Discourses of Home and Homeland in Irish Children's Fiction 1990-2012: Writing Home

This book explores discourses of home and homeland in Irish children's fiction from 1990 to 2012, highlighting the political and ideological dimensions of home and the value of children's literature as a lens through which to view culture and society.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 248 pages
Publication date: 24 May 2022
Publisher: Springer Nature Switzerland AG

Since the mid-twentieth century, this book explores discourses of home and homeland in Irish children's fiction from 1990 to 2012, a period of tremendous change in Ireland encompassing the rise and fall of the Celtic Tiger and the unprecedented growth of Irish children's literature. Through close readings of selected texts by five award-winning authors, the book connects these literary works to social, intellectual, and political developments of the period, drawing on postcolonial, feminist, cultural, and children's literature theory. By highlighting the political and ideological dimensions of home and the value of children's literature as a lens through which to view culture and society, as well as an imaginative space where young people can engage with complex ideas relevant to their lives and the world in which they live, the book offers a fresh perspective on Irish children's literature during this transformative era.

O. R. Melling, Kate Thompson, Eoin Colfer, Siobhán Parkinson, and Siobhan Dowd are the five award-winning authors whose works are analyzed in Ciara Ní Bhroin's book. Ciara Ní Bhroin contends that Irish children's literature underwent a significant transformation during this time, moving from being a tool that primarily propagated hegemonic ideologies of home in post-independence Ireland to a place of resistance to complacent notions of home in Celtic Tiger Ireland.

The book begins by examining the historical context of Ireland's transition from a predominantly rural to a predominantly urban society, which had a profound impact on the construction of home and homeland in Irish children's fiction. The rise of consumerism and the commodification of home, as well as the increasing globalization of Irish society, are explored as factors that contributed to the changing notions of home and homeland in the selected texts.

The close readings of the selected texts are then linked to social, intellectual, and political changes in the period covered. For example, the book discusses how the Celtic Tiger era brought about a sense of economic prosperity and social mobility, which led to a renewed interest in traditional Irish values and culture. However, this period also saw the emergence of new social and cultural challenges, such as homelessness, inequality, and the impact of the global financial crisis.

Through the analysis of the selected texts, Ciara Ní Bhroin argues that Irish children's literature responded to these challenges by becoming a site of resistance to complacent notions of home. The authors explored the complexities of home and the challenges of belonging in a rapidly changing society, highlighting the importance of community, resilience, and the search for identity in the face of uncertainty.

The book also explores the role of children's literature in shaping cultural and social identities. Ciara Ní Bhroin argues that Irish children's literature has the power to challenge dominant ideologies and promote alternative perspectives on home and homeland. By presenting diverse and complex characters and narratives, children's literature can help young people develop a critical understanding of the world around them and engage with complex ideas relevant to their lives and the world in which they live.

In conclusion, this book offers a valuable contribution to the study of Irish children's literature and its relationship to changing constructs of home and childhood since the mid-twentieth century. Through close readings of selected texts by five award-winning authors, the book explores the political and ideological dimensions of home and the value of children's literature as a lens through which to view culture and society. The book demonstrates how Irish children's literature responded to social, intellectual, and political changes in the period covered, becoming a site of resistance to complacent notions of home and promoting alternative perspectives on home and homeland. By highlighting the political and ideological dimensions of home and the value of children's literature as a lens through which to view culture and society, as well as an imaginative space where young people can engage with complex ideas relevant to their lives and the world in which they live, the book offers a fresh perspective on Irish children's literature during this transformative era.

Weight: 344g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783030733971
Edition number: 1st ed. 2021