Essay About the Role of Women in Roddy Doyle’s Novel “A Star Called Henry”

In the novel “ A Star Called Henry” by Roddy Doyle and published in 1999, the female main characters vary strongly  from the traditional ideal of women in the beginning of the 20^th century, when the novel is set. Most of this five women experience a fundamental development throughout the book, which can be seen as a “revolution” on a second level beside the Eastern Rising and the attaching guerrilla war.

The traditional ideal of women in the beginning of the 20^th century was still influenced by the ideas of the natural role of men and women of the previous centuries. But with the start of the new 20^th century also the effort of women to gain more equality in politics and social life started to intensify. Traditional women, who were seen as second level citizens and not meant to follow a career or comprehensive education. Instead they should stay at home and rear children while being a good wife to their working husband.

In the novel the first women, who is introduced is Melody Nash. In the beginning she embodies the traditional woman, who is married, rears her children and waits every evening with dinner for her working husband. Throughout the book she gets divorced and becomes an alcoholic, which strongly differs from the ideal of a traditional woman.               

Secondly her mother Granny Nash experiences a change, which is not that obvious, but still an important example for the ardent desire of emancipation. Granny Nash changes from a mother, who protects and supports her daughter on her way into marriage and motherhood, to a woman, who spends her time with reading books by exclusively female authors. The fact that the author are only female can be seen as her own act of rebellion against a society, which suppresses women.  

With the third female character Piano Annie the sexual aspect is introduced in the book. On the one hand Annie is a traditional wife, since she does the housework and is still married. But on the other hand she cheats on her husband by sleeping with Henry Smart who is much younger than her and with the stevedore to achieve better jobs for her husband and Henry. This sexual laxity is a fundamental aspect, how Roddy Doyle pictures women in his novel.  

Dolly Oblong is another female character, embodying the sexual aspect of the change of women in the early 1900s. As well as Piano Annie the reader isn’t informed about her past, but she is presented as a business women and even brothel owner, which is a typical man’s work. Not only her occupation, but also her artificial and permissive appearance is a dissociation from the traditional woman.  

The woman, who joins both an open-minded attitude towards sexuality and an intensively glowing will to gain equal reputation in society than men is Miss O’Shea. She breaks free from being a teacher in a catholic school with the start of the Eastern Rising. When she is not allowed to actively participate in war, since it is man’s business, she joins the Cumann na mBan organisation. Later on she even systematically kills English troops in the Irish War of Independence and receives the desperately wanted reputation as “The Lady of the Machine Gun” in society. Further she differs from the ideal of a traditional woman, because she is depicted as permissive in reference to future husband Henry Smart.

Over all it can be assumed that Roddy Doyle wants to show the change and development of the traditional women to the modern women at the end of the 20^th century. In his descriptions of woman he deals conspicuous open-minded with themes like sexuality and the striving of women for emancipation and reputation in society.

Source (The traditional woman): “http://www.skoool.ie/skoool/examcentre_jc.asp?id=1918”

Women of Cumann Na mBan

Song about O’Shea

In reference to the  the novel “A Star Called Henry” the role of the main female character Miss O’Shea is shown in a heroical way by this song.

 

Song about Miss O’Shea

In our glories country of Ireland there were many rumours afloat,

about a woman who never would hide in a British coat.

 

She was loved by the Irish as the Lady of the Machine Gun,

but feared by the Black ‘n’ Tans who were force to run.

 

Her reprisals for murdering an innocent child or wife,

encouraged the Gaels for their freedom and peace to strive.

 

Together with her husband she liberated communities, churches and schools,

from the suppressive reign of this British fools.

 

Even more than her husband Henry Smart,

Miss O’Shea loved our country with all her heart.

 

Chorus:

The rebel and the brave rebellette were often compelled to flee out of town,

but not before they had taken again on the marionette of the British Crown.

 

Nothing no peeler, rozzar, Auxil or thunderstorm was able to stop her,

from the fight for what she was born.

