ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE: REPRESENTATION OF BRITISH AND IRISH IDENTITY IN J.G. FARRELL’S TROUBLES
This article aims to examine the juxtaposition of individual stories and
collective history in J.G. Farrell’s Troubles to present a nuanced reading of
identity politics in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence. Farrell’s the
Lost Man Booker Prize recipient novel portrays one of the most tumultuous
periods of Irish history (1919-1922) focusing on the daily lives of characters
rather than the major political actors of the time. The novel, thus, prioritizes
the stories and tribulations of ordinary people in a highly polarized society that
incessantly urge individuals to define their alliances. This article contends that
the novel’s representation of the period emphasizes the historical trauma as
experienced by the characters rather than presenting a nostalgic glorification
of the British or the Irish.
ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSE: REPRESENTATION OF BRITISH AND IRISH IDENTITY IN J.G. FARRELL’S TROUBLES
This article aims to examine the juxtaposition of individual stories and
collective history in J.G. Farrell’s Troubles to present a nuanced reading of
identity politics in Ireland during the Irish War of Independence. Farrell’s the
Lost Man Booker Prize recipient novel portrays one of the most tumultuous
periods of Irish history (1919-1922) focusing on the daily lives of characters
rather than the major political actors of the time. The novel, thus, prioritizes
the stories and tribulations of ordinary people in a highly polarized society that
incessantly urge individuals to define their alliances. This article contends that
the novel’s representation of the period emphasizes the historical trauma as
experienced by the characters rather than presenting a nostalgic glorification
of the British or the Irish.
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