In Brian Friel’s The Loves of Cass McGuire the presence of negative
expressions both in stage directions and dialogue acts as a structuring
principle and emphasizes the metadramatic construction of the play.
Negative forms underlie Cass’s growing awareness of disappointment
and hopelessness, denying the “loves†ironically mentioned in the title.
Only the alternative imaginary recreation of her own life – her “rhapsodyâ€
- is significantly marked by the absence of negative forms. The language of
denial is thus both subject and object in the play.