 

Now Gaels wake up and engage to protect the hounerable values, which make your soul feel warm,

by follow the exapmle of the lady in the Cumann na mBan uniform.

 

Participate in the fight of the IRA,

the one, who will welcome you will be Miss O’Shea.

 

Led by a bold fighter like her,

there is no better way to free your family and property, to which you can refer.

 

Chorus

The rebel and the brave rebellette were often compelled to flee out of town,

but not before they had taken again on the marionette of the British Crown.

Summary Chapter 8: A Star Called Henry

Chapter 8 of  the novel  “A Star Called Henry”, published in 1999 by Roddy Doyle , about the fictional character Henry Smart, who grows up in the streets of Dublin after he left home with the age of 5 and later participates in the rebellion of the Eastern Rising against the British, deals with Henry’s new role and tasks in the rebellion.

In the beginning of chapter 8 Henry kills a rozzer. With this murder, the rebels try to provoke the British and get them to overreact, which makes rebels out of innocent  people, who become a substantial and even indispensible role in the rebellion. After this Henry is sent back to the docks by Collins to accept some concealed boxes, which are filled with weapons of friends from all over the world. Henry receives the order of Collins to deliver them to different addresses in Dublin. When Henry has accomplished his orders he sees Granny Nash and figures out that Alfie Gandon is Jack’s and his landlord.

The chapter continues with the funeral of Thomas Ashe, an executed rebel, which is filmed and used for propaganda issues by showing the recordings in the cinemas. Furthermore Collins equips Henry with a suit to evade arrest more effectively and invents the “circle of ten”, where on man only trust nine other men to prevent to get betrayed by a spy, who are infiltrating the entire city of Dublin.

In addition Henry steals a bike to deliver a secret letter for Collins to Granard, which turns out to be a test to make sure that Henry is reliable and trustworthy. After Henry passes the test he gets in a fight just for fun with Collins, developing more and more seriously and ending with Collins punching Henry in the face. When Henry wakes up out of his unconsciousness he finds himself with a shiner on the attic of old Missis O’Shea’s house. She cares for him until he has recovered and is able to cycle back to Dublin where Henry meets Collins again, from whom he receives new orders to train young country boys to make rebels out of them.

(Michael Collins)

Henry Smart’s relationship to the Irish Volunteers

Task 4: Comment on Henry’s relationship to the Irish Volunteers.

Henry has a fairly bad relationship to the Irish Volunteers. On the one hand his dislike is referable to the fact that the Irish Volunteers do not take their part in the rebellion seriously. He describes them as strangers (p.99, l 24) and doubt their reliability, since they not even obey to the orders of their own commanders (p.99, ll. 33-35). Another example of possible distrust is given with the Volunteer officer O’Rahilly, who was not sure if he still wants to participate in war.

Going further through chapter 6 the tension between Henry the Volunteers intensifies constantly. After he has characterised them as “gobshites” (p.119, l. 6) Henry points out that they not only taking the rebellion seriously but also the rosary, which can be seen as a symbol for catholic religion (p.119, l. 11). In this context it is furthermore said that one of them is not worth a bullet.

But Henry’ stressed relationship to th Irish Volunteers becomes the most obvious, when he devalues them as “the poets and the farm boys, the fuckin’ shopkeepers” (p.110, ll.35-36)  and therefore rich people from the middle class, who are hated by the slummers as Henry sees himself. Thats is the reason why Henry would have turned on them, if they would have tried to persue their capitalist interests and “save Irish property” from the looters. (p. 122, ll. 12-16)

Overall it can be summarised that Henry has stong dislike towards the Irish Volunteers, which leads him to nearly kill some of them. This dislike and distrust is mainly caused according to the fact that Henry is a slummer, who hates the rich and mostly concerns for himself.

      vs.     

(Flag subtitle – Ireland forever)

Relationship between Henry and Henry (junior)

The relationship between Henry Smart and his son if the see each other is good.

