Challenging History: Past Reconstruction in Colum McCann’s Songdogs
The present paper analyses the way in which Colum McCann’s novel Songdogs (1995) constitutes an attempt at reconstructing and reconciling oneself with the past, a theme that a number of contemporary critics perceive as characteristic of the Irish literary experience. It will be argued that via the n...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Asociación Española de Estudios Irlandeses
2007-03-01
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| Series: | Estudios Irlandeses |
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| Online Access: | http://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/McCannsSongdogsAndrzejGabinski.pdf |
| _version_ | 1818362032432349184 |
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| author | Andrzej Gabiński |
| author_facet | Andrzej Gabiński |
| author_sort | Andrzej Gabiński |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The present paper analyses the way in which Colum McCann’s novel Songdogs (1995) constitutes an attempt at reconstructing and reconciling oneself with the past, a theme that a number of contemporary critics perceive as characteristic of the Irish literary experience. It will be argued that via the novel’s non-linear, fragmented narrative structure, on the one hand, and its frequent use of static images reminiscent of photography on the other, McCann engages the concept of memory and translates its founding functional principles into a personal literary technique. The task of recovering significance from distinct media – be it still images or the novel’s texture – will be construed as operating on two levels. The novel’s mixed plot lines constructed out of apparently unrelated clusters of images and the reader’s efforts at organising them into larger meaningful compositions will be understood as parallel to the protagonist’s attempts at forging all the stories embedded in Songdogs into a master narrative of his family’s history. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:26:08Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d5e102c9e5644d23aa95e5b5c8942c91 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1699-311X 1699-311X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-13T21:26:08Z |
| publishDate | 2007-03-01 |
| publisher | Asociación Española de Estudios Irlandeses |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Estudios Irlandeses |
| spelling | doaj.art-d5e102c9e5644d23aa95e5b5c8942c912022-12-21T23:30:56ZengAsociación Española de Estudios IrlandesesEstudios Irlandeses1699-311X1699-311X2007-03-012244562569Challenging History: Past Reconstruction in Colum McCann’s SongdogsAndrzej Gabiński0 Universidad Complutense de Madrid The present paper analyses the way in which Colum McCann’s novel Songdogs (1995) constitutes an attempt at reconstructing and reconciling oneself with the past, a theme that a number of contemporary critics perceive as characteristic of the Irish literary experience. It will be argued that via the novel’s non-linear, fragmented narrative structure, on the one hand, and its frequent use of static images reminiscent of photography on the other, McCann engages the concept of memory and translates its founding functional principles into a personal literary technique. The task of recovering significance from distinct media – be it still images or the novel’s texture – will be construed as operating on two levels. The novel’s mixed plot lines constructed out of apparently unrelated clusters of images and the reader’s efforts at organising them into larger meaningful compositions will be understood as parallel to the protagonist’s attempts at forging all the stories embedded in Songdogs into a master narrative of his family’s history.http://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/McCannsSongdogsAndrzejGabinski.pdfMemoryReconstructionPhotographyGazeContemporary Irish literature |
| spellingShingle | Andrzej Gabiński Challenging History: Past Reconstruction in Colum McCann’s Songdogs Estudios Irlandeses Memory Reconstruction Photography Gaze Contemporary Irish literature |
| title | Challenging History: Past Reconstruction in Colum McCann’s Songdogs |
| title_full | Challenging History: Past Reconstruction in Colum McCann’s Songdogs |
| title_fullStr | Challenging History: Past Reconstruction in Colum McCann’s Songdogs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Challenging History: Past Reconstruction in Colum McCann’s Songdogs |
| title_short | Challenging History: Past Reconstruction in Colum McCann’s Songdogs |
| title_sort | challenging history past reconstruction in colum mccann s songdogs |
| topic | Memory Reconstruction Photography Gaze Contemporary Irish literature |
| url | http://www.estudiosirlandeses.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/McCannsSongdogsAndrzejGabinski.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT andrzejgabinski challenginghistorypastreconstructionincolummccannssongdogs |