Jennifer

Jennifer Whelan's outer characterisation, as depicted in “The Recital” by Eimear Ryan, reveals that she is Grace’s sister, an accomplished pianist who postponed her career when she had her first son, Ruán. The boy’s father, however, did not do the same: “She’d made it – a successful stint with the National Symphony Orchestra, a score for a worldwide smash-hit Irish dance show. Then she had Ruán and devoted herself to motherhood full-time.” (ll. 38-40)

Inner characterisation

Jen’s inner characterisation is mostly conveyed in relation to her sister and her son. Because her son is still a baby and often cries, Jen is constantly stressed. She often takes out her feelings on Grace: “I wanted to go to bed in that quiet, not be confronted by a frazzled, sleep-deprived Jen.” (ll. 114-115)

Grace describes her as “the better pianist” (l. 38) and as very competitive towards her when they were growing up: “Dad never hinted at Jen’s superiority, and so...