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02.10.2023 03:12:37
Seminar: 3.02.130 S Troubled Childhood in Irish Fiction and Drama - Details
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General information

Course name Seminar: 3.02.130 S Troubled Childhood in Irish Fiction and Drama
Subtitle
Course number 3.02.130
Semester SoSe2023
Current number of participants 25
maximum number of participants 27
Home institute Institute of English and American Studies
Courses type Seminar in category Teaching
First date Wednesday, 12.04.2023 10:15 - 11:45, Room: A01 0-010 b
Type/Form
Participants NOTE: This course deals with topics and literary text, which involve the themes of violence and child abuse. Students are kindly invited to take this into consideration in their choice of seminar.


According to Fintan O’Toole, one of the most prominent Irish publicists in recent decades, stories of childhood and adolescence have long been the ‘comfort zone of Irish fiction’. A large number of Irish writers have chosen children and adolescents as protagonists, and made their points-of-view the vantage points from which to describe Irish life and society. At the same time, since the late 20th century, Irish society has begun facing up to the abuse which generations of children have suffered not only in families but above all in educational institutions of church and state. Childhood in those cases was anything but a comfort zone. Our course will focus on a set of narratives and dramas, from the early 20th to the early 21st century, in which the experiences of young protagonists are represented from a number of angles, as well as the cultural and social environments in which their troubled path to growing up takes place. In addition, we will look at historical and discursive backgrounds (including the ‘Final Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse’, known as the ‘Ryan Report’, released in 2009).

The following text will be covered:
Two short stories from James Joyce’s Dubliners (1914): “The Sisters” and “An Encounter”;
A novel: Patrick McCabe, The Butcher Boy (1992) [purchase the Picador edition, if possible, but any edition is acceptable]
A short play based on actual biographical experience: Gerard Mannix Flynn, James X (2003).
Another short play by the dramatist and film director Martin McDonagh (title to be announced).

Students need to purchase and read the novel The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe as soon as possible.
Pre-requisites Students need to purchase and read the novel The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe as soon as possible.
Participation as a rule requires an oral input as part of active participation.
Performance record Credits for BA Anglistik based on “Referat mit Ausarbeitung” (6 KP). All students with different course goals or requirements, please contact me.
Lehrsprache englisch
ECTS points 6

Rooms and times

A01 0-010 b
Wednesday: 10:15 - 11:45, weekly (14x)

Module assignments

Comment/Description

NOTE: This course deals with topics and literary text, which involve the themes of violence and child abuse. Students are kindly invited to take this into consideration in their choice of seminar.


According to Fintan O’Toole, one of the most prominent Irish publicists in recent decades, stories of childhood and adolescence have long been the ‘comfort zone of Irish fiction’. A large number of Irish writers have chosen children and adolescents as protagonists, and made their points-of-view the vantage points from which to describe Irish life and society. At the same time, since the late 20th century, Irish society has begun facing up to the abuse which generations of children have suffered not only in families but above all in educational institutions of church and state. Childhood in those cases was anything but a comfort zone. Our course will focus on a set of narratives and dramas, from the early 20th to the early 21st century, in which the experiences of young protagonists are represented from a number of angles, as well as the cultural and social environments in which their troubled path to growing up takes place. In addition, we will look at historical and discursive backgrounds (including the ‘Final Report of the Commission to Inquire into Child Abuse’, known as the ‘Ryan Report’, released in 2009).

The following text will be covered:
Two short stories from James Joyce’s Dubliners (1914): “The Sisters” and “An Encounter”;
A novel: Patrick McCabe, The Butcher Boy (1992) [purchase the Picador edition, if possible, but any edition is acceptable]
A short play based on actual biographical experience: Gerard Mannix Flynn, James X (2003).
Another short play by the dramatist and film director Martin McDonagh (title to be announced).

Students need to purchase and read the novel The Butcher Boy by Patrick McCabe as soon as possible.

Participation as a rule requires an oral input as part of active participation. Credits for BA Anglistik based on “Referat mit Ausarbeitung” (6 KP). All students with different course goals or requirements, please contact me.

Admission settings

The course is part of admission "ang612-615 Aufbau Lit/Cult".
The following rules apply for the admission:
  • This setting is active from 20.03.2023 06:00 to 31.07.2023 23:59.
    At least one of these conditions must be fulfilled for enrolment:
    • Subject is English Studies
    • Degree is Anpassungslehrgang
    • Degree is Erw.fach Gymnasium
    • Subject is Anglistik
    • Subject is Englisch
  • The enrolment is possible from 20.03.2023, 06:00 to 31.07.2023, 23:59.
  • This setting is active from 20.03.2023 06:00 to 24.03.2023 08:10.
    Enrolment is allowed for up to 1 courses of the admission set.
  • A defined number of seats will be assigned to these courses.
    The seats in the affected courses have been assigned at 24.03.2023 on 08:00. Additional seats may be available via a wait list.
Assignment of courses: