The Irish Novel

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

his course is an introduction, through English-language translations, to the Irish-language novel. We analyze key developments in the novel through a consideration of its historical, literary-historical, and critical contexts. The twentieth century witnessed the development of the novel as part of a linguistic and cultural revival, and a corresponding growth in cultural and political nationalism yet over time, novelists were to the fore in critiquing and satirizing the official national narrative. In our readings, both primary and secondary, we focus on this tension to guide our discussion. A key question to be examined is how do Irish-language novels attend to contemporary Irish and international issues? Many of these texts are primary examples of different literary genres: the Bildungsroman, the Modernist novel, the parodic/satiric novel, the realist and the naturalist novel. We will also carefully consider thematic and formal questions related to these texts' genres. Authors to be studied may include, but are not limited to the following: OLaoghaire, O Conaire, O Grianna, O Cadhain, Mac Grianna, Standun, Ni Dhuibhne, and Wilmot. All texts are will be read in English translation. No prior knowledge of Irish is required. Extra credit is available to those undertaking research through the medium of Irish. This course meets the Literature and Theology Ways of Knowing requirement