While I loved reading such a contemporary novel, The Gathering was one of my least favorites this semester. However, for me, it was the biggest learning experience. Since Castle Rackrent we've explored and questioned what it means to be "Irish" and what makes these characters/authors/novels any sort of authority on Ireland/Irish Studies. Themes and characteristics (for lack of a better term) I really feel came full circle in this novel. Not to put culture in a box, but now when I think of Ireland and her people I think turmoil, guilt, unpredictability, and the search for Identity.
The passage suggested for analysis by Colleen states "This is what shame does. This is the anatomy and mechanism of a family-a whole fucking country-drowning in shame." To really understand how shame affects the characters in The Gathering, I think you have to dig a little deeper. A little further in the book, two passages especially, stuck out to me as a way to explain Veronica's frustrations over how family works, and what drives us.
1. "The past is not a happy place. And the pain of it belongs to her more than it does to me, I think. Who am I to claim it for my own? My poor mother had twelve children. She could not stop giving birth to the future. Over and over. Twelve futures. More. Maybe she liked having all those babies. Maybe she had more past than most people, to wipe clear." (233)
2. "I know what I have to do- even though it is too late for the truth, I will tell the truth. I will get hold of Ernest and tell him what happened to Liam in Broadstone, and I will ask him to break this very old news to the rest of the family (but don't tell Mammy!) because I can not do it myself, I do not have the arguments for it. I just couldn't face Bea's disapproval, or Ita's dank sorrow, or Ivor, crisply saying, 'How come you guys had all the fun?' God, I hate my family, these people I never chose to love, but love all the same." (259)
What I get from these two passages, and the aboved mention quote from page 168 is that sense of guilt. The entire novel she struggles with whether or not the memory happened and then once she personally comes to terms with it she's feels more guilt. If only she had told someone, If only she had never backed out of the "good room", If only she could have saved Liam from drink and suicide. Amongst all those "what ifs" she also had a sense that it wasn't her place. Secrets and guilt (as we saw in the novel) traced back to the 1930s (with the discovery of the tax books and letters from L. Nugent) and no matter how bad the secret or situation, someone always had it worse. Veronica didn't want the responsibilty of having to answer to anyone once she was ready to share what happened to Liam all those years ago.
This is a reoccuring theme through much of the texts we read this semester. I think what we've been calling Catholic Guilt could easily be relabeled Irish Guilt, or Human Guilt. While I don't have any specific passages to recall from the previous novel I really felt that The Gathering paralleled Castle Rackrant and Breakfast on Pluto. If you remember Rackrent like I do, the servant character reminds me a bit of Nugent (the manipulation, the power-even if we don't know it at first) and the secrets of Gathering are like the family secrets of Rackrent. I think what Pluto and Gathering have in common are the shaded memories/fantasies. The langauge and narrative are much the same- family turmoil, secrecy, shame and this heightened sense of an almost truth.
How romantically tragic....
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TD-
ReplyDeleteI loved your blog post this week. There is a lot of thought put into it! First off, I want to say that I agree with you; the Gathering wasn’t one of my favorites for this semester either, but I did find it interesting nonetheless of course. I love how you brought up Castle Rackrent, and what it means to be “Irish” as you said. I used to think of Ireland as a green, quiet, beer-loving laid-back country full of flocks of sheep and four-leaf clovers. And boy was I wrong now that I know all I know about Irish literature! Like you, I can agree that now I think of turmoil, struggle, and sadness but never does a white flag come to mind. Ireland seems to me like it is a fight-for-their-rights country, and that the people of Ireland have learned to look past the difficult issues of the past and look forward to creating a better, bright future. At least, that’s what I have read from the books we’ve read for this class.
I also like that you brought up the guilt factor. You said, “This is a reoccuring theme through much of the texts we read this semester. I think what we've been calling Catholic Guilt could easily be relabeled Irish Guilt, or Human Guilt.” This is interesting, because in all of the novels guilt is evident. It may not be evident in such a way that The Gathering shows it but I can agree that there is guilt present.
Tullamore Drea,
ReplyDeleteI'm got to agree with you and Lucky here, the Gathering was not on the top of my favorite list, however pretty awesome in its own right. I loved your discussion on the characteristics of Ireland especially, "Themes and characteristics (for lack of a better term) I really feel came full circle in this novel. Not to put culture in a box, but now when I think of Ireland and her people I think turmoil, guilt, unpredictability, and the search for Identity." If we look at the history of Ireland and the Irish culture, I am not at all surprised that these are the characteristics that stand out. And I also believe that it fits with the portion of the quote that you choose to identify with. I suppose that any country that has had a history of being ruled by another, and nearly being eradicated by some of the actions of that country would have a hard time having a sense of identity and deep seat of shame built up by persecution and ridicule. And Ireland, in my opinion, has known more turmoil than most of the world. However I'm pretty sure that I'm rambling however.
WS
Drea,
ReplyDeleteNot sure if you read my blog this week but apparently we were on a similar wave length. I too really saw a link between the other books we've read this semester. I think you are absolutely correct in your statement,
"This is a reoccuring theme through much of the texts we read this semester. I think what we've been calling Catholic Guilt could easily be relabeled Irish Guilt, or Human Guilt."
One of the biggest themes throughout this semester has been in some way related to "guilt" or "shame". And like you stated, it's not even necessarily always stemming from the exact same issues, but it's always present in some form. Shame and guilt related to lack of control of property, finances, and family. Shame and guilt over sexuality, vanity, heritage, abuse, or religion. The bottom line is these people all have shame and guilt related to some issue in their lives and honestly I think most people have this to some extent. But most people are able to move beyond it; however, so many of the characters in these books have not been able to and it becomes all consuming. In this situation they essentially then lose their identity and seriously struggle to figure out who they are, how they fit in, and where they belong. This could be a theme song for Ireland.
Your last quote is "How romantically tragic...." I don’t mean to offend you or be snide but I have to disagree; I just think it's tragic.
Such a beautifully written blog this week! I think you've touched on so many of the reasons as to why I love reading Irish literature. I feel that the "guilt" embedded in so many of these novels extends far beyond just a national characteristic. As CD put it above, the figures in these novels have lost some essential part of themselves "and seriously struggle to figure out who they are, how they fit in, and where they belong." I think that this is really a reflection of the modern condition--alienation, isolation, and displacement. I think there is a real reason why it was an Irishman who essentially invented the "modern" novel, and by examining Irish history closely we can see why this country produced a Joyce, a Beckett, a Wilde, and even an Enright (whom you guys really didn't like? Really??? I guess I just love to wallow in misery and laborious plot lines...)
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