A. Morino
Close Reading Critical Writing
Dr. Kerins 10-11:15 MR
4/23/07
“A Mother”
Irish Cultural Revival: resorting native Irish cultural traditions (language, art, music, and myth)
Kathleen ni Houlihan-mother figure from Irish Myth who united and protected all her children
(the Irish people)
Contemporary cultural revival
All attention is on Kathleen-Mrs. Kearney thinks of the status of her daughter’s name in her
mind, and wants to take advantage of her name
Kathleen-her extension into the next generation had to be good
O’Rouke-has a silk umbrella
Kearney’s name never will be heard again-the mother feels destroyed
She’s not a good mother (especially to her second daughter, who she is not a mother to at all)
“Grace”
religious world of adults in Dubliners
Dubliners-moving up the social ladder
No concern about grace, which makes the story ironic
The characters simply do whatever will help them advance socially
Hell: Kernan-drunk, unconscious, without identity, without senses, quite helpless
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- Spring '07
- Kerins
- Dubliners, Irish people, Fogarty, Mrs. Kernan, whiskey-make sure Kernan, Writing Dr. Kerins
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