20th Century Short Story

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

This introductory course to the Short Story literary form, as practiced in Ireland, introduces students to themes and motifs as well as the critical debates associated with the genre from the Revival to WWII. We begin with a survey of the literary history and cultural politics of Ireland in the nineteenth century, the Irish Literary revival, and the emergence of the short story in Irish, before considering the relationship between folklore, modernity, and modernism to the origins of the modern short story form as well as the role of cultural nationalism, regional exceptionalism, and the depiction/idealization of women and the paucity of female authors in the genre prior to WWII. Authors studied in this course, include: P.H. Pearse, Pádraic Ó Conaire, Seamus Ó Grianna, Seosamh Mac Grianna, Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Liam Ó Flaithearta/Liam O'Flaherty. Stories are read primarily as literary texts that shed light on evolving cultural, political, and social conditions and provide incisive insights into the Irish literary and cultural tradition. This course is an ideal introduction to literary criticism and cultural studies. No prior knowledge of Irish or Ireland is required. All texts will be available in English translation. Satisfies -- LIT - old Core Literature (LIT) WKAL - new Core Art & Literature