39 pages • 1-hour read
A Star Called Henry
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Essay Topics
How does Doyle view heroism in his novel? Whom do you consider the novel’s heroes to be? How has the view of the Republicans as “heroes” evolved over time?
How does the city of Dublin feature as both a setting and an important motif in Doyle’s novel?
What is the relationship between surviving and thriving? How does Henry find a way to do both along his journey?
What is the significance of hierarchy in Doyle’s fictitious account of colonial and revolutionary Ireland? How does the Republic, once established, mirror the same strictures as British rule?
To what extent are the women in Doyle’s novel a barometer of the changes that are taking place in Ireland? Describe how female characters, including Melody, Granny Nash, and Miss O’Shea, navigate their circumstances.
What is the significance of names and naming in Doyle’s novel? How does Henry’s parents’ unwillingness to call him by his dead brother’s name shape the person Henry becomes?
How does Doyle make use of satire and caricature in his novel?
Describe the tension between the middle-class architects of the Irish revolution and its working-class foot soldiers. How do Jack and Henry epitomize each, respectively?
Describe Henry’s attitude to women. How do his relationships with women, from Melody to Annie to Miss O’Shea, shape his character?
What roles do hatred, rivalry, and enmity play in Doyle’s novel?
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