This paper is about how Mary Lavin deals with the complexity of being a born American writing about Irish women in Ireland, and by taking her short story "A Memory" as an example. The questions this study deals with are: How is femininity represented in "A Memory"? Does the American born author Mary Lavin follow the traditional picture of Irish women in Irish literature and its historical context? What are her motives for doing or not doing so?
For as much as there are Irish female authors, they represent a minority. When revising different anthologies of literature coming from Ireland though, one is predestined to encounter Mary Lavin’s name in at least most of them. Lavin was born in America, and that might also contribute to the fact, that she stood out between so many male writers. As published by Daphne Wolf in an Irish America magazine issue of 2013, “In the male-dominated field of Irish writers, Mary Lavin was a pioneer” (60), it is of no minor relevance to focus on her work, and how she, herself, as an Irish-American avant-gardist female author, created women in the Irish literature.
This research will firstly analyze the short story "A Memory" and the definition Lavin gives there to femininity in both a formal perspective, taking in count the story’s narrative point of view, style and theme, and its content, like the plot and the conflict of the story. Secondly, it will explain the role and position of women in the Irish society through its literature and authors, and it will explore the historical events in which women were involved during the 1960’s and 1970‘s that is the time when "A Memory" was published (1973). For this, relevant pieces of information of Irish history and analysis of Irish literature will serve to answer to the question. In the third place, this work will compare the results to Mary Lavin’s background in order to give a concise explanation for her motives, if the fact of being a born American woman has an influence in her perspective of femininity, and how she transfers that into Irish literature. Lavin’s biography and articles about her, such
as her obituary, are relevant for the study.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Femininity in Mary Lavin’s A Memory
3. Women in Irish society in the 1960’s and 1970’s
3.1. In Irish literature
3.2. In Irish history
4. Mary Lavin as an Irish-American woman in an Irish context
5. Summary
Research Objective & Topics
This paper examines how the Irish-American author Mary Lavin explores the complexities of femininity in her short story "A Memory". The study analyzes whether Lavin’s depiction of female characters conforms to the traditional Irish literary and historical context of the 1960s and 1970s, or if her American background influences a divergent, more emancipated perspective on womanhood.
- Representation of femininity in Mary Lavin’s "A Memory"
- Social and literary role of women in Ireland during the 1960s and 1970s
- The influence of Irish-American cultural identity on literature
- Social criticism of established gender protocols
- Comparison between traditional Irish gender roles and American ideals
Excerpt from the Book
2. Femininity in Mary Lavin’s A Memory
In this short story based in Dublin and its surroundings in the early 1970’s, two academics, a man, James, and a woman, Myra, play the main role. The narrative apprises the reader with one-day events, although it does also recall events from the past that mark the relationship between both characters. In the middle of the story, a conflict involving both characters takes place. This conflict marks a breach to the continuity of the plot, characterization, style and narrative point of view of the story. Hence this part of the study is divided in two, the first part of the story and the second part of the story, cut by the beginning of the conflict.
In the first part of A Memory by Mary Lavin, James is characterized like a quiet and sensitive person, and his past and present are distinguished by a failed relationship and by a restrained personality pursuing an academia oriented way of life. Myra, on the other hand, is described as an organized, well-dressed person, a “very feminine […] domestic failure”, who lives alone in a “little place [that has] a marvellously masculine air” in Dublin, and can’t cook or sew anymore, but who is very dedicated to her studies (203, 204). Since James moved to a cottage in the Irish countryside from the capital, “his interest in Dublin had dwindled to its core, and the core was Myra”, and “mentally at least, Myra made him feel more alive than twenty men” (210, 218). In this part of the story, the narrator is heterodiegetic and has a limited third person point of view, which mentions the thoughts and feelings of James. James Black explains in the online Author Magazine that this point of view is used to tie the outer events of the plot with James’ inner growth. The description of the characters gives the idea of Myra belonging to the stronger sex, and also the idea of an admiration that James feels towards her.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter defines the scope of the study, provides a working definition of femininity, and outlines the research questions regarding Mary Lavin’s literary approach.
2. Femininity in Mary Lavin’s A Memory: This section analyzes the narrative structure, character dynamics, and thematic shift within the short story, highlighting the tension between traditional and emancipated gender roles.
3. Women in Irish society in the 1960’s and 1970’s: This chapter provides a socio-historical context by examining the restrictive environment for women in both Irish literature and historical reality during the period the story was published.
4. Mary Lavin as an Irish-American woman in an Irish context: This chapter explores how Lavin’s American upbringing and cultural background provided an alternative perspective that allowed her to protest against the conservative Irish societal landscape.
5. Summary: This chapter synthesizes the main findings, concluding that Lavin used her unique perspective to critique patriarchal norms in Ireland through her portrayal of female characters.
Keywords
Mary Lavin, A Memory, Femininity, Irish Literature, Gender Roles, Irish-American, Patriarchy, Women's Rights, Social Criticism, 1970s, Identity, Narrative Style, Emancipation, Irish Society, Cultural Context
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research paper?
The paper explores the representation of femininity in Mary Lavin’s short story "A Memory" and how the author’s Irish-American background informs her critique of Irish societal norms.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The core themes include the social position of women in 1960s/70s Ireland, the evolution of gender roles in literature, and the impact of cross-cultural experiences on an author's narrative style.
What is the primary research objective?
The goal is to determine if Lavin adheres to the traditional depiction of women in Irish literature or if she challenges these tropes by introducing Americanized traits of independence and self-confidence.
Which methodology is applied in this study?
The study utilizes a literary analysis of the short story’s narrative structure and style, combined with a comparative analysis of the socio-historical reality for women in Ireland during the 1960s and 1970s.
What topics are covered in the main section of the paper?
The main section investigates the character development of Myra and James, the historical suppression of women in the Irish context, and the biographical influence of Mary Lavin herself.
Which keywords characterize this work?
Key terms include Mary Lavin, Femininity, Irish Literature, Gender Roles, and Social Criticism.
How does the conflict in "A Memory" serve the author’s message?
The conflict serves as a pivotal point where the protagonist, Myra, is forced to confront her 'real' nature versus her socially constructed persona, ultimately illustrating the clash between Americanized femininity and traditional Irish expectations.
Why does the author argue that religion is important in the story's context?
The author notes that while direct references to religion are absent, the characters' reactions and the setting in the conservative Irish countryside indirectly highlight the oppressive religious landscape of the time.
What does the "marriage of minds" mentioned in the story imply?
It suggests an intellectual equality between the male and female characters, which the author uses to contrast the characters' relationship with the traditional patriarchal structures of the society around them.
- Citation du texte
- Benjamín Dueñas (Auteur), 2014, Coming into Clover. Femininity in Irish-American Literature and in Mary Lavin’s "A Memory", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/312131
