In this MA thesis I aim to look especially at one specific group of Irish immigrants from the many that took the crossing, namely nineteenth-century young Irish women who found work as servants in the New World. These girls and women encountered many hardships. As explained in the previous section, they were dislocated, and thus vulnerable to abuse and loneliness.
Of course, there are many ways in which this segment of Irish immigrants can be analyzed. It can be done by looking at historic documents, photographs or the occasional letters which were written. Yet, the way in which I shall analyze this group is through the use of three novels that deal with the Irish immigrant servant girl as a protagonist. The novels studied will be two novels from the latter half of the nineteenth century and one contemporary novel, which will give very diverse perspectives. The modern novel is looking back on an era and thus manages to put the immigration of the Famine and post Famine generation into a modern perspective while the novels written in the latter half of the nineteenth century present the view of the writers and people back then. The novels that will be used for this study are Mary Anne Madden Sadlier’s novel Bessy Conway; or, the Irish girl in America (1862), John McElgun’s Annie Reilly: The Fortunes of an Irish Girl in New York (1873) and Margaret Atwood’s Alias Grace (1996).
Table of Contents
1. Acknowledgements
2. Introduction: “Far at sea”
3. The “Devine Providence”: The Irish Servant Girl and Religion
4. “Morning makes you look prettier”: The Irish Servant Girl and Gender
5. Reinforcing Stereotypes: The Irish Servant Girl, Class and Ethnicity
6. Conclusion: “Success, slow but sure”
Objectives & Themes
This thesis examines the representation of nineteenth-century Irish immigrant women who worked as domestic servants in North America. By analyzing three selected novels, the research explores how the protagonists navigate the challenges of their new environment while maintaining or negotiating their identity in relation to religious, social, and cultural frameworks.
- The role of Catholic faith in providing strength and moral guidance to immigrant women.
- The impact of gendered expectations and societal pressures on the immigrant servant girl.
- The influence of class status and ethnicity on the assimilation and social mobility of Irish newcomers.
- A comparative analysis between nineteenth-century "Famine generation fiction" and contemporary narrative perspectives.
- The exploration of identity construction and the "myth" of the strong Irish immigrant woman in literature.
Excerpt from the Book
Arriving in the New World as an Irish immigrant girl
The number of female and male Irish immigrants was unequal. According to Alan Brinkley “[m]any Irish immigrants were young, single women.” This statement raises many questions which Brinkley unfortunately does not answer. According to the sources there could be various reasons for the vast number of female Irish immigrants. For example Donna Gabaccia argues that “[g]iven a high degree of gender hostility in Irish culture, Irish women weighed wage-earning spinsterhood and convent life against marriage and sometimes found the latter too risky.” In other words, for some of these girls the escape to America meant their own individual freedom from the patriarchal Irish society they were born into. Social scientist Robert E. Kennedy comes with a similar conclusion, arguing that women in Ireland were subjected to discrimination. Sons were treated better than daughters; for example sons were given more food. He explains: “Daughters would have been unaware of these indices, but they were not unaware of their low status vis-à-vis their brothers and of their future low status as wives …. The uncommonly high number of single women in the Irish immigration may be seen as an early Women’s Liberation Movement.”
After arriving in America Irish immigrant girls usually had two work options. Either they became factory workers or they became domestic servants. Factory work was often very hard labor. The factories were dirty, dangerous and the women were often badly paid. Many factories held “piecework systems”, which meant that the women were paid for every item of, for example, clothing they finished. Mathew Carey writes about factories in Boston and New York where these practices were standard: “They [Irish women] were paid between 6-10 cents a shirt and worked about 13-14 hours a day. Since they could only make nine shirts a week, the maximum pay was about 90 cents a week.”
Summary of Chapters
1. Acknowledgements: A brief expression of gratitude to the supervisor for guidance and patience during the writing process.
2. Introduction: “Far at sea”: An overview of the historical context of Irish migration, highlighting the socio-economic conditions in Ireland and the challenges faced by immigrants in America.
3. The “Devine Providence”: The Irish Servant Girl and Religion: An analysis of how religious faith functions as a moral compass and a source of strength for the female protagonists in the chosen novels.
4. “Morning makes you look prettier”: The Irish Servant Girl and Gender: An exploration of how gender norms and societal expectations shape the lives, work experiences, and interpersonal relationships of Irish servant women.
5. Reinforcing Stereotypes: The Irish Servant Girl, Class and Ethnicity: An examination of the intersection between class mobility, ethnic identity, and the various stereotypes imposed upon Irish immigrants in North American society.
6. Conclusion: “Success, slow but sure”: A final synthesis of the findings, reflecting on the common patterns of growth and the unique narrative styles of the three authors in depicting the immigrant experience.
Keywords
Irish immigrants, domestic servants, nineteenth-century literature, Catholic faith, gender roles, social mobility, Famine generation fiction, North America, assimilation, identity, patriarchy, stereotype, Mary Anne Madden Sadlier, John McElgun, Margaret Atwood
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this thesis?
The research focuses on the representation of young, nineteenth-century Irish immigrant women who worked as domestic servants in North America, as portrayed in three specific literary works.
Which novels are analyzed in the study?
The study analyzes Mary Anne Madden Sadlier’s "Bessy Conway; or, the Irish girl in America", John McElgun’s "Annie Reilly: The Fortunes of an Irish Girl in New York", and Margaret Atwood’s "Alias Grace".
What is the research's main objective?
The goal is to analyze the heroines and their environment in relation to religion, gender, class, and ethnicity, and to determine how these aspects affect the characters' behavior and development.
What scientific methods are applied in this work?
The thesis employs literary analysis, using historical context and feminist theory to interpret the representation of the protagonists and the overarching themes of the novels.
What topics are covered in the main body?
The main body examines the role of religious faith, the influence of gender dynamics and female independence, and the impact of socio-economic class and ethnic identity on the Irish immigrant experience.
Which keywords characterize the research?
Key terms include Irish immigration, domestic service, Famine fiction, gender, religion, class, ethnicity, and assimilation.
How does the author categorize the works of Sadlier and McElgun?
The author categorizes these as "Famine generation fiction," which are typically written for practical and didactic purposes to guide Irish emigrants.
How does Atwood's work differ from the 19th-century texts?
Atwood's "Alias Grace" is described as a modern or postmodern account that avoids a clear moralizing or didactic tone, focusing instead on multiple perspectives and intertextuality.
What role does the "myth of the strong Irish immigrant" play?
It serves as the thematic anchor, investigating whether the heroines truly gain autonomy or if they remain constrained by patriarchal structures and moral expectations of their time.
- Quote paper
- Rosamaria Giammanco (Author), 2006, The Myth of The Strong Irish Immigrant Servant Woman, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/274106
