Contemporary Irish Literature: Development, Similarities and its particular nature

Exemplary Research on the discussed works

Dossier / Travail , 2009 , 19 Pages , Note: 2,0

Philologie Anglaise - Littérature

„The English did many terrible things to the Irish but one of the great things they did was give us this wonderful language. We are a completely story-based society. We do love a story“ -
This quotation was taken from John Banville in 2005. To be more exactly, he said this in an interview after winning the first booker prize after Roddy Doyle. While this quotation sounds very informal, it leaves the reader with the impression that Banville spoke for his fellow Irish people and not just for himself and additionally to that, he did this in a very personal way. It seems that the Irish are very close to each other and that their history bound them even more together. In my paper I‘m going to do some research on Hiberno- English and it‘s use in Irish Literature. I will try to point out what makes Irish Literature so special and what English has to do with it. Considering that English was not their mother tongue, it will be interesting to see why the Irish adopted this language in their daily life anyway and why literature coming from Ireland is still so different from British literature. It will be my task to take a closer look at common topics in Irish books and if some aspects of Irish literature occur more often in their books as it actually seems. Furthermore I will figure out how many new words the Irish created over the decent years and why an English person won‘t understand these words without looking them up in a hiberno dictionary. Finding the answer to some common questions about Irish behavior and habits will be another task I have to deal with. To sum up, you could say that my paper will be about a lot of Irish oddities, especially in their written tasks. And furthermore finding the cause for those peculiarities. At the end of my paper I want to see if Banville‘s quote is just his opinion, or if the whole Irish society would agree with one of their greatest writers.

Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)

• I. Introduction
• II. Characteristics of Irish Literature
• 1. Hiberno English
• 2. Common Idioms and Habits
• 3. Typical Subjects
• III. Analysis
• 1. "The Commitments" by Roddy Doyle
• 2. "Angela's Ashes" by Frank McCourt
• 3. "My left foot" by Christie Brown
• IV. Summary

Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)

This paper investigates the unique features of Irish literature and explores the impact of Hiberno-English on its development and character. It examines the history and evolution of Hiberno-English, analyzing how it has shaped the language and culture of Ireland. The main themes explored include:

• The influence of Hiberno-English on contemporary Irish literature
• The distinct characteristics of Irish writing and how they differ from British literature
• The use of language and vocabulary in shaping the identity of Irish literature
• Common themes and subjects explored in Irish books
• The impact of Gaelic on Hiberno-English

Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)

• Introduction: This section begins with a quote by John Banville highlighting the significance of storytelling in Irish culture. It introduces the research focus on Hiberno-English and its influence on Irish literature, comparing it to British literature. The paper aims to analyze the unique elements of Irish writing and the reasons behind them.
• Characteristics of Irish literature: This chapter delves into the specifics of Hiberno-English, exploring its historical development and relationship to both Anglo-Irish and Gaelic. It discusses the evolution of Hiberno-English through the influence of English soldiers, settlers, and later, the "plantations" established by English families. The chapter also highlights the importance of Gaelic as a substrate for Hiberno-English and its continuing presence in Irish society, despite a growing usage of Hiberno-English.

Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)

The primary keywords and focus topics of this paper are: Hiberno-English, Irish literature, contemporary Irish literature, Gaelic, Anglo-Irish, language influence, cultural identity, Irish writing, British literature, and literary analysis.

• Université: University of Dusseldorf "Heinrich Heine" (Philosophische Fakultät)
• Cours: Social Conditions in Ireland as Portrayed in Post-Colonial Literature
• Note: 2,0
• Auteur: Anonym (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2009
• Pages: 19
• N° de catalogue: V199264
• ISBN (ebook): 9783656256656
• ISBN (Livre): 9783656258551
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: contemporary, irish, literature, development, similarities, exemplary, research