Introduction.
17 Setembro 2019, 14:00 • Maria Teresa Correia Casal
Syllabus; relevant information; introduction to Irish history and culture using contemporary materials.
| Academic year 2019-2020 |
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| 1. Subject |
Irish Literature and Culture
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| 2. Semester
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1 |
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3. Lecturer
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Teresa Casal (mcasal@campus.ul.pt) |
| 4. Aims |
This curricular unit aims to: i) offer an introduction to Irish history, culture, and literature; ii) and foster students’ informed ability to think critically about literary texts within their respective historical framework, while providing an insight into Ireland’s rich cultural heritage, and to the ethical and aesthetic debates that shape it. After an overview of Irish history, the course focuses on two key moments in Irish history: that leading up to Ireland’s independence and partition (1922) and that from the 1968-98 Troubles to the present, in Northern Ireland and in the Republic. 1. Introduction to Irish history, culture, and history; Anglo-Irish relations; the interplay between popular and high culture, literature and politics; 2. From ideals to experience: representations of identity in Irish literature and film from independence (1922) to the 21st century.
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| 5. Assessment |
The methodologies used aim to facilitate students’ knowledge acquisition while fostering the development of critical competences that may contribute to an informed citizenship. The teaching of historical and cultural contents is accompanied by the analysis of texts and other materials (e.g. documentaries, films); the approach to literary texts and films, and to how they address their respective contexts, seeks to develop students’ ability to engage imaginatively with them, to appreciate how they aesthetically affect readers / viewers, and to think critically about the issues they raise. Continuous assessment consists in: written test 1: 40%; written test 2: 40%; class participation: 20%.
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| 6. Selected Bibliography |
Cleary, Joe and Claire Connolly, eds. The Cambridge Companion to Modern Irish Culture, Cambridge: CUP, 2005. Kelleher, Margaret, and Philip O’Leary, eds. The Cambridge History of Irish Literature, 2 vols. Cambridge: CUP, 2006. Mulholland, Marc, Northern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction, OUP, 2003. Paseta, Senia, Modern Ireland: A Very Short Introduction, OUP, 2003. Regan, Stephen, ed. Irish Writing: An Anthology of Irish Literature in English 1789-1939. Oxford: OUP, 2004.
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| 7. Office hours |
Thursday, 18h00-19h00, Department of English
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| 8. Requirements |
Fluency in English.
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IRISH LITERATURE AND CULTURE
COURSE PLAN 2019-2020
Timetable & Classroom: Tuesday & Thursday, 14h00-16h00, Room 4
Lecturer: Teresa Casal (mcasal@campus.ul.pt)
Office hours: Thursday, 18h00-19h00 (Gabinete de Literatura Inglesa; Dept. Estudos Anglísticos)
| Lesson No. |
Date |
Contents
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1 |
17 Sept. |
Introduction: Syllabus; introduction to Irish history and culture using contemporary materials. Decade of Centenaries – 1912-1922/2012-2022 - http://www.decadeofcentenaries.com/
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| 2 |
19 Sept. |
Overview of Irish history: screening of A Short History of Ireland, documentary based on the eponymous work by Richard Killeen.
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| 3 |
24 Sept. |
1. Anglo-Irish relations: geo-political and religious contexts: 1.1. Giraldus Cambrensis, The Topography of Ireland, 1187; The Conquest of Ireland, 1189. 1.2. Edmund Spenser, A View of the Present State of Ireland, 1663. 1.3. Protestant Reformation and its impact on Anglo-Irish relations.
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| 4
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26 Sept. |
1. Relations between Ireland and England (17th-18th cent.): 1.1. Jonathan Swift, "A Modest Proposal", 1729. 1.2. The Great Famine (1845-1849): Liam Mac Uistín, “On Board the Esperanza”, from Esperanza, Part II, Section 5.
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| 5 |
1 Oct. |
1. Relations between Ireland and England: politics and culture (19th cent.) 1.1. Punch cartoons; ballads and feminine representations of Ireland: Roisin Dubh, Kathaleen Ny-Houlahan e Shan Van Vocht. 1.2. Maud Gonne, "The Famine Queen", 1900.