The love of  Henry’s father, which he develops as soon as his son was born, made him a new man. “After my birth, my father was also born” (p. 31 l. 33). He adores the little Henry in every minute they spend together (p. 32, l.5) and is determined to name him after himself. Even when Henry has an argument with his wife, which makes his son scream, he tries to calm him gently.

Another example for his importance and love to his son can be seen when the “tap tap Henry” saves his sons from being rescued and punished by the razzors. In this situation he risks his own freedom. On the other hand he leaves his son by their own again after the are save. This breaks the little Henry`s heart and it becomes clear that the only thing he desires is to be with his father to which he looks up to, although he considers him to be a gobshite. (p.68, l.7).  Besides he does not know that he is a murderer “I didn`t know that I was inhaling year of violence and murder” (p.64, ll. 23-24)

Over all I think the little Henry loves and required his father, but is really disappointed in him, since he left his entire family to accomplish jobs for Dolly, who he is in love with. I reckon Henry loves his children as well, but because he fall in love with Dolly and had arguments with his previous wife Melody, he prefers to be with Dolly if he knows that his children are all right.

The Wind that Shakes the Barley – Quotations

a) Dan (the former train driver): “If we ratify this treaty, all we are changing is the accent of the powerful and the colour of the flag.”

The former train driver Dan are referring to the fact that the Anglo-Irish treaty, which made Ireland (except Northern Ireland) a free state. In the eyes of the Irish this treaty does not bring the claimed freedom and sovereignty of Great Britain. Therefore the exchange of the powerful from a British to an Irish governor will not change anything for the irish people since the government still receives their orders from the British. Overall it will not have an possitive effect for anyone.

 

b) Damian (speaking about the treaty in church): “This is not the will of the people, it´s the fear of the people!”

In the time of the war the irish population were threatened and terrified by British troops like the Black and Tans, who murdered not only rebels but also civilians. Since this is the fact people voted for the treaty against their ideals to stop the murdering and threatening.

On the Empty Shore – Comparing / assessing the plot

1) Compare the plot of “O.T.E.S.” with the plots of other short stories you know. To what extent is it different?

 

The normal plot of a short story is developing with an certain pattern as shown in the graphic.

This PLOT DIAGRAM shows how the main events in a short story are organized into a plot.

http://www.glencoe.com/sec/literature/course/amlit/unit1/images/genregraph.jpg

Usually the tension of a short story grows with the rising action to the climax, which is followed by a drop to the resolution. Comparing the plot of  “On the Empty Shore” with a “normal” short story’s plot, it becomes obvious that the graph has to be much flatter, since the actions are not rising as intensively and there is no climax, pointing out extremely.

“On the Empty Shore” does not differ from other short stories becomes it`s climax is right in the first third if the story in stead of being at the end of the second third, but also it has a second climax. The major climax in the short story is the death of Art, which is just hardly prepared through one rising action (here the finding of Art). Normally several rising action lead to the climax which is the reason why it is at the end of a short story.

Contrary to most short stories “On the Empty Shore” does also include a second climax. (The attempt to get a vessel of soup).

Over all this short story varies from others in some mentioned point, although it complied usual short story characteristics like a  brief length, some conflicts (character faces death/misery/no hope/starvation/poverty) and just a few characters.

 

2) Explain why the author could have chosen this particular plot.

There are different possibilities why the author could have chosen this particular plot. Firstly to make his own individual short story vary from others to be kept in mind and therefore convey the reader how horrible the time of the famine was. Due to the flat development of the plot without a outstanding climax no excitement is created, which would not be appropriate, since the time of the potato famine was also a dragging course filled with poverty and starvation.

Summery of “On the Empty Shore”

The short  story “On the Empty Shore” by Seosamh Mac Grianna is set in Ireland during the time of the potato famine and tells about a person, finding his housemate Art dead and carrying his corpse through the lonely and miserable landscape to bury him in a grave yard near the shore.

