21st Centuary Socialism

Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed reading Simon Korner's review of 'Guests of the Nation'. [21stcenturysocialism.com]

I first read this story 20 years ago. For me its message remains as powerfull today as it was then; perhaps, in the light of the Iraq war, even more so. Although I don't know a lot about the author's background, I tend to share Simon Korner's view that the story is neither an expression of regret for the IRA’s anti-colonial war, nor simply an apolitical statement of pacifism.

In just a few hundred words Frank O'Connor manages to lay bare the horror of war and convincingly universalise human experience. Korner alluded to the irony of the story's title: "Guests of the Nation". Irony is also woven into almost every aspect of the plot. The atheism and self-declared "communism" of the Englishman Hawkins lulls the reader into a false sense of security, which almost eclipes the fact that Hawkins is a prisoner of war, captured wearing the uniform of the colonial British army. Implicit in Hawkins' rants against "capitalists" is a refutation that his uniform represents him and others of his class.

That Hawkins is in some ways an unsympathetic character (lazy, argumentative, intolerant), only adds to the irony; despite Hawkins personal failings, he consistently wins his arguments with the God-fearing Irishman Noble. Conversely, Hawkins's crude 'capitalists v workers' explanations, can also be seen as an expression of naivety and abstraction, when looked at in the context of the Irish anti-colonial struggle.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/28/2008 06:08PM by Jason.

I also read her review and I was impressed by the words that she used for the description, I think she's really talented in this and she succeed to surprise the reality, just the way that this is. RCA ieftin

Nice artical, Irony is aswell alloyed into about every aspect of the plot. The atheism and self-declared "communism" of the Englishman Hawkins lulls the clairvoyant into a apocryphal faculty of security, which about eclipes the actuality that Hawkins is a captive of war, captured cutting the compatible of the colonial British army. jogos de motos / jogos de corrida / jogos de carros

In just a few hundred words Frank O'Connor manages to lay bald the abhorrence of war and assuredly universalise animal experience.
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