Double Visions

In this text, the author examines gender issues in the writing and in the lives of a dozen notable authors and their fictional characters in Ireland, from the late 19th century to the end of the 20th. With the exception of James Joyce, the question of gender in Irish fiction by men has largely been ignored. Typically, the male novelist or short story writer has been presented as ""a writer"", while the female has been viewed exclusively as a ""woman writer"". Cahalan aims to close this gap in Irish literary history by pairing similar works of fiction by both men and women and advancing gender-balanced critical readings. The author addresses how women writers' characterizations of men compare with men's representations of women. Sensitive to other distinctions such as class and region, Cahalan reveals differences in perceptions of shared subjects - such as politics and autobiography - to illuminate a series of ""double visions"". This book aims to be of interest to scholars and students of women's studies and feminist criticism as well as Irish literature. The introduction presents a far-ranging critique of feminist criticism and gender issues in Irish cultural history, while the conclusion touches on several other Irish novels and films. The text includes readings of the Aran Islands narratives of Emily Lawless and Liam O'Flaherty, the comic fictions and serious careers of Somerville and Ross versus James Joyce, the coming-of-age novels of Edna O'Brien versus John McGahern and Brian Moore, and ""troubles"" novels by four authors, Jennifer Johnston, Bernard MacLaverty, Julia O'Faolain and William Trevor.