English 209 - Colloquium: Narratives of Northern Ireland

The Troubles in Northern Ireland, from the 1960s to 1990s, claimed more than 3,500 lives. This political conflict between unionists, mainly Protestant, who want Northern Ireland to remain British, and nationalists, primarily Catholic, who favor the idea of an Irish state encompassing the entire island, touched nearly every aspect of life. This colloquium examines 20th and 21st century literary and cinematic reflections on this violence and ongoing reconciliation. Writers and texts include Seamus Heaney, Anna Burns, Owen McCafferty, Lisa McGee’s Derry Girls, and Kenneth Branagh’s Belfast, illuminating how conflict and peace shape community while defining fuller understandings of Irish identity. Restrictions: Not open to first-years. Enrollment limited to 20.

[CE] No FY