Moher, giant waves and green hills can be seen but there is hardly any indication of inhabitation; however, the rural setting in O’Hara’s movie symbolizes community and familiarity. In Connemara, Yu Ming belongs in a community, where he can be a part of a society and more importantly, he has finally found his new identity. The final scene shows him actively talking to the visitor, which can be read as a symbol of not only belonging to a society but inviting the other into the