The Power of the Sea
The power of the sea the central theme of the text. The Sea is right outside the cottage door, volatile, unpredictable, and implacable. It has taken almost all of Maurya's male family members and is poised to take the rest of them as well. It defies rationality and even God; the Holy Water is a pitiful reflection of it. Difference characters relate to the sea in different ways. For Nora and Cathleen, the sea only matters in terms of losing family members; for Maurya, it is the great enemy; for the young priest, it is of little importance; for Bartley, it is dangerous but is a way of life. The potency of the sea in this play is Synge's meditation on the power of nature and of suffering.
Catholicism vs. Paganism
The play is steeped in traditional Irish Catholicism: there are priests, blessings, Holy Water, etc. However, traditional Catholicism rests, somewhat uneasily, side-by-side with more pagan religious elements. Maurya doesn't heed the priest's empty, naive platitudes so much as she looks to the stars and other natural phenomena for warnings and signs. She knows more about the island than he does; she is skeptical of his outsider status and he is never even seen within the boundaries of the cottage. She heeds the power of the sea much more than she heeds God. It is only at the end of the text when her battle with the sea is over that she can peacefully submerge herself back into the rituals and rites of her Catholic faith.
Tradition vs. Modernity
Maurya represents tradition; her children and the young priest, on the other hand, represent modernity. Maurya knows everything about the island and its particulars; her religion is more paganistic than Catholic, her views stubbornly held. She does not embrace new ideas of comforting Catholicism or commerce. She only knows her small life, which is clear when she is wary to even leave her cottage.
Maurya's children, in contrast, deride her "senseless" behavior and rigid adherence to her beliefs. They look beyond the island to the wider world; the young priest is the connection between these two spaces. The tensions between the two worlds most impact Bartley, who understands the sea is dangerous but feels its pull because he is a man and must secure a livelihood for his family. At the end of the play it is clear modernity will ultimately dominate, but it is also clear that Maurya's worldview is still important and has much to teach the younger generation.
Gender Roles
The characters in the text rigidly adhere to the prescribed gender roles of their time and place. Nora is relatively voiceless, while Cathleen is the keeper of the hearth. Maurya is the quintessential Mother, caring only for her family and the extension of its lineage: she worries, chastises, and mourns; her sons are her main focus. She is not at all comforted by the fact that her daughters remain living; they are essentially useless in terms of what they can bring to the family. As the man of the family at the opening of the play, Bartley's role is clear: to provide for his family. Cathleen articulates that "it is the life of a young man to be going on the sea" (64). He is the provider and Maurya's fears that he will die are also related to the problems they will face: "It's hard set we'll be surely the day you're drownd'd with the rest. What way will I live and the girls with me, and I an old woman looking for the grave?" (64.)
