Introduction The Northern Irish literature is shaped by unique themes and ideas, motifs, and stylistic devices which determine its uniqueness and national features. The miracle of the liberation of the self, of finding peace and love among and within themselves, or of discovering some creative activity, happens in or through an unexpected action of special significance. Thesis The theme of trouble dominates in Northern Irish literature reflected in the struggle between the main characters and conflict themes. The brief description of Irish literature In Northern Irish literature, characters struggle to grow up and to grow toward self-recognition and self-realization. Yet no peaceful growth into adulthood seems possible. One of the features of ‘troubles’ is the presence of violence: the accumulated, great repressed forces and tensions burst out through violence. Life “troubles” help characters to become adults, to grow into independent and integrated personalities only through much suffering, violence, and sin. For instance, Murphy’s characters are torn by desires which are sometimes definite and conscious, sometimes vague and uncertain. Fantasy, as one of its main functions, helps to articulate and deal with these desires (Lee 1997). The desires Murphy’s characters struggle with are sometimes disturbing and threaten the integrity of the personality, making self-acceptance impossible; in other cases through desires, the characters — consciously or unconsciously -move toward finding or regaining a lost wholeness and peace with themselves. In the course of this quest for integrity, some characters in earlier plays clash primarily with their environment, while later they have to face themselves, come to terms with their past experiences, their memories, or their split personalities. These motifs are apparent in works of such play writers as Anne Devlin The Way-Paver (1986) and Ourselves Alone ( 1985). In depicting the actions of the human soul, many Irish writers use fantastic means to express desires in both meanings of the word “express” — to manifest and to expel — and sometimes even to fulfill them (Jones, 2002). In many works the theme of troubles is shaped by the dilemma of whether to emigrate or stay at home — this crucial Irish question -is dramatized in the conscious as well as the unconscious struggle of the character. Critics admit that economic crisis and social inequalities caused the popularity of this theme and the importance of fight and struggle for every individual (Lee 1997). The elements culminate in kinds of dreams of unconscious fears and distorted desires, projected on stage. In such works as The Home Pay (2005), Afterplay (2002), and The Bear (2002) by Brian Friel t he external world is presented and the conflicts take place more definitely inside the characters. To achieve self-realization, they have to face not only their environment but also, with greater difficulty, their selves, and their own conscious and unconscious desires. The unconscious can hardly be projected onto the stage without fantastic means; fantasy is the right medium for conveying it. Although the struggle goes on in his soul, he first has to sort things out with his environment. So the liberating action, after all, goes on not so much within s character as in his violent clash with the people around him. In the plays by Sarah Marie Jones (