Short Story II 1950-2020

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Course Description: This course offers a critical survey of the Modern and Contemporary Short Story in the Irish Language, 1950-2020. In addition to analyzing various literary techniques, themes, and topics, we study the development of the short story form from WWII to the present day. Starting with Máirtín Ó Cadhain, we focus on major developments in literary style, cultural controversies, and debates, not only for what they tell us about Irish literature and culture in general, but the wider impact and purpose of major literary movements such as realism, modernism, metafiction and postmodernism. We trace the impact of Irish politics, society, and culture on the short story form as well as various literary techniques: openings, conclusions, flashbacks, trick endings, use of tension, sentence structure, dialogue, pov, metaphor, and simile. Authors, whose work we study, include: Máirtín Ó Cadhain, Alan Titley, Padraic Breathnach, Mícheál Ó Conghaile, Joe Steve Ó Neachtain, Daithí Ó Muirí, Réaltán Ní Leannán, Biddy Jenkinson, Éilis Ní Dhuibhne, Sean Mac Mathúna, Fionntán de Brún, Roise Ní Bhaoill, Eithne Ní Ghallchobhair, Katherine Duffy and others.