Stage Versions of Ireland during the Literary Revival Period

Within each story, both Yeats and Joyce realistically present typical women; however, these portrayals are not always complimentary. The notion that women overly-concern themselves with appearances and superficial aspects of life exists in both texts. In “Dubliners,” for example, Maria (the main character in Clay) rarely sees her family in the north. When the time finally comes for her to visit them, she seems most concerned not with the reunion of her loved ones, so much as with the fact that “she wanted to buy something really nice”# as a gift. Similarly, Bridge of Cathleen Ni Houlihan preoccupies herself throughout the play with the beautiful wedding clothes that her soon will soon wear, and speaks of little else. Even at the end, when she realizes her soon has chosen

to go to battle, she attempts to dissuade his notion by saying, “Look here, Michael, at the wedding clothes. Such grand clothes as these are!”# Thus both authors not only imagine women as interested in superficial matters of life, but in these two instances also give them little else with which to concern themselves.

Joyce’s nationalist views were far less concrete than Yeats’s beliefs. Emer Nolson points out in the book, “Joyce and Nationalism” that Joyce clearly held a level of “ambivalence to Ireland” and notes that a serious “opposition [exists] between Joycean modernism and Irish nationalism.”# Therefore, while Joyce may not use women to symbolize nationalism to perpetuate his own philosophies, he nonetheless presents female characters who symbolize the nationalist movement. Firstly, Mrs. Kearney in “A Mother” stands as a member of the upcoming middle-class nationalists, for she places her daughter in a concert series run by the Eire Abu Society, which exists to further republican ideals. Her daughter, also, personifies Ireland and the movement, simply by being named “Kathleen” and therefore referencing Cathleen Ni Houlihan, a dominant nationalist figure. Joyce, however, in this story makes all of the Kearney’s dealing with Irish societies seem somewhat trivial, thus forwarding his criticisms of the movements in its strict form. Secondly, Mrs. Ivors of “The Dead” blatantly personifies Ireland, by being a proud and modest woman (who wears a high cut bodice) and intolerantly criticizes Gabriel for working for a Unionist newspaper. While she may personify a type of nationalism, in keeping with Joyce’s non-nationalist views, she stands for the fanatical republicans of the time who narrow minded demanded all separation from London rather than supporting a more liberal compromise.

Regardless, both, in their own ways present a concept of “mother Ireland.” Yeats more blatantly exemplifies his view, through the character of the Old Woman in Cathleen Ni Houlihan. The play allegorically portrays a poor old woman as Ireland, for she wishes to regain her “four beautiful green fields” and “put the strangers out of [her] house.”# The woman is frail, yet proud and determined, and convinces young Michael to join her fight. As G. J. Watson notes, “Cathleen calls her sons to heroic martyrdom.”# The old woman’s essential purpose within the play is to represent Ireland and convince the other characters of her plight, thus illustrating Yeats’s nationalist views and philosophies.

Some topics in this essay:
Houlihan Delia, Ni Houlihan, Yeats Joyce, Firstly Kearney, Yeats’s Delia, Presumably Managan’s, Similarly Mooning, Gabriel Unionist, Boarding House”, Yeats’s Cathleen, cathleen ni, ni houlihan, cathleen ni houlihan, female characters, imagine women, yeats joyce, wedding clothes, little else, kearney “a mother”, boarding house”, concert series, “the boarding, firstly kearney “a, “the boarding house”, ni houlihan delia,