House of Splendid Isolation Research Paper

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Stierle 1 Stephanie Stierle Mrs. Ritter Honors 10 English 9 February 2009 House of Splendid Isolation Research Every country has its own internal issues. Countries also have external issues. Ireland had them both in the time period of House of Splendid Isolation and Edna O’Brien made them on display for all to see. (O’Brien Scholieron) The struggles going on in her homeland of Ireland played a key part in the base of the novel. O’Brien used her own life experiences, like her novels being banned and the effects of that, and personnel preferences to round out the rest of House of Splendid Isolation. O’Brien used the town where she grew up as a base for the setting of the novel. O’Brien was born on December 15, 1932 in Tuamgraney, County Clare, Ireland. Tuamgraney is a small, rural, and devoutly Catholic village of about 200 people in Western Ireland. (Gale) In the novel, a small Irish community is described to be where Josie O’Grady lives. The novel’s name, House of Splendid Isolation, is a symbol. (O’Brien Scholieron) In order for the novel to take place the home needed to be secluded, cut-off from the rest of the world, out of sight from neighbor’s prying eyes. O’ Brien models this home after her own tastes and preferences. O’Brien is quoted as saying, “I lead a secluded life. I live alone. I cut myself off from the world.”(Lowery) Josie lives this exact life. This small town setting would lead to trouble for O’Brien. O’Brien’s life was filled with controversy. Growing up in a Stierle 2 small town community, everybody knows everything about each other. O’Brien wrote many novels, which were banned in her own home land. Her novels such as, The Country Girls, The Lonely Girl, Girls in Their Married Bliss, and short story A Scandalous Woman, and Other Stories were considered too racy for Irish citizens to read.
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