Discuss Kate O(TM)Brien(TM)s The Land of Spices (1941) and Edna O(TM)Brien(TM)s The Country Girls Trilogy (1960-4) as female bildungsroman. How is this genre of writing used to symbolically link and question personal an

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D Lee

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Discuss Kate O’Brien’s The Land of Spices (1941) and Edna O’Brien’s The Country Girls Trilogy (1960-4) as female bildungsroman. How is this genre of writing used to symbolically link and question personal and national development?

Kate O’Brien was born into the well-to-do and well respected family of Thomas and Catherine O’Brien in Limerick in 1897. Kate O’Brien had nine brothers and sisters and tragically, she lost her mother at the age of five when Catherine O’Brien died of cancer and subsequently she became a boarder at Laurel Hill, a convent school in Limerick. “She spent in all fourteen years at this school later fictionalised in The Land of Spices and it was from this French-run institution that O’Brien first encountered a European-centred system of education and of thought.” The constitution of Ireland came about in 1937. Kate O’Brien’s novel, The Land of Spices was published in 1947 and recounts matters of female sexuality, by means of exploring gay and/or lesbian themes throughout the novel. The Land of Spices was so overly controversial at the time of publishing that as a consequence the novel was banned in Ireland.

                    The Land of Spices is divided into three books which are further divided into chapters described as ‘Chapter 1’, ‘Chapter 2’ and so on. Kate O’Brien deals with the story of the novel in a very individual way, which could be described as her own individual way and the method she uses to portray her characters in the novel helps to bring about the highly skilful and realistic approach she uses to address the themes of love, homosexuality and religion in the novel. “The Land of Spices witnesses the disintegration of the family, the absolute failure of even the most promising relationships, and the ineptitude and myopic vision of the exponents of Irish Nationalism. But for each failed situation detailed in the novel a promising and at times radical alternative is proposed. One of the great strengths of The Land of Spices is that each of these-the institution of the family, loving but dependant relationships, and Irish Nationalism-is presented as having at least some strengths.”  Both Helen and Anne experience extreme loss and heart grief in their lives, Helen by the traumatic experience and upset her father had caused her when she saw him with another man and Anne’s traumatic experiences of her father being an alcoholic, however they both solve their problems and through their grief become stronger people and even start to feel more capable to deal with their future lives.

                    Although Helen is the head of a French teaching order Compagnie de la Sainte Famille, that runs an all-girls boarding school in the Irish countryside, it is evident from the beginning of the novel that her vocation was never to become a nun. Helen was not headed for that way of life, and it is evident that she was looking forward to going to university after travelling around Italy. Helen knew her father was hesitant and undecided about religion and that he had said before he would detest it if ever Helen was to become a nun. Although Helen attended a school herself that was run by the same order, Compagnie de la Sainte Famille, “she had no real intention of taking the veil until she discovered a family secret that shattered her illusions about the loving, exhilarating life she had with her father.” Although, Helen knew that it would hurt and offend her father if she decided to turn to religion and become a nun, I feel that it is not hurt and upset of her father Helen yearned for. Instead, I feel that it was a way for Helen to turn away and diverge away from all human love. Human love, namely her fathers love, has betrayed her and let her down therefore Helen wants nothing more to do with it and she imposes herself on becoming a nun.

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                    Throughout the novel, it is extremely straightforward for the reader to notice that the characters Helen and Anna grow and mature concurrently. We can study and analyze different characteristics and personalities of both Anna and Helen as we watch them change by each step of the novel. In time, Helen’s heart opens up and she does learn to love again, by growing very fond of Anna. Helen has quite a significant influence on Anna, however I feel their relationship could have been strengthened and made stronger but it was never ...

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