In Pursuit of Life and Love: The Universal Themes of Hamlet and Ecclesiastes

Hamlet is often regarded as a modern or postmodern drama, yet the existential questions Hamlet ponders can be found echoed in a much older text: the Book of Ecclesiastes. A comparison of parallel elements found in the two texts not only offers a deeper understanding of each protagonist's pursuit of life and love, but also that the desire to ascribe meaning to life transcends period labels. Published in Thoroughfare 6.1 Fall 2013: 6-9. Print

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A Revolution of the Mind: The Search for Identity in Roddy Doyle's A Star Called Henry

The search for a distinct identity is a challenge of any post-colonial society when contending with the loss of identity, both communal and individual.  Often a fervent nationalism arises, yet this nationalism can be as controlling as colonialism.  Author Roddy Doyle explores how both do not allow for the development of identity in his novel, A Star Called Henry.  Presented at the American Conference for Irish Studies--Midwest, 21-23 October 2010. 

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