Etgar Keret says, 'Being ambivalent doesn't mean that you're a relevatist, that anything goes, it just means that you show the complexity of life. Life is always complex.' Assuming an ambiguous stance over anything thus does not imply that you lack a solid opinion about it or that you are trying to obscure your opinions behind complex ideologies, rather it draws attention to your intent of exploring all the subtle nuances of any situation, be it negative or positive and the various subtexts embedded in it. Room, a novel written in 2010 by Emma Donoghue, an Irish-Canadian novelist and playwright is also a work of art that opens itself up to infinite interpretations. The novel though simplistic in its plot, narrating the story of a young woman …show more content…
falan somewhat reaffirms this idea but simultaneously defends Ireland’s right to be seen as a part of the post-colonial universe when he says Ireland’s location within debates on postcoloniality has always been—and will no doubt remain—contested, yet its inclusion is vital because of that very contestation. To include a country like Ireland among all the other countries with post-colonial histories is problematic for most because it somehow challenges the very reductive notion of all post-colonial literature being a sort of resistance against the west. As falan says, the inclusion of a society that is currently an economic success story and that is geographically situated within “Fortress Europe” contradicts the disingenuous contention that imperialism is either geographically, or historically, …show more content…
This thesis also takes a broader view of “colonialism” not perceiving it simply as“implanting of settlements on distant territory” according to Said’s definition even though the occupation of space is a huge part of it and thereby attempts to “complicate, extend and in some cases expose the limits of current models of postcoloniality” like Irish post-colonial literature has done. As this thesis will try to show it is a far more pervasive process with far-reaching mental and psychological consequences, that continue on even after the process of decolonization has apparently been completed. Irish writers can be considered to be trailblazers in many ways, a fact that has often been ignored and overlooked in the literary world. As falan says,“Irish writers were among the first to use “indigenous” forms of English toward aesthetic ends” and they were also among the first ones
Post-colonialism is a discourse draped in history. In one point in time or another, European colonialism dominated most non-European lands since the end of the Renaissance. Naturally, colonialists depicted the cultures of non-Europeans incorrectly and inferior. Traditionally, the canon has misappropriated and misrepresented these cultures, but also the Western academia has yet to teach us the valuable and basic lessons that allow true representations to develop. Partly in response, Post-colonialism arose. Though this term is a broad one, Post-colonialists generally agree on certain key principles. They understand that colonialism exploits the dominated people or country in one way or another, evoking inequalities. Examples of past inequalities include “genocide, economic exploitation, cultural decimation and political exclusion…” (Loomba 9-10). They abhor traditional colonialism but also believe that every people, through the context of their own cultures, have something to contribute to our understanding of human nature (Loomba 1-20). This is the theme that Lewis prescribes in his, self described, “satirical fantasy”, Out of the Silent Planet (Of Other 77).
With a hard competition, the Irish fought for equality and claimed that they should be accepted more than a black or Chinese. On page 139 an Irish stated, “How he labored so severely digging cellars, up before the starts and working till darkness, driven like horses to be a slave for the Americans.” The blacks and Irish were both viewed the same and as outcasts. “To be called an Irishman is almost as great an insult as to be stigmatized as a (N word) feller.” Ireland is an island filled with acres of opportunity for many sorts of agriculture. For centuries the Irish prospered in their homeland, until the British government stepped in and sought after economic
--------------------------------------------------------------------- [1] ‘Great Britain and the Irish Question’ – Paul Adelman [2] ‘Great Britain and the Irish Question’ – Paul Adelman [3]‘Great Britain and the Irish Question’ – Paul Adelman [4]‘Great Britain and the Irish Question’ – Paul Adelman [5] ‘Parnell and the Irish Question’ – Tim Hodge
What do you think of when you hear the name Ireland? Ireland is a relatively small island off the coast of Great Britain with a land area of 32,424 square miles (Delaney 2). There are several things that you may associate with this country such as St. Patrick’s Day, shamrocks, beer, and strife. The source of the bitterness behind this conflict began centuries ago, when Britain came over and forced Protestantism on the Irish Catholic inhabitants. For this reason there has always been an animosity between the Protestants and the Irish Catholics. The island is broken up into two distinct regions. The Republic of Ireland consists of twenty-six counties, which make up the southern region. This area is predominantly Roman Catholic. Northern Ireland is made up of the six northern counties, which are under British rule and predominately Protestant. Both sides use propaganda to spread their ideas and gain support. They each have organizations, such as the I.R.A., in the south, and the U.V.F., in the north, which use peaceful methods such as newspapers and murals along with violence to fight for their cause. In Northern Ireland the Protestants used their position in the government to spread anti-Catholic propaganda and persecute the Catholic citizens.
