"Casualty" by Seamus Heaney is written as an elegy for a friend who was killed in a bombing in Northern Ireland shortly after Bloody Sunday. His friend, who was Catholic, did not respect the curfew imposed by the Irish Republican Army. As a result he was killed in the attack on the pub he often frequented. “Casualty” serves as an elegy for this friend as Heaney uses him to remember and honor the deceased. The poem also allows Heaney to express his opinion on the relative culpability of his friend and the IRA: "No to plagiarism". Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay At the heart of "Victims" is the question of the Fisherman's responsibility for causing his own death. Heaney asks the reader, “How guilty was he / that last night when he broke / the complicity of our tribe?” (78-80) He can imagine his friend replying, “Confuse me/The right answer to that question.” (83-84) The poem ends with an echo of this question suggested by Heaney: “Question me again.” (112) This repetition of the question of the friend's guilt suggests to the reader that this poem was intended to convey a political message in addition to its function as an elegy that Heaney uses to pay homage to his friend. We should analyze this poem to determine for ourselves whether the violation of the curfew, imposed by the Fisherman's own people, was enough to justify his death. By choosing not to follow the curfew agreed by Catholics in Northern Ireland, the Fisherman is seen as an enemy of his people, his "tribe". Thus the question of his culpability appears to hinge on the decision whether the rights of an individual should be valued higher than the collective good of his people. The Fisherman's crime was to turn his back on his people. Heaney reinforces this theme with imagery describing the Fisherman as he was all those evenings in the pub, "His fisherman's quick eye / And he turned, alert." (19-20) Heaney is comparing the literal way the Fisherman sat at the bar, with his back to the rest of the patrons, to the figurative way he turned his back on his people. The Fisherman goes against the agreement of the Catholic community to satisfy his individual desires. Heaney seems to have issues with whether this is a justification for his death and asks the reader to consider whether the crime of disobeying the will of one's people is enough to justify murder. Both Heaney and the Fisherman were Catholic and therefore had to obey the curfew. imposed by the Irish Republic Army. However, Heaney describes the Fisherman as having little choice about breaking curfew as he was forced by his habit to seek out alcohol: For he drank like a fish At night, of course Swimming towards the lure Of warm, lighted places (70 -74) Here, Heaney makes it seem as if the Fisherman's need to drink meant that he was "not kept / At home by his own mob / Whatever threats were made." (60-63) Fueled by his addiction, it appears that the Fisherman had little control over his choice to disobey the curfew. Heaney describes how he can imagine his friend in the moments before his death: I see him as he turns In that offensive bombed place, Remorse blends with terror In his still recognizable face (64-67) That his face, in Heaney's imagination, showing remorse, indicates that the Fisherman was aware of his transgression. His compulsion combined with repentance seem to lessen his guilt, make him seem less "guilty" and less deserving of his fate. The idea that Heaney is defending his friend, the Fisherman,can be supported through the analysis of how Heaney presents the character of the man. throughout the poem. The poem begins with Heaney remembering how his friend behaved in the pub. He describes him as a quiet man who kept to himself: he drank alone and raised his worn thumb towards the top shelf, calling for another rum and blackcurrant, without having to raise his voice (1-6) Since he keeps to himself, we can deduce that the Fisherman was not one to cause trouble or disturb those around him. Occasionally, the Fisherman would strike up a conversation with Heaney and attempt to discuss poetry with him: "In the pause after a snail / He mentioned poetry / We would be alone." (27-29) From this quote we can build on our perception of this man as a quiet and solitary man. Heaney points out that when the Fisherman started a conversation, they would be alone; it wouldn't be a public conversation that others could intrude on. Heaney's portrait of his friend, together with images of his "turned and attentive back", suggests that this Fisherman, because he was a loner, did not often seek the company of others and therefore appears to be an outsider to society. The last lines of the poem, Heaney's final comment on the Fisherman's guilt, leave the reader with the impression that Heaney does not hold the Fisherman guilty in his decision to break the curfew. Heaney describes a fishing trip he took with his friend: "When he took me in his boat / The propeller went round, round." (99-100) Describes the setting in the boat, on the water as the Fisherman's natural habitat: As you find a rhythm that keeps you working, slowly mile by mile, in your true haven Somewhere, well out, beyond. .. (106-109) This isolated setting fits Heaney's portrayal of his friend as a loner. During this journey, Heaney understands and empathizes with the fisherman's love for these peaceful journeys. Heaney also begins to enjoy the isolation and describes to the reader his empathy for the Fisherman: "I tasted freedom with him." (102) Since Heaney believes that time spent alone on the boat is “freedom” for the Fisherman, this suggests that he finds no fault in his friend for living outside the confines of society. He accepts that it is not a shameful thing for his friend to want to be outside of society. The Fisherman finds comfort in the freedom that time spent away from people gives him. The last stanzas of the poem seem to demonstrate that Heaney's opinion is that his friend was justified when he put his individual rights and freedom before the rules of his people. Please note: this is just an example. Get a custom paper from our expert writers now. Get a Custom Essay In “Casualty” Heaney asks the reader to examine the guilt of his friend, the Fisherman, for ignoring the rules established by his people, the Catholics of Northern Ireland. Although he ultimately leaves it up to the reader to decide the extent of the Fisherman's guilt, Heaney makes his opinion on the matter clear throughout the poem. The central theme of the rights of the individual over the good of a people is central to the poem. Heaney suggests that his friend's alcohol addiction forced him to break curfew and suggests that he must have felt remorse for this decision. He describes his friend as a loner who kept to himself and was never a problem to those around him or to society as a whole. Heaney sympathizes with this man's need for isolation, recognizing this social isolation as freedom for the Fisherman. Taking all these things into account, it seems that Heaney is suggesting that his friend, who lived his life as an outsider to society, was.=)