120087 AR Advanced Interdisciplinary Course (526) = AR MA M04 (2010S)

Contents: The course will explore some key-events in the history of Ireland featuring in selected historical novels, plays, autobiographies and poems by Irish writers. The texts will be approached from an interdisciplinary perspective: an Irish historian will provide insights of current research in the history of Ireland and provide the historical framework for a contextualized reading of literary representations of events in Irish history. One major focus will be on the "Great Famine" (1845-48) and its aftermath and literary accounts of which, including Liam O'Flaherty's novel "Famine" (1937) and Tom Murphy's epic play "Famine" (1968). Other historical events considered will be the Easter Rising of 1916 and literary accounts of which - including W. B. Yeats's poem "Easter, 1916" and Sean O'Casey's play "The Plough and the Stars" (1926) - the Irish War of Independence (1919-21) and its portrayal in literature; e.g. Frank O'Connor's short story "Guests of the Nation" (1931). The issue of censorship in 20th c. Eire as well as the question of the "Irish Diaspora" will be other major topics. In particular, the experience of Irish emigrants to the USA and to Britain will be traced on the basis of memoirs by Frank McCourt ("Angela's Ashes", 1996 - novel and film), Edna O'Brien and James Ryan's novel "Home from England" (1995).