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| 6 |
3 Oct. |
1. Irish Literary Revival and identity debates (19th-20th cent.): 1.1. Douglas Hyde, "The Necessity for De-anglicising Ireland" (1892): cultural nationalism and independence; 1.2. W.B. Yeats e Lady Gregory, Cathleen Ni Houlihan, 1902.
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| 7 |
8 Oct.
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Ken Loach, director, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, 2006. |
| 8 |
10 Oct. |
1. The path to independence: 1.1. Home Rule; Ulster Covenant; Easter Rising 1916 and the Proclamation of the Irish Republic. 1.2. 1916-2016: Easter Rising, the Great War, War of Independence and Civil War; memory, trauma and narrative: Richard Kearney and Sheila Gallagher, Twinsome Minds: “1916 and the Famine”; “Between History and Story”, 2017.
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| 9 |
15 Oct. |
W.B. Yeats, Poems.
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| 10
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17 Oct. |
James Joyce, Dubliners, 1914: Screening of The Dead, directed by John Huston (1987). |
| 11
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22 Oct. |
James Joyce, “The Dead”, Dubliners, 1914.
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| 12 |
24 Oct.
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James Joyce, “Eveline”, Dubliners, 1914.
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| 13
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29 Oct. |
1. Post-independence Ireland: from the Irish Free State to the Republic of Ireland; nationalism, language, religion, gender, emigration, censorship. 2. Language, identity and belonging: Hugo Hamilton, The Speckled People, 2003: Chapters 1-2; 25.
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| 14
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31 Oct. |
Taking stock: preparing for the test. |
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15 |
5 Nov.
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FIRST WRITTEN TEST.
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| Lesson No. |
Date |
Contents
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16 |
7 Nov. |
Post-independence Ireland: state, church and gender: Peter Mullan, director, The Magdalen Sisters, 2002.
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| 17 |
12 Nov. |
Seamus Heaney: Poems
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| 18 |
14 Nov. |
Eavan Boland: Poems
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| 19 |
19 Nov. |
Northern Ireland: Troubles: Pete Travis, director, Omagh, 2004.
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| 20 |
21 Nov. |
Northern Ireland: Troubles: David Ireland, Cyprus Avenue (2016) 2019.
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| 21
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26 Nov. |
Northern Ireland: Beyond the Troubles: Lucy Caldwell, “Cyprus Avenue”, Multitudes: Eleven Stories, 2016.
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22 |
28 Nov. |
Republic of Ireland: Celtic Tiger, crash, class and immigration (short fiction): 1. Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, “Little Mrs Moffat” (2018) 2019. 2. Arja Kajermo, “Alienation”, Being Various, ed. Lucy Caldwell, 2019.
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23 |
3 Dec. |
Contemporary short fiction: 1. Anne Enright, “Three Stories About Love”, The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, ed. Sinead Gleeson, 2015. 2. Sally Rooney, “Colour and Light”, Being Various, ed. Lucy Caldwell, 2019.
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24 |
5 Dec. |
Between fiction and non-fiction: Sara Baume, A Line Made by Walking, 2017, chapter 1. |
| 25
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10 Dec. |
Taking stock: preparing for the test. |
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26 |
12 Dec.
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Second WRITTEN TEST.
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27 |
17 Dec. |
Presentation by guest speaker (tbc).
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| 28 |
19 Dec. |
Final assessment.
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Obs.: Adjustments to the plan may need to be made in the course of the semester.
Irish Literature and Culture (2019-2020, S1)
Topics for presentations
N.B.: The guidelines are indicative and you may go beyond them. Please list the bibliographic and online sources used in the PPT and/or outline accompanying your presentation.
1. Jonathan Swift, “A Modest Proposal” (1729) (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author and his work;
b. Text: describe the argument and the tone in which it is presented;
c. Discussion: consider the critique presented in this “Modest Proposal”.
2. Liam Mac Uistín, “On Board the Esperanza”, from Esperanza, Part II, Section 5. (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Context: the Great Famine (1845-1849), emigration and “coffin ships”; http://www.wesleyjohnston.com/users/ireland/past/famine/index.htm / http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/famine/coffin.htm
b. Text: summarise and comment.