After the thin and squalid Cathal comes back from picking up the rare potatoes on the field he finds the cold corpse of this housemate. The sorrow filling Cathal’s mind makes him mourn Art, even if he already lost the faith in God and his hope for the end of the famine before. After a while Cathal starts his walk to the shore where he plans to bury Art. On his exhausting way he comes along empty cabins and starving people, who try to snatch some soup selfishly. When Cathal tries to gain a vessel of soup as well, he is threatened and sent away. Reaching the grave yard he buries Art heavy-heartedly near the spot where his father lies next to many other victims of the famine.

The Famine

Reasons for the Potato Famine

The reasons for the famine can be traced back to a fungus, which affected the potato crop over a period of 5 years in a row. Therfore 60 % of the national food supply were distroyed.

Fungus Phytophthora infestans affected potato

 

Course of the Famine

By the 1840s Britain not only had extend their dominion over a large part of the earth but also over Ireland. Rich landlords took high rents and paid low wages to the Irish population. This forced a majority of the Irish to live in poverty and grow potatoes, since they were cheap and easy to grow. Therefore the Irish population was dependend on a productive potato crop.

In 1845 the famine started. More and more crops were affected from a fungus called Phytophthora infestans, which led to the decaying of the crop and therefore to the starvation of the Irish. In the following dacade the crop failture continued on and killed over one million people. Another 2 million emigrated to save themself from starvation.

 

 Reaction of the British government

The reaction of the British government fall out poorly. In 1846 Britain repealed the Corn Law, which enabled the Irish to engage in trade again. But due to the lack of money the Irish population could not affort to buy food, so this method of help failed. One year later the British started to set up soup kitchens, but when the bank crises in Britian started this step withdrawn as well.

 

Short and long term Effects of the Famine

Starvation

 

Mass emigration of 2 million people.

People became affectable to deceases.

Distrust to Britain

Important historical events of Ireland

The Battle of Boyne

The Battle of Boyne is seen as one of the most important events in Irish history. The 12th of July (first of July according to the old calender) is still celebrated by Protestants mainly in Northern Ireland to show the victory over the Catholics.

Background

In the end of the 17th century two different throne claimants were striving to gain the power in Ireland. The first was James II, who the Catholic King of England until 1688. He was deposed only two year before the Battle of Boyne started by William III, leading the Glorious Revolution (also termed as Bloodless Revolution). William III was a dutch protestant and therefore the battle of the supremacy of Ireland became also a religious conflict even if politics issues were more important. After James had to abdicate left to Ireland, where he tried to gain more and more power. In 1690 William was determine to reverse this balance of power and invaded Ireland with 36, 000 troops consisting of English, Dutch, Danes, Huguenots, and Irish Protestants. On the other hand James, who was supported by France and Irish Catholics just had 25,000 troops to face William.

The Battle

Battle map

In June 1690 William III started his march towards Dublin. The battle was taking place at the first of July at the banks of the Boyne River four miles away from Drogheda. Both forces were facing each other just divided by the stream. When William started a flanking attack, James send a large part of his troops to encounter them. This created a 1 to 3 superiority for William in the main area of the battle field and lead to the victory of the Protestants.

 

The Irish Penal Laws

The Irish Penal Laws refer to the legal disadvantage and discrimination of Catholics in the history of Ireland. In 1691 a penal code was passed that ensured massive advantages for the Irish Protestant landholders, including enlarging their property and oppressing the Roman Catholics. As a result of this laws Catholics were not allowed any more to send their children to a catholic school, inherit property if there was a Protestant heir, possess arms, hold leases for more than 31 years and could not earn more than a third of their rent.

 

Act of Union

The Act of Union in 1800 united both the Irish Parliament and the Parliament of Great Britain. Great Britain accomplished this step, since it became more and more difficult to reign over Ireland, as well as to strengthen the British security against France. It was also intended to smooth the way for catholic emancipation in Ireland.