19th Century American Culture

The Living and the Dead: The Road to Independence

The characters in Irish Folklore contribute to the culture of Irish history, specifically, to the Ireland's desire of independence from England. Different works of Irish literature seem to follow the theme of Independence but act the work out in varying ways. Contributing to the want of Independence is the relationship between the living and the dead. Often in written works, the dead inspire the living to fight for what they want to see change in. This combination between the living and the dead is worthy of being celebrated because how the change affects its numerous people. The result of this is that Irish Folklore shows how the world of the living, and the world of the dead form a
England withheld any relief efforts that could be available to Ireland, killing many. In the poem, “The Famine Year” by Lady Jane Wilde, the narrator begins to opine on what will happen in the future of the famine: “our whitening bones against ye will rise as witnesses, From the cabins and the ditches… A ghastly, spectral army… And arraign ye as our murderers, the spoilers of our land!” (Wilde, 44-48). Wilde describes the dead and living joining together to defeat the power of England. The whitening bones suggest that the starving and weak will rise up against England with the support of all those who have died. Another point that is needed when fighting is strength. Often when humans are weak, they look for others for strength. The dead is the support system of the Irish. Death is often associated with the color black as “there is no horse so tough as a black horse” (Donegal, 239). Describing the black horse as tough correlates to describing the dead in the same way. The dead offer power and motivation to the living that will never subdue. Additionally, in the play Cathleen Ni- Houlihan, by William Butler Yeats, the character, The Old Woman, “goes through the country whenever time there’s trouble or war” and at the end, manages to gain another soldier to fight for the country (Yeats, 4). The Old Woman then transforms,
An Irishman, John Mitchell, explains why independence is important for Ireland: “Skibbereen starves... in order that Gibraltar and St. Helena… may be kept in good condition to support… and maintain the naval power of Great Britain” (Gallagher, 43). This excerpt explains why England is keeping people in horrid conditions. England benefits from the most amount of goods coming to their country. Once citizens realize the many ghastly deaths that occurred under this rule, and are alerted about the deaths that could be avoided, they are enraged. This inspires the community to make sure no one else dies. Ireland was ignored during its time of need and England seemed to be following the, “Thou shalt not kill; but needst not strive Officiously to keep alive” motto (Thames). Since help was never received, the inhabitants of Ireland had more hatred towards England and a strive for Independence. The fact that England did not care for the citizens of Ireland shows that “the famine seemed to reduce a threat which had long existed… the presence and growth of a population known [of]… hostility towards England” (Thames).
The fact that the English Government did not want to help the citizens of Ireland, the living at the time saw the need of change and want that many written works in Irish history have reflected on. Although each work varies from author and