ENG 150: National Identity in Modern Irish Literature- Student Curated Display

Review by Gavin Harmon

"Postcolonial Identities" Chapter Review

The book begins with a story, the story of Jean Ryan Hakizimana. Jean is a migrant, refugee, an artist, an African and a citizen of the world. Jean then tells her story of her life and her encounter with a very noble Irishman and how her name was a debt of gratitude to that man that saved their families lives. Jean finishes her story and then turns to the examination of the Irish people and their culture. She emphasized the importance of “where do you come from “and how this question helps propel paint a picture of who you are and how you should be judged based all off of your birthplace. Jean then goes on to identify the 19th century expansion and colonialism of Europe. She tackled the “Hamitic Theory” as she described that the colonizers would deem people higher or better based on their looks and similarities to the colonizers. The more Caucasian you were in your appearance, the more likely you were to be considered Hamitic. The darker skin tones were viewed as uncivilized by the classification of the colonizers. Jean goes on to connect the Hamitic Theory to the issues of discrimination in Northern Ireland as many of those issues went on in north Ireland as well. Jean confines on with the wrongdoings of the Hamitic Theory as it was the reason for millions of people being treated unfairly and the reason why many people today are still behind in many facets of life. Throughout the chapter, Jean continuously connects the hardships and suppression that many Irish people and the culture had faced to her homeland. She talks about the political struggle and the colonial barriers that held her people down just as it did to the Irish. This chapter is the story of Jean’s life and her hardships in her upbringing and the ways that these events connect to the Irish hardships and the effects of colonialism on the Irish and her own people. This chapter is a great way to explain many Irish downfalls through a common knowledge of her own experiences by attaching memories or stories to events that she and millions of others have in common.

I would say that this chapter in this study gives the reader a connection to the events of Postcolonial theory in Ireland through the personal experiences that we see through Jean’s stories. The chapter does a great job at connecting through the story to the Irish culture and allows the reader to understand that these events that happened in Ireland and are important are also happening in many other places around the world.

Review by William Vandegrift

Chapter 4 Review

In this chapter we are digging a little deeper into what really makes up the Irish Identity. James Joyce is Stephen Dedalus’s literary alter ego. One of James Joyce’s famous characters from Ulysses demonstrates Joyce's take on Irish nationalism. In the opening of Ulysses the character of Bloom actually failed to achieve any of his goals. This character represents the outsiders of the Irish culture. Bloom is not your typical Irishman but can, “independently judge his surroundings to ultimately demonstrate why a fixed definition of Irish identity should never have been the teleological goal of the Irish” (105). This shows James Joyce’s perspective on the current problems occuring that this time in Ireland. Bloom is the vision of this New Ireland and what it stands for, a different perspective for the Irish people. There was also a fear that England would regain control of the Irish way. A famous saying was, “how long will Haines stay in the tower” (106). The Irish feared that there was a danger that colonialism was making the nation conform. With the presence of British colonialism it was affecting colonialism in the form of Irish nationalism.

Bibliography :

Halloran, Thomas F. James Joyce - Developing Irish Identity : A Study of the Development of Postcolonial Irish Identity in the Novels of James Joyce. ibidem, 2009. EBSCOhost,search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=732216&site=eds-live.

Ryan, C.Jean, and Michael Hayes. Postcolonial Identities : Constructing the “New Irish.” Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2006. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=532120&site=eds-live.