3. Maud Gonne, “The Famine Queen” (1900) (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author;
b. Text: Summarise the argument and describe the metaphors used;
c. Discussion: relate to earlier texts featuring cannibalistic metaphors (Spenser, Swift…) and to female representations of Ireland (ballads).
4. Douglas Hyde, “The Necessity for De-Anglicising Ireland” (1892) (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author;
b. Text: describe Hyde’s description of the existing state of affairs in colonised Ireland and his proposal to de-anglicise Ireland;
c. Discussion: consider the relation between cultural identity and political independence.
5. W.B. Yeats and Lady Gregory, Cathleen ni Houlihan (1902) (Group: 2-3)
a. Briefly introduce the authors;
b. Play: Consider historical and spatial setting; characters; plot; language used by Cathleen and by other characters;
c. Discussion: implications of the plot for the various characters; impact of this play (set in 1798) in 1902.
6. Ken Loach, director, The Wind that Shakes the Barley, 2006. (Group: 2-3; ca. 90 minutes, including film clips)
a. Research historical background and film’s reception;
b. Select and introduce scenes to screen in class;
c. Discuss film’s presetation of the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War.
7. 1916-2016: Proclamation of the Irish Republic (1916) & Richard Kearney and Sheila Gallagher, Twinsome Minds: “1916 and the Famine”; “Between History and Story” (2017) (Group: 3-4; 20-25 minutes; you may choose to insert clips from Twinsome Minds)
a. Context: Easter Rising 1916
b. Text: Terms of the Declaration: how does it envisage the new nation?
c. 1916-2016 – Centenary: 1916 perceived and commemorated 100 years later.
Online sources:
· Twinsome Minds - https://twinsomeminds.com/
· Decade of Centenaries - https://www.decadeofcentenaries.com
· The Irish Story - http://www.theirishstory.com/2016/12/29/the-2016-rising-centenary-what-did-it-all-mean/#.XXUcYSMrL1w
8. W.B. Yeats: Poems (Group: 3-6; 15-20 minutes for each set of poems)
a. Early poems: “The Lake Isle of Innisfree” (1888); “The Stolen Child” (1889; set to music by The Waterboys);
b. Political poems: “September 1913” (1913); “Easter 1916” (1916);
c. Late poems: “Man and the Echo” (1938); “The Circus Animals’ Desertion” (1937-38).
Further reading: Marjorie Howes and John Kelly, eds. The Cambridge Companion to W.B.Yeats, 2006.
9. James Joyce, “The Dead”, in Dubliners (1914) (Group: 2-3; 20 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author and his work, specifically Dubliners;
b. Text: Consider story’s title; narrative voice and point of view; characters: diversity in terms of class, gender, education, religious and/or political affiliation; plot: what goes on; what characters talk about; ending;
c. Discussion: Consider motifs running through the story: life/death; love/violence; music/militarism; possible interpretations of the story.
Further reading: Greg C. Winston, ‘“Militarism and ‘The Dead’”, A New & Complex Sensation: Essays on Joyce’s Dubliners, ed. Oona Frawley, 2004: 122-132.
Film adaptation: John Huston, dir. The Dead, 1987.
10. James Joyce, “Eveline”, in Dubliners, 1914. (Group: 1-2; 15-20 minutes)
a. Text: Consider the narrative voice and point of view; characters and plot; marriage: Eveline’s parents’ reality and Eveline’s expectations about life with Frank;
b. Discussion: Consider whether / how “paralysis” affects Eveline and other characters; paralysis and gender.
Further reading: Wanda Balzano, ‘“Eveline’, or the Veils of Cleaning”, A New & Complex Sensation: Essays on Joyce’s Dubliners, ed. Oona Frawley, 2004: 81-93.
11. Hugo Hamilton, The Speckled People, 2003: Chapters 1-2; 27. (Group: 1-3; 15-20 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author and his work;
b. Memoir: Consider the narrative voice and point of view shifting between childhood and adulthood; perception of family and of wider society;
c. Discussion: consider cultural nationalism, ideals and realities.
