English 246: The Irish Renaissance
May Term in Ireland
Dr. Donna J. Oestreich-Hart
225 Hogue Hall
Greenville College
Greenville, IL 62246
618-664-2800, X6805
donna.hart@greenville.edu
Course Description:
As a result of English oppression since the 1100’s, of a series of failed rebellions, of the disastrous Potato Famine of 1845-1850, and of the consequent “diaspora” of Irish people—because of all of these, the Irish language and culture were on the verge of extinction by the late 1800’s. A group of friends from the Anglo-Irish “ascendancy” decided that that would not happen. They set about to save Irish language, myths, folktales, and songs before they were lost forever; and they established Dublin’s Abbey Theatre, which became not only a literary but also a political vehicle for an Irish Renaissance.
This course briefly surveys the literature and history of Ireland from prehistoric times to modern times, although the focus of the course will be on late nineteenth and twentieth-century writing. It uses this coupling of texts as the underpinning for the student’s greater understanding of political, social, religious, and aesthetic aspects of Ireland’s culture today—the Irish “worldview.” It quickly surveys Ireland’s music, dance, and visual arts from the earliest recorded times to today, with the understanding that the history is the womb in which all these other progeny have been engendered. We will also seek to understand how Ireland’s multi-century conflict between Catholic and Protestant, Irish and English, oppressed and oppressor have helped shape that literature and art. To make such connections and to get a better sense of another culture, we will spend two weeks in Ireland, traveling extensively throughout the West and South, and spending at least two days in the North.
**This course fulfills a cross-cultural requirement.
Course Objectives: The student will
1. focus on a cultural group or groups other than the predominant culture group of the United States.
2. achieve a significant knowledge base regarding a different culture and, in so doing, emphasize the importance of developing a comprehensive worldview.• read, analyze, and appreciate a broad spectrum of Irish literature, from the earliest myths and folklore, but focusing on the most modern novels, short stories, plays, and poems.
• experiment with at least the basics of Irish “step-dancing” and one native Irish musical instrument.
• become familiar with the “big-name” Irish and Irish-American musicians.
• become familiar with the extent to which Ireland has contributed to American history and culture.
• experiment with at least the basics of the Gaelic language.3. explain ethnocentrism (in this case, English versus Irish and Protestant versus Catholic) and its role in the development of perceptions and reality (in this case, varying perceptions of who is the cause of “The Irish Problem” or “The Troubles”).
4. focus on the alternative views of reality and perceptions of the cultural group(s) studied: beliefs, values, customs, language, non-verbal communication, etc.
5. include the study of the accomplishments of the culture(s) being considered (see above #2).
6. strive to develop empathy toward the group or groups studied.
7. address the issues of cultures in conflict between and within nations (see above #3).
8. develop an understanding of social and cultural change.Assessment Activities:
1. All of these objectives are assessed through daily readings, classroom and online discussion, journaling, writing, and tests.
2. Objectives 2 a, 3, 4, and 5 are assessed through the student’s participation in activities involving guest speakers or field trips to St. Louis or Chicago and subsequent reflective writing about those activities.
3. Objectives 6 and 7 may also assessed through role playing, in which students are assigned the roles of “Irish Catholic” or “English Protestant” and engage in discussion of their “history” and present political situation.Required Texts:
Cahill, Thomas. How the Irish Saved Civilization. New York: Doubleday, 1996. (ISBN: 0-385-41849-3)
Harrington, John. Modern Irish Drama. New York: W. W. Norton and Company, 1991. (ISBN 0-393-96063-3)
Joyce, James. The Essential James Joyce. London: Flamingo/an imprint of HarperCollins, 1994. (ISBN 0-586-09093-2)
McCabe, Patrick. The Butcher Boy. New York: Dell/Cutting Edge Publishers, 1994. (ISBN 0-385-31237-7)
Murphy, Maureen O’Rourke, and James MacKillop, Eds. Irish Literature: A Reader. Syracuse: Syracuse University Press, 1996. (ISBN 0-815-62405-0)
O’Brien, Edna. The House of Splendid Isolation. New York: Penguin USA, 1994. (ISBN 0-452-27452-4)
Tentative Course Calendar:
***Note: You will have to view the assigned movies on your own time in the evenings, before we leave for Ireland or after we get back.
Day One: Monday, May 15.
Introduction to class. Introductory lecture on Irish history.
Day Two: Tuesday, May 16.
Day Three: Wednesday, May 17.
Day Four: Thursday, May 18.
Day Five: Friday, May 19.
Day Six: Monday, May 20.
Day Seven: Tuesday, May 21.
Day Eight: Wednesday, May 22.
Day Nine: Thursday, May 23.
Day Ten: Friday, May 24.
Day Eleven: Saturday, May 25.
Day Twelve: Sunday, May 26.
Day Thirteen: Monday, May 27.
Day Fourteen: Tuesday, May 28.
Day Fifteen: Wednesday, May 29.
Day Sixteen: Thursday, May 30.
Day Seventeen: Friday, May 31.
Day Eighteen: Saturday, June 1.