Review by William King

Chapter 1 Review

This chapter begins with the criticism of modern history, in how it is remembered and passed down. The history we know today is described as a western notion that is a linear timeline that only portrays the timeline of the development of a state into nationhood. This history usually is ignorant of the appalling acts that may have occurred due to the “victors” journey to nationhood, and may also suppress the losers' own history and feeling of the matter creating them as the antagonist of the history they construct. They further state the importance of history to the modern world, as it is a validation for authority and power, and also something that creates nationalism. The chapter describes two ways in which a nation can receive these: by dominating others and writing your own history or by creating culture through literature and tradition. This means that nations will need to create their own history for their nations validation of authority and power which leads to conflict with other nations, and there can only be one winner. The other is by creating a sense of nationalism through literature and culture. Literature and the post colonial writer also plays an important role in how culture and tradition will be preserved and translated into the new post-colonial society. The post-colonial writers are in charge of the new traditions, practices and culture of the new nation, which will become canon and the new history of the young nation. The post-colonial writers play a big role because they are the mediator between the coloniser and their own colonized nation of people, having to understand boy languages and tradition and being able to display and convey each side's opinions. This chapter describes postcolonial literature as the opposing viewpoint of the canon of history written by the colonizers. This gives the reader multiple viewpoints and puts into perspective how the history that they know is only from one nation's viewpoint and how it may not be as accurate as they once may have thought. Ireland's postcolonial literature had a very difficult time gaining hold and recognition of their own because despite being colonized by Great Britain the English claimed the Irish writers and writing as their own. The Irish writers were forced to create literature not in their native tongue but in English and also being subject to the category of “English Literature”.

This chapter helps you understand the context of history and how it can be construed to one viewpoint clouding judgment by others and how it can be misleading to people, helping further our understanding of postcolonial theory. History also helps in the creation of a nation and determining the power and authority it wields. Though history helps set in stone a nation's presence in the world, literature and culture help maintain the nation and push it forward. Finally we see the implication of post -colonial writers and how they help early nationhood and the transitions that occur.

Review by Liam Ferris

Chapter Two: The Articulation of Colonial Irish Identity in Dubliners: Homogeneity as Productive of Fantasy and Materialism in-stead of Idealism Review

Chapter 2 analyzes James Joyce’s Dubliners focusing on how these stories relate to the idea of developing postcolonial Irish identity. According to Halloran “Dubliners provides the first subtle declaration for the initial need to decolonise.” (33). Halloran argues that Dubliners is a description of the problems that come with colonial life. The characters in Dubliners are constantly in disappointment because they fail to realise their aspirations which is a constant challenge as action seems futile in the colonial setting where one is always subservient. Even though this is evident, it is not clearly realized by the characters. In The Dead the character Gabriel states his desire to leave Ireland and join modern Europe but he also wants to remain with the tradition that his family has created in Ireland. This is one of the main concepts analyzed. They wish that Irish culture could expand but they are still conflicted “with the narrow-mindedness of the colonial state.” (34). The general reaction attempt to stray from colonialism is nationalism. But this can prevent other cultures from influencing your own, which makes it difficult to create an Irish identity that is inclusive and open. This is where the characters of Dubliners lay. The next part of postcolonialism is highlighted in the over- importance placed on money. There are many references to the power of money and wealth highlighted in the poverty through Dubliners. This emphasis of money shows people that are giving up the pursuit of national identity for security, thus preventing any national unity. Halloran then goes on to describe how the collection of Dubliners can be read as the pitfalls of colonialism or the lack of national pride displayed by the characters. The collection can be seen as anti-imperialism outright, but it can also be seen as a disruption against nationalism that they are trying to achieve. The collection does not advise people to revert to the narrow past of pre-colonialism but rather shows people wanting to imagine an inclusive new culture. The characters think that there is nothing for them in Ireland but have a realisation that it does not feel right to have a distance from their culture. He then compares the Irish to that of the “Indians” (Native Americans) who were also colonized by the British. Stating that the Irish were similar in their primitive nature. This is referenced in An Encounter when the young boys desire and fantasize about being people other than themselves but still cannot even imagine names other than Murphy and Smith. They want to escape their subservient rolls but lack the imagination to do so. This is countered by A Painful Case in which the main character Duffy wants to leave Dublin but is bound by family. So, to counter this with fantasy. Duffy surrounds himself with his intellectual studies to escape from society. This chapter is analyzing the different ways that Dubliners and postcolonialism can be seen in Ireland. Is it due to the suppression of the colonizer or the lack of openness, creativity and effort of the colonized? Halloran looks at both and determines that Dubliners is a perfect representation of both of the sides being analyzed.

Bibliography:

Halloran, Thomas F. James Joyce - Developing Irish Identity : A Study of the Development of Postcolonial Irish Identity in the Novels of James Joyce. ibidem, 2009. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=732216&site=eds-live.

Ryan, C.Jean, and Michael Hayes. Postcolonial Identities : Constructing the “New Irish.” Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2006. EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=nlebk&AN=532120&site=eds-live.