He Had Two Women to Die For, Ireland and the missus”: Mothers as Abject and Sons as Scapegoats in Edna O’Brien’s House of Splendid Isolation and In the Forest

Author

Emily NixFollow

Date of Award

Spring 5-21-2022

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

MA English

Department

English

Advisor

Martha Carpentier, Ph.D.

Committee Member

Elizabeth Redwine, Ph.D.

Keywords

abjection, scapegoat, myth, O’Brien, mothers, sons, Ireland, Irish, identity, isolation, forest, nature

Abstract

This thesis examines the protagonists in Edna O’Brien’s In the Forest and House of Splendid Isolation and applies Julia Kristeva’s theory of abjection and Rene Girard’s theory of the scapegoat. In doing so, I attempt to give a richer understanding of O’Brien’s masculine and feminine characters and how their constructed identities are based on their cultural circumstances and positions in their societies. I use Kristeva’s theory of abjection to analyze the single women in these novels, Eily and Josie, who become metaphorical single mothers by the invasions of young men into their homes. Then, I apply Girard’s theory of the scapegoat to the young men, O’Kane and McGreevy, who eventually fulfill roles as sons. These theories give way to the fact that O’Brien’s characters are extremely complex and multifaceted. Furthermore, the theory of abjection and of the scapegoat can give fuller understanding to the real-world problems in In the Forest and House of Splendid Isolation and provide a solution.

Recommended Citation

Nix, Emily, "He Had Two Women to Die For, Ireland and the missus”: Mothers as Abject and Sons as Scapegoats in Edna O’Brien’s House of Splendid Isolation and In the Forest" (2022). Seton Hall University Dissertations and Theses (ETDs). 2998.
https://scholarship.shu.edu/dissertations/2998