On the hundredth anniversary of the production of Seán O'Casey's Dublin plays at the Abbey Theatre, this timely book, Seán O'Casey: Political activist and writer situates O'Casey in the literary and political context of his time. It is written in an accessible style that will appeal to both a general and an academic readership. O'Casey has been widely acknowledged as one of Ireland's foremost dramatists. Drawing on archival material as well as a close reading of his drama, O'Brien examines the influence of the Young Ireland writers, Charles Stewart Parnell, The Gaelic League, and especially the Irish labour leader James Larkin on his development as a writer and a political activist. This book places O'Casey at the centre of Ireland's cultural and political history, charting his involvement in the shaping of modern Ireland, which is interwoven with a political and dramatic critique of post-independent Ireland and the wider world.O'Casey was one of the most political writers of his generation, constantly exploring the frontiers between literature and politics. Like his friend Bernard Shaw, he wrote for a purpose. His life reflects the history of the early twentieth century, a period shaped by two great ideas: nationalism and socialism. History and politics are woven into the fabric of his life and his drama.This book is an engaging and highly original account of one of the finest dramatists of the twentieth century, with a focus on the social and political movements that inspired his writing across the entire span of his career, challenging traditional interpretations that have focused almost exclusively on the three Dublin plays and the dramatic aspect of his life. By placing the working-class at the centre of his drama O'Casey gave a voice to those who are rarely heard: the poor, the dispossessed and the tenement-dweller, whose lives he shaped into works of art. --

Seminar paper from the year 2001 in the subject English Language and Literature Studies - Literature, grade: 2,0 (B), University of Dusseldorf "Heinrich Heine" (Anglistics Institute), course: Sean O'Casey - The Dublin Trilogy, language: English, abstract: Hundreds and thousands of articles and books have already been published on Sean O′Casey, his life and his writings. One may rightly ask whether it is necessary to compose yet another essay about the famous Irish writer. It is! While reading Sean O′Casey and once, if not Irish born, you have learned to read and accept his "Irish-English" language and background, one can′t argue that his writings are brilliant. They are rich in images, metaphors, language and intentions. It is almost impossible to get a comprehensive and finally decisive look upon his work. Especially the "Trilogy" provides a lot to interpret and to discus from various points of view depending on the specific status quo of a society. This "Hausarbeit" now is not meant to give yet another attempt to analyse the author′s intentions from a new angle but to give an overview about what famous and less popular critics have said about O′Casey′s "Trilogy" so far. It′s also neither a try to picture, as in a historical dictionary, the political events in a chronological order. These surroundings and the setting they provide for the Dublin Plays are of course crucial in order to understand O′Casey and therefore worth to be mentioned in the context of this essay. More important though are the questions "WHY" and in a sense "HOW" the author used the particular social and political actions and influences to create a certain setting for his characters; how they cope or fail with the intrusion of the outside world into their daily live and business. The "Hausarbeit" is divided into three main parts. The first one deals with Sean O′Casey and his life as a playwright. The second one gives an insight look into "Juno and the Paycock" with a special emphasis on the portrayed poverty and death and on how Juno and Boyle are presented. Eventually the third one provides a closer view on how O′Casey dealt with the "Easter Rising" of 1916 in his work "The Plough and the Stars". It is shown what intentions, ideas and dramatic devices critics believe the author has chosen in order to create a certain result amongst his audience. It goes of course without saying that an advanced familiarity with the context of the presented texts must be required to understand the ideas mentioned in this "Hausarbeit".

This volume provides lively and clearly written expositions of those figures who have done most to shape our views in the period since 1914. Music, cinema, drama, art, fiction, poetry and philosophy are just some of the fields covered