Empathy in Exile: Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan and the Contemporary Irish Novel
This paper explores how empathy and exile are represented as narrative strategies in Edna O’Brien’s The Little Red Chairs and Donal Ryan’s From a Low and Quiet Sea. I argue that post-Celtic Tiger economy novels of the recent past are turning to a more global, universal and empathic Irishness in orde...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Firenze University Press
2020-06-01
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| Series: | Studi Irlandesi |
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| Online Access: | https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-sijis/article/view/11756 |
| _version_ | 1811316700812935168 |
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| author | Kaitlin Thurlow |
| author_facet | Kaitlin Thurlow |
| author_sort | Kaitlin Thurlow |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This paper explores how empathy and exile are represented as narrative strategies in Edna O’Brien’s The Little Red Chairs and Donal Ryan’s From a Low and Quiet Sea. I argue that post-Celtic Tiger economy novels of the recent past are turning to a more global, universal and empathic Irishness in order to shed light on the problems of nationhood, gender and identity. Both authors use poetic forms of literary mythmaking, fairy tale or fable to imagine future possibilities, they employ free indirect style to inhabit a character’s inner state of mind and use collective witness testimonials and self-reflection in order to engage with the present. This study links research on narrative empathy with spatial, post-colonial and feminist theory to propose innovations in contemporary Irish fiction. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:54:02Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aff8073df86e483fab10c1946db1d36d |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2239-3978 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-13T11:54:02Z |
| publishDate | 2020-06-01 |
| publisher | Firenze University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Studi Irlandesi |
| spelling | doaj.art-aff8073df86e483fab10c1946db1d36d2022-12-22T02:47:58ZengFirenze University PressStudi Irlandesi2239-39782020-06-011010Empathy in Exile: Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan and the Contemporary Irish NovelKaitlin Thurlow0University of Massachusetts BostonThis paper explores how empathy and exile are represented as narrative strategies in Edna O’Brien’s The Little Red Chairs and Donal Ryan’s From a Low and Quiet Sea. I argue that post-Celtic Tiger economy novels of the recent past are turning to a more global, universal and empathic Irishness in order to shed light on the problems of nationhood, gender and identity. Both authors use poetic forms of literary mythmaking, fairy tale or fable to imagine future possibilities, they employ free indirect style to inhabit a character’s inner state of mind and use collective witness testimonials and self-reflection in order to engage with the present. This study links research on narrative empathy with spatial, post-colonial and feminist theory to propose innovations in contemporary Irish fiction.https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-sijis/article/view/11756AlterityEmpathyExileNarrative StrategyPost-Celtic Tiger |
| spellingShingle | Kaitlin Thurlow Empathy in Exile: Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan and the Contemporary Irish Novel Studi Irlandesi Alterity Empathy Exile Narrative Strategy Post-Celtic Tiger |
| title | Empathy in Exile: Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan and the Contemporary Irish Novel |
| title_full | Empathy in Exile: Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan and the Contemporary Irish Novel |
| title_fullStr | Empathy in Exile: Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan and the Contemporary Irish Novel |
| title_full_unstemmed | Empathy in Exile: Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan and the Contemporary Irish Novel |
| title_short | Empathy in Exile: Edna O’Brien, Donal Ryan and the Contemporary Irish Novel |
| title_sort | empathy in exile edna o brien donal ryan and the contemporary irish novel |
| topic | Alterity Empathy Exile Narrative Strategy Post-Celtic Tiger |
| url | https://oajournals.fupress.net/index.php/bsfm-sijis/article/view/11756 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT kaitlinthurlow empathyinexileednaobriendonalryanandthecontemporaryirishnovel |