12. Peter Mullan, dir. The Magdalen Sisters, 2002. (Group: 2-3; ca. 90 minutes, including film clips)
a. Research and briefly introduce the historical backdrop to the plot;
b. Summarise the plot;
c. Present clips of the scenes you consider more relevant to address in the classroom;
d. Point of view: consider how viewers engage with the film;
e. Discussion: consider perceptions of women’s role in Catholic Ireland; power relations in family, Church, and state; individual options within the system;
f. Reception: Research reviews of the film in 21st cent. Ireland.
13. Seamus Heaney: Poems (Group: 3-4)
a. Briefly introduce the author and his work;
b. Early Poems & poetics: “Digging”; “Personal Helicon”, Death of a Naturalist, 1966;
c. Bog Poems: “Bogland”; “The Tollund Man”; “Punishment”, Door Into the Dark, 1969.
d. North: “Act of Union”, North, 1975.
e. Late poems: “Had I Not Been Awake”; “Human Chain”, Human Chain, 2010.
14. Eavan Boland: Poems (Group: 2-3)
a. Briefly introduce the author and her work;
b. Object Lessons: Preface (excerpt); “Outside History” (excerpt);
c. Poems: “Lava Cameo”; “Mise Eire”; “Formal Feeling”; “Whose?”.
15. Pete Travis, director, Omagh, 2004 (Group: 2-4; ca. 90 minutes, including film clips)
a. Research and introduce the historical backdrop to the documentary;
b. Plot: Summarise and consider: who is affected by terrorism; survivors’ grievances; impact of Belfast Good Friday Agreement in the process;
c. Reception: Research reviews; consider impact of documentary on viewers;
d. Follow-up: Research recent resurfacing of violence in Northern Ireland (e.g. Lyra McKee’s murder)
16. David Ireland, Cyprus Avenue (2016) 2019. (Group: 5; 90 minutes, (Group: 5; 90 minutes, including scenes read in class)
a. Prepare dramatic reading of first scenes of the play;
b. Reception: Research reviews of the play’s performance (in Belfast, Dublin, London)
c. Discussion: how sectarian identities (Unionism vs. Republicanism) are presented in the play; the use of black humour.
17. Lucy Caldwell, “Cyprus Avenue”, Multitudes: Eleven Stories, 2016. (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author and her work;
b. Text: Consider the narrative voice and point of view; the main characters’ childhood memories, experiences of grief, and adult choices;
c. Discussion: Consider ethnicity, grief, (un)belonging, and healing.
18. Éilís Ní Dhuibhne, “Little Mrs Moffat”, 2018. (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author and her work;
b. Research the nursery rhyme structuring the story, “Little Miss Muffet”;
c. Text: Consider the narrative voice and point of view; the social mapping of Dublin; the detective frame of the story and the criteria used for interpreting signs and human behaviour;
d. Discussion: consider how the story engages the reader; whether your conclusion would be the same as the protagonist’s.
19. Arja Kajermo, “Alienation”, Being Various, ed. Lucy Caldwell, 2019. (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author and her work;
b. Text: Consider the narrative voice and point of view; consider the narrator’s experience of Ireland and her depiction of foreigners’ views of Ireland;
c. Comment: Discuss the gap between expectations and experience of Ireland, marketed identities and realities.
20. Anne Enright, “Three Stories About Love”, The Long Gaze Back: An Anthology of Irish Women Writers, ed. Sinead Gleeson, 2015.
a. Briefly introduce the author and her work;
b. Text: Consider the narrative voice and point of view in each of the stories; consider the historical backdrop (Celtic Tiger and 2008 crash, immigration and emigration) and the forms of love addressed in the stories;
c. Discuss how the stories hang together.
21. Sally Rooney, “Colour and Light”, Being Various, ed. Lucy Caldwell, 2019. (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author and her work;
b. Text: Consider the narrative voice and point of view; consider dialogue and the gap between what is said and what is thought / felt;
c. Discussion: expectations and experience of love, sex, intimacy, trust.
22. Sara Baume, A Line Made by Walking, 2017, chapter 1. (Group: 1-2; 15 minutes)
a. Briefly introduce the author and her work;
b. Text: Consider the narrator’s voice and her use of photography and art works; her predicament;
c. Discussion: the young artist’s engagement with nature, art and ordinariness…