Flann O'Brien, Dickens and Joyce: Form, Identity and Colonial Influences

The entire proposal stands as a satire in itself; an analogy paralleling the tyrannical attitude of the British toward their Irish

The short stories of Ireland are distinct and many times distinctly Irish. “The Limerick Gloves” by Maria Edgeworth, “The Pedlar’s Revenge” by Liam O’Flaherty, “The Poteen Maker” by Michael McLaverty, and “Loser” Val Mulkerns are each distinct Irish short stories that deal with Irish topics in original ways. These stories are stylistically and thematically Irish. They are moralistic and offer clear themes that pertain to Irish values. This analysis will explore the Irish-ness of the works and explore their meaning when held against Irish literary tenants.

    In the early twentieth century, Ireland, and more specifically Dublin, was a place defined by class distinctions. There were the wealthy, worldly upper-class who owned large, stately townhouses in the luxurious neighborhoods and the less fortunate, uneducated poor who lived in any shack they could afford in the middle of the city. For the most part, the affluent class was Protestant, while the struggling workers were overwhelmingly Catholic. These distinctions were the result of nearly a century of disparity in income, education, language, and occupation, and in turn were the fundamental bases for the internal struggle that many of Joyce's characters feel.

The primary aim for the narrator is to suggest a reflection on how the Irish are treating the problems happening within their country through satirical writing. The narrator states that, “Infant’s flesh will be in

The setting of the story, Dublin, has been written in such a way that only

“People everywhere brag and whimper about the woes of their early childhood, but nothing can compare with the Irish version”(11).

4. The author suggests that in England, William Byrd was something of a gadabout, whereas in

In the nineteenth century, Irish people in Great Britain and the United States were negatively stereotyped. To illustrate, some scientists during the time believed that Irish people were more closely related to apes than other Europeans, and considered them to be an inferior race to Anglo-Saxons. Some communities in the United States classified Irish people as Black, like Africans and African Americans. Irish people were seen as lazy, immoral, selfish, and destructive. The group was illustrated to be criminals that lied and stole from people. Gilman Tenney introduces O’Connor’s character as a very stereotypical Irishman of the time period. In “The boy was likely, impudent, and a good scholar; always at the head of all mischief in every school he attended; and remarkable for having always a park of cards in his pocket, and for attending every cock-fight and horse-race, within a dozen miles of him” (Tenney, 16). He partakes in stereotypical Irish pastimes such as gambling and causing mischief for others. As he grew up, these

Joyce 's novel demonstrates a city and a society full of contradictions, parochial ideas, and paralysis. The Dublin inhabitants are divided by the river Liffey, into 'North and South ', 'rich and poor classes

Identity is pivotal to the story and holds its own innate power, but what is even more pivotal is that the Irish do not necessarily all share the same views. The Irish find their history very important because it is the foundation of the language. Hugh says, “It is not the literal past, the ‘facts’ of history, that shape us, but images of the past embodied in language” (88). It is evident then that Hugh finds the historical meanings of

The entire proposal stands as a satire in itself; an analogy paralleling the tyrannical attitude of the British toward their Irish

The history of Ireland is one of early scholasticism and rich culture in times when the rest of Europe had less of a literary and artistic tradition. By the time of Hyde’s speech, the nation had become “one of the least studious and most un-literary”3 countries of the area, and he claims that the fault lies in a divergence from “the right path.”4 Progressive Anglicization has led the Irish to forget their own culture and its traditions. The British claim that because the Irish have forgotten much of their language and customs, they should be content as an integral part of the United Kingdom, and

The Irish had suffered long before in the hands of the English when Cromwell had been in control and had taken away land held by the catholic majority of the country to members of the protestant minority. This created a large tension among the population with the oppressed majority and the rather entitled minority who by Trevelyan’s snooty tone did indeed see themselves as the superior people in the country. (Trevelyan’s tone is probably the most dismissive when in discussion of the Irish, mayhaps showing his own true dislike.) (Trevelyan, p. 116-

In William Trevor’s short story ‘Beyond the Pale’, the reader is presented with a text that seethes with the angst of a writer whose country’s Colonial past has been gnawing on his bones. Although there is nothing unusual in this (especially in Irish writing), Trevor manages to fumble the ball in the course of his didactic strategy and snatch defeat from the jaws of victory: what should have been a successful indictment of British Colonial Rule in Ireland becomes nothing more than the grumbling of an intelligent writer who cannot negotiate his patriotic feelings.

The persona of the poem is Ulysses himself. Just like the Duke in My Last Duchess, he uses dramatic monologue. This is demonstrated when he talks to his soldiers during his past years as an energetic youth. Using the stylistic feature of flashback, he takes readers through his past life, connoting the excitement it brought him. He then brings one back to the present that immensely shows the contrast and equal discontent that Ulysses feels. The flashback also aids in building the image of the poem, in order to identify oneself with the persona. Furthermore, he uses a mixture of archaic and simple words, which is also seen in Browning’s