Walzl, Florence L. "Dubliners." A Companion Study to James Joyce. Ed. Zack Bowen and James F. Carens. Greenwood Press: London, 1984
Emma Donahue's Room: the negative effects of isolation Involuntary confinement often eliminates an individual’s ability to live with dignity within society, leaving them distressed and lonely. Freedom after isolation can feel bittersweet: victims are enthralled to escape, but are left with many adaptations and new challenges to face. In Emma Donahue's heart wrenching novel, Room the main characters battle with their journeys towards self-discovery after several years of confinement. The main character, Ma, is kidnapped at the age of eighteen and lives in an eleven foot by eleven foot room for seven years, finding the will to go on and care for her son, Jack. Five-year-old Jack, born in the room, knows nothing about the outside world.
Only recently has Ireland been included in the extensive study of postcolonial societies. Our geographical closeness to Britain, the fact that we are racially identical, the fact that we speak the same language and have the same value systems make our status as postcolonial problematic. Indeed, some would argue it is impossible to tell the difference between Irish and British. However, to mistake Irish for English to some is a grave insult. In this essay, I would like to look at Ireland’s emerging postcolonial status in relation to Frantz Fanon’s ‘The Wretched of the Earth’. By examining Fanon’s theories on the rise of cultural nationalism in colonised societies, one can see that events taking place in Ireland at the end of the nineteenth century bear all the hallmarks of a colonised people’s anti-colonial struggle through the revival of a culture that attempts to assert difference to the coloniser and the insistence on self-government.
Walsh’s, Ford’s and Toibin’s works help influence the way Ireland is perceived nowadays. Despite what some people may think, Ireland and it’s people lives do not revolve around Pubs and alcohol. The country relies heavily on their culture and customs. Religion, music and food are three ways my family celebrates our Irish heritage. Those three parts of the Irish culture are only a small portion of what it means to be Irish.
Whilst in the library skimming through the books, one in particular caught my eyes, Room by Emma Donoghue. The book’s dark colours and large red lettering with a child in the background gave a feeling of evil, not unlike that of the horror movie Insidious, and suggested the book had a horror or supernatural theme to it. Audrey Niffenegger, famous of course for The Time Traveler’s Wife amongst other popular novels, praised Room, saying that it’s ‘a book to read in one sitting.’ This combined with Room being shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2010 and Sunday Times No.1 Bestseller increased my expectations significantly, and cemented it as my choice for this assessment. I read this book for enjoyment however, I must admit I was eager to finish it, which resulted in irrational irritation with the characters and detrimentally affected my response and interpretation of the book.
Gerald of Wales’ was most likely never in Ireland, and his writing is not an accurate portrayal of the Irish, but a chance to discuss hybridity and turn his readers against it while also the Irish.
Ireland is a small country who has always had a large target on their back. The Irish always faced Britain’s iron fist. The Irish and the British had quite the history, and it was a rebellious one. Ireland suffered greatly from Britain’s intrusion. Ireland was not given the opportunity to develop their country on their own before Britain would invade, impeding on Ireland's growth.
Ronsley, Joseph, ed., Myth and Reality in Irish Literature, Wilfrid Laurier University Press, Canada, 1977
McCann et al. Belfast: Institute of Irish Studies, 1994, 95-109).
Every human being, in addition to having their own personal identity, has a sense of who they are in relation to the larger community--the nation. Postcolonial studies is the attempt to strip away conventional perspective and examine what that national identity might be for a postcolonial subject. To read literature from the perspective of postcolonial studies is to seek out--to listen for, that indigenous, representative voice which can inform the world of the essence of existence as a colonial subject, or as a postcolonial citizen. Postcolonial authors use their literature and poetry to solidify, through criticism and celebration, an emerging national identity, which they have taken on the responsibility of representing. Surely, the reevaluation of national identity is an eventual and essential result of a country gaining independence from a colonial power, or a country emerging from a fledgling settler colony. However, to claim to be representative of that entire identity is a huge undertaking for an author trying to convey a postcolonial message. Each nation, province, island, state, neighborhood and individual is its own unique amalgamation of history, culture, language and tradition. Only by understanding and embracing the idea of cultural hybridity when attempting to explore the concept of national identity can any one individual, or nation, truly hope to understand or communicate the lasting effects of the colonial process.
During the twentieth century, Ireland was suffering through a time of economic hardship. “Economic growth was stagnant, unemployment was at a historic high and exceeded anywhere in the EU, except possibly Spain, and the state was one of the most indebted in the world” . Irish men and women who had received a formal education had immigrated to other nations due to the unavailability of jobs at home. This left Ireland in a state of further economic downfall, and the lack of skilled workers left Ireland stuck. The 1990’s were a turning point for Ireland. A rise in industry within the nation, as well as an increase in exports, led Ireland to become the “shining nation” in Europe. It became internationally linked with one of the biggest power nations, the United States, and international trade became Ireland’s new source for a booming economy. This brought the rise of what was known as the Celtic Tiger in Ireland.