ABSTRACT

This paper is predicated on an argument for presenting the Irish short story as a statutory recommendation within the A Level English syllabus in Northern Ireland (and also, perhaps, in syllabi set by Examination Boards in other parts of the United Kingdom). Employing a carefully considered literary-critical perspective, the paper offers a detailed evaluation of a representative selection of twentieth-century Irish short stories. The first part, sub-divided into two sections, provides, firstly, some observations about form in the Irish short story and, secondly, it offers some historical and social contexts which provide a backcloth to the evolution of the short story as the twentieth century progressed. The second part, in exploring a carefully selected range of stories, seeks to highlight both their thematic richness and their well-honed craftsmanship. Some of the themes which emerge, and which arguably have universal resonances, include the trauma of emigration, the changing role of women in a society beginning to loosen the shackles of patriarchy, and the inhumanity of war.

摘要

这篇论文的前提是将爱尔兰短篇小说作为北爱尔兰 A Level 英语教学大纲中的法定推荐（也可能是英国其他地区考试委员会制定的教学大纲）。该论文采用仔细考虑的文学批评视角，对二十世纪爱尔兰短篇小说的代表性选择进行了详细评估。第一部分分为两部分，首先提供对爱尔兰短篇小说形式的一些观察，其次提供一些历史和社会背景，为二十世纪短篇小说的演变提供背景进步了。第二部分，在探索一系列精心挑选的故事中，试图突出他们的主题丰富性和他们精心磨练的工艺。一些出现并且可以说具有普遍共鸣的主题包括移民的创伤，女性在开始放松父权制束缚的社会中不断变化的角色，以及战争的不人道。