Literary Representations of the Irish Country House : Civilisation and Savagery Under the Union

This innovative new study examines the significance given to the country house in Ireland under the Union and how this is represented in the works of Edgeworth, Lever, Trollope, Martin and Somerville, Bowen, and Lady Gregory. The Irish country house is set in a classical and European context as the center for "the good life" and the pinnacle of "civilization." In Ireland, that inherited tradition was challenged by an alternative culture nominated as "savage." This book explores how the Irish country house was the focus of conflict between and symbiosis of the two views. This innovative new study examines the significance given to the country house in Ireland under the Union and how this is represented in the works of Edgeworth, Lever, Trollope, Martin and Somerville, Bowen and Lady Gregory. The Irish country house is set in a classical and European context as the centre for 'the good life' and the pinnacle of 'civilisation'. In Ireland, that inherited tradition was challenged by an alternative culture nominated as 'savage'. The dichotomy between 'civilisation' and 'savagery' is a commonplace of writing about Ireland from Giraldus Cambrensis to J.A. Froude. That matrix is revitalised in this book which explores the conflict between cultures and the ironic symbiosis between the civil and the savage for which the country house provides the focus. By setting the conflict within a European context, this book reorientates Irish cultural studies away from nationalist concerns with racial identity and towards the reinterpretation of Ireland within a wider, European union This innovative new study examines the significance given to the country house in Ireland under the Union and how this is represented in the works of Edgeworth, Lever, Trollope, Martin and Somerville, Bowen and Lady Gregory. The Irish country house is set in a classical and European context as the centre for 'the good life' and the pinnacle of 'civilisation'. In Ireland, that inherited tradition was challenged by an alternative culture nominated as 'savage'. This book explores how the Irish country house was the focus of conflict between and symbiosis of 'civilisation' and 'savagery'. Cover 1 Contents 6 List of Plates 7 Acknowledgements 8 1 Introduction 12 2 Edgeworthstown ‘Rebuilding’ 40 3 Edgeworth’s Heir: Charles Lever 90 4 Trollope as Mr Kurtz 124 5 Only Connect: Violet Martin and Edith Somerville 141 6 ‘The Duchess Too is Dead’: Bowen and Gregory 177 Notes 200 Bibliography 206 Index 216 Malcolm Kelsall. Includes Bibliographical References And Index.