Theme: Humour and Bullying

Understanding the Theme

Humour and bullying is a major theme in The Slab Boys by John Byrne.
The use of humorous dialogue and interactions often hides the underlying aggression and abuse taking place in the workspace.

Humour is a distinct feature in Byrne’s play, portraying the difficulties of slab-room life in a sugar-coated manner.
The play’s dark humour often reflects the harsh realities of working-class life and may symbolise the workers’ need to toughen up or harden their feelings to survive.
Slab Boys’ wisecracks, often in form of sarcasm, highlight the adversity they face and serve to mask the profound feelings of discontent and frustration.

Bullying in the play often characterises the relationships between the characters, portraying a power dynamic.
The Slab Boys often make fun of Alan Downie, highlighting their resentment towards his social standing and aspirations.
Bullying also symbolizes the restrictive and oppressive environment they operate in which reinforces their low status and entrapment.
Bullying of Phil McCann by his peers and superior, Mr Curry, reflect his struggle and symbolic oppression by those in higher social standing.

The intertwining of humour and bullying encapsulates the way the characters cope with their difficult circumstances.
The characters use humour as a defensive mechanism to hide their true feelings and use it as an outlet for pent up frustration.
Their life is dominated by meticulous monotonous work which they endure by cracking jokes, often at the expense of others, hence representing bullying.

This theme brings to light the harsh realities of the Slab Boys’ working environment, highlighting working class struggles and societal dynamics.
It emphasizes the presence of a class hierarchy within society and the discrimination experienced by the working class.
The theme presents a striking critique of the pressures of working-class life, portrayed in the interplay of humour and bullying, which act as outlets for implicit discontent and aggression.