Welcome to The Dark:
A Literary Journey
Below is the evolution of my research that I have gotten to do about The Dark by John McGahern, it focuses on the relationships young Mahoney has with other females to showcase the destructive nature of sexual oppression within adolescence that forces him to break away from different sectors within society: family, religion, and education. I explore the ways young Mahoney displaces himself from the cycle of abuse that he and other adolescents face from masculine powers within the family unit, the Catholic Church, and educational institutions. These sectors represent the panoptic control the Catholic Church had on Irish society that silenced the voices and bodies of future generations.
Picture: Gavin, Tony. "Acclaimed writer John McGahern at a graveyard near Mohill, Co Leitrim." Irish Independent, https://www.independent.ie/entertainment/books/book-reviews/john-mcgahern-authority-and-vision-impressive-tribute-to-the-first-laureate-of-leitrim/38391926.html
American Conference for Irish Studies Mid-Atlantic and New England Regional Conference (Poster Presentation 2022)
In my poster, I explore the way young Mahoney tries to escape from the toxic oppression of his father, priesthood, and the education system. While on his journey, he also becomes a witness to the way girls and women are similarly oppressed within these systems. I examine the way young Mahoney's sexual, physical, and verbal abuse parallels the experiences of other females in the novel, but McGahern also notes the differences between their mobility within society. Click the button below to see my full poster!
Picture: Hogan, Colm. "John McGahern: the letters allow us to know so much more about his life and work." The Irish TImes, https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/books/john-mcgahern-s-letters-do-you-think-it-would-be-right-to-send-a-copy-to-samuel-beckett-1.4650014
CNU Paideia
(Oral Prestation 2021)
In my oral presentation, features preliminary research where I focused more on the way young Mahoney creates/ comes to understand his masculinity. I focus on scenes where he becomes a witness to the toxic masculinity around him and also examine the ways that he comes to learn about his own sexuality.