Studies in Modern Irish Literature

This course introduces students to some of the major Irish writers of the twentieth century, focusing on the fiction of James Joyce and modern Irish drama from W.B Yeats to Marina Car. During the semester, we will consider how these writers sought to imagine new visions of Ireland, both for the world and for the country itself. We will address the many creative tensions in their writings: between tradition and modernity, patriotism and nationalism, high art and popular culture, the Irish and English languages, and so on. A major feature of the course will be the discussion of key episodes from Joyce?s Ulysses, but we will also read some of his short stories from Dubliners. We also map the movement in Irish drama from the creation of the National Theatre, the Abbey Theatre, in 1904 to the present day. Plays by Lady Gregory, W.B. Yeats, J. M. Synge, Sean O'Casey, Brian Friel and Marina Car introduce students to the social, political, and cultural tensions, complexities and motives inherent in the making of Irish theatre during the Celtic Revival, the Irish Republic, the Troubles and Celtic Tiger Ireland. By the end of the course, students will possess knowledge of the modern tradition of Irish writing and its relationship with Irish society, politics, and culture throughout the twentieth century.