The ‘placing’ and politics of Bowen in contemporary Irish literary and cultural criticism

Laird, Heather

The ‘placing’ and politics of Bowen in contemporary Irish literary and cultural criticism

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Walshe13.pdf(82.08 KB)

Published Version

Date

2009-04

Authors

Laird, Heather

Publisher

Irish Academic Press

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview and analysis of contemporary scholarship on Elizabeth Bowen. In particular, it examines the role assigned in writings from conflicting critical and ideological perspectives to what is sometimes described as Bowen’s lack of roots, but might more accurately be referred to as her profusion of roots, highlighting the more fruitful critical approaches to this aspect of her life and work. It details what tends to be omitted, particularly issues of gender and sexuality, in analyses of Bowen as an Anglo-Irish writer. It suggest ways that her in-between status can be most usefully linked to what might initially appear to be very different aspects of her writing, demonstrating the connections that exist between her writings set in Ireland and her other works of fiction.

Keywords

Same-sex desire , Settler colonialism , Anglo-Irish writer , Elizabeth Bowen

Citation

Laird, H. (2009) 'The ‘placing’ and politics of Bowen in contemporary Irish literary and cultural criticism', in Walshe, E. (ed.), Irish Writers in their Time: Elizabeth Bowen. Dublin: Irish Academic Press, pp. 193-207.