Jill Ireland

big part in armed warfare that it almost seems that a good Druid would be more useful then great army. An example of this can be found “Before the Battle of Cul-Dremne, fought in 561 between the Northern and the Southern Hy Neill, Dermot, king of Ireland, who headed the southern Hy Neill – a Christian king called in the aid of the druid Fraechan, who, just as the armies were about to engage made an airbe druad round the southern army to protect it.” (Joyce 47). Many are unsure exactly what an…

Melina Marchetta once said “Because without our language, we have lost ourselves. Who are we without our words?”(Melina Marchetta quotes about language) Without words there is no passion or purpose for us to portray our thoughts and opinions. Even though learning English will benefit the Irish natives, what they don’t understand is that in meaning they are losing their heritage. The society of Baile Beag in a sense wants to set the Gaelic language behind them and move onward towards the English…

Ireland’s submission to England and the economic situation in the country. Swift presents an extreme position with a logical conclusion. He proposes to sell the children of poor people as food for the wealthy in order to solve the problems of poverty in Ireland. Unlike Swift’s A Modest Proposal, Dubliners reflects the daily life of different individuals, their failures, their disappointments and how their intellect and emotions influence their lives. Dubliners depicts…

Although there are a variety of views on the definition of what home is, when referring to a person’s home itself, it is universally understood as the place that a person resides in. The term “home” can be associated in different ways. Examples of different ways that home can be associated are present in Ranch Girl, The Red Convertible, and The Reservation Cab Driver. You can be at your home, and you can also feel home anywhere. Most people feel comfortable in their homes, so saying someone…

Everyone in the world most likely has a different meaning and understanding of the frequently used word, “home”. There is so many ways to define home. Per Dictionary.com, home is defined as, “a house, apartment, or other shelter that is the usual residence of a person, family, or household” or “the place or region where something is native or most common.” Except, these definitions are very general and do not really explain the true meaning of a home. As we see in The Glass Castle Jeannette and…

Swift takes on a contradictory tone, using seemingly careless and airy words to portray the plight of the Irish poor. For example, the phrase, “Their dear native country,” evokes a sense of nationalism upon first glance. As one reads into the underlying meaning of this piece, one can hear the seething tone that mocks the dear native country that has both repressed and rejected the Irish poor. Another example is the use of the phrase, “her lawful occupation of begging,” to describe the…

Being ‘at home’ means to feel at ease, to feel comfortable, to feel loved within the company of a select few. It is here within this familiar environment where one is able to feel safe and protected. However, within this closed environment, an illusion of reality is formed. It is one where everything is seen to be positive. Once an individual escapes from this illusion and are exposed to reality are they able to mature. Such is the case for Lewis, the main protagonist within Louis Nowra’s play…

Jonathan Swift's, "A Modest Proposal Preventing the Children of Poor People in Ireland from Being a Burden to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Public,” was a glaring look at the social injustice plaguing Ireland during the 1700’s. He brought the attention to the issue of starvation by making a ludicrous proposal that the wealthy consume children of the poor and that this will contribute to the feeding and partial clothing needs of the wealthy. This suggests that…

Jonathan Swift writes A Modest Proposal, a haunting satire taking place in 1720-1730 Ireland. Rather than making jokes of the treatment of the poor Irish, he chooses to be scathing, condemning and dead serious. Using effective character use and diction he creates a character that proposes the slaughter at the age of 1 year’s old to solve the poverty of Ireland. Firstly, the seriousness of the character that Swift keeps up throughout the essay severely frightens the reader. The proposition he…

"A Modest Proposal" delves into many social issues that are still seen today. Even though this piece is satire, the glaring inequality in the story helps to create a sense of predator and prey. The narrator views the Irish people as vulnerable prey who are regarded as animals. This view that the impoverished Irish people are a group of animals is seen as a sign that they are hunted. This predator versus prey is seen throughout the story, not just the opening lines. On page 316, the narrator…