The Judas kiss : treason and betrayal in six modern Irish novels /
Treason and betrayal in six modern Irish novels
Gerry Smyth.
- 1 online resource.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Introduction: betrayal and the Irish novel -- Part 1. A short history of betrayal -- D�eirdre and the sons of Usnach: a case study in Irish betrayal -- Part 2. 'Trust not appearances': James Joyce's Ulysses (1922) -- The landscape of betrayal: Liam O'Flaherty's The Informer (1925) -- A spy in the house of love: Elizabeth Bowen's The Heat of the Day (1949) -- Jesus or Judas? Francis Stuart's Black list, Section H (1971) -- 'Cangled both to treachery': Eugene McCabe's Death and Nightingales (1992) -- 'A family--a whole fucking country--drowning in shame': Anne Enright's The Gathering (2007).
This book argues that modern Irish history encompasses a deep-seated fear of betrayal, and that this fear has been especially prevalent since the revolutionary period at the outset of the twentieth century. The author goes on to argue that the novel is the literary form most apt for the exploration of betrayal in its social, political and psychological dimensions. The significance of this thesis comes into focus in terms of a number of recent developments -- most notably, the economic downturn (and the political and civic betrayals implicated therein) and revelations of the Catholic Church's failure in its pastoral mission.--Provided by publisher
In English.
9780719098253 0719098254
10.7765/9780719098253 doi
22573/ctt1mfmqt3 JSTOR
GBB795328 bnb
018363612 Uk
Irish fiction--History and criticism. English fiction--History and criticism. Betrayal in literature. LITERARY CRITICISM / European / English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh Betrayal in literature. English fiction. Irish fiction. HISTORY / Modern / 16th Century