(Un)settling the Irish emigrant identity: representation and construction of an Irish emigrant/exile identity in the travel narratives of Kathleen Nevin and William Bulfin

Wall, S. 2009. (Un)settling the Irish emigrant identity: representation and construction of an Irish emigrant/exile identity in the travel narratives of Kathleen Nevin and William Bulfin. Heroes, victims or villains? Irish Presentations and Representations in Latin America and the Caribbean. Morelia, Mexico 15 - 18 July 2009

Title(Un)settling the Irish emigrant identity: representation and construction of an Irish emigrant/exile identity in the travel narratives of Kathleen Nevin and William Bulfin
AuthorsWall, S.
TypeConference paper
Abstract

Through an examination of the travel works of William Bulfin, Tales of the Pampas (1900) and Kathleen Nevin's You'll Never Go Back this paper considers the representation of the Irish in Argentina and the contribution of these narratives in the construction of identity and the reconstruction of the emigrant identity into an exilic one.

Escaping one colonial framework (Britain/Ireland), travelling to and writing from within another postcolonial construct (Argentina and the Spanish Empire), this paper analyses how Bulfin and Nevin use language as a tool to construct, and even invent, an Irish identity. This identity is inextricably linked to home and the desire to return there. Despite this desire, Argentina becomes internalised to some extent, which in Bulfin can be seen in the mix of the Spanish, English and Irish languages in his stories, highlighting that the Irish were doing with language what they had already done with their lives; trying to adapt it to their new situation. In Nevin, the contrast between us and them (Irish and 'Native') demonstrates her attempts to shape an exilic rather than emigrant mentality. Through these texts I analyse how Argentina never quite becomes a new home, but a place where Irish identity is played out and acquires form.

Year2009
ConferenceHeroes, victims or villains? Irish Presentations and Representations in Latin America and the Caribbean
Publication dates
Completed2009
Web address (URL) of conference proceedingshttp://www.irlandeses.org/mexico2009_wall.htm

Related outputs

Relocating the self in Mary Morris's Nothing to declare: memoirs of a woman travelling alone
Wall, S. 2009. Relocating the self in Mary Morris's Nothing to declare: memoirs of a woman travelling alone. Journal of Romance Studies. 9 (1), pp. 75-85. https://doi.org/10.3167/jrs.2009.090107

Mediating extremes: a journey of rediscovery in Chile
Wall, S. 2008. Mediating extremes: a journey of rediscovery in Chile. Brazilian Journal of Irish Studies. 10, pp. 19-28.

(Un)settling the emigrant identity: an analysis of William Bulfin's travel narratives
Wall, S. 2008. (Un)settling the emigrant identity: an analysis of William Bulfin's travel narratives. From Brazil to Macao: Travel Writing and Diasporic Spaces. University of Lisbon, Portugal 10 - 14 Sep 2008

Mediating extremes: from Lebanon to Chile with Brian Keenan and John McCarthy
Wall, S. 2006. Mediating extremes: from Lebanon to Chile with Brian Keenan and John McCarthy. Mediations and Meditations: Iberia and Latin America in Travel Writing. Institute of Germanic & Romance Studies, Senate House, University of London 16 - 17 Jun 2006

Permalink - https://westminsterresearch.westminster.ac.uk/item/91038/-un-settling-the-irish-emigrant-identity-representation-and-construction-of-an-irish-emigrant-exile-identity-in-the-travel-narratives-of-kathleen-nevin-and-william-bulfin


Share this

Usage statistics

115 total views
0 total downloads
These values cover views and downloads from WestminsterResearch and are for the period from September 2nd 2018, when this repository was created.