The "Others" of the Celtic Tiger: Intercultural Encounters in Roddy Doyle's Short Fiction
Date
2014Abstract
El objetivo del presente estudio es el análisis detallado de dos relatos cortos de Roddy Doyle, centrándonos particularmente en el retrato que dicho artista hace del mosaico multicultural de la cultura irlandesa actual. Este escritor irlandés, premiado en numerosas ocasiones, aborda el tema de la multiculturalidad no solamente desde la perspectiva del irlandés natal, sino también desde la perspectiva del inmigrante. Esta riqueza óptica se observa en sus relatos "The Pram" y "The Slave", pertenecientes a The Deportees (2008) y Bullfighting (2011) respectivamente.
Mientras que en "The Pram" Doyle privilegia la mirada extranjera, al adentrarnos en la mente distorsionada de una mujer polaca que acaba asesinado a su jefa irlandesa, en "The Slave" se ofrece el punto de vista de un personaje irlandés que se siente aturdido y contrariado ante la imagen amenazadora del intruso. Ambas historias ofrecen una visión desalentadora y distópica del reciente paisaje multiétnico del país, y ponen de relieve las numerosas tensiones que pueden surgir en el encuentro intercultural entre nativos y extranjeros. The aim of this article is to analyse how Roddy Doyle's short fiction reflects Ireland's multicultural reality in the twenty-first century. This award-winning writer attempts to reflect on the theme of multiculturalism not only from the viewpoint of the Irish, but also from the perspective of the incoming migrant. These two opposing viewpoints are reflected in the two short stories "The Pram" (from the 2008 collection The Deportees and "The Slave"(from the 2011 collection Bullfighting). While in "The Pram" Doyle privileges the outsider's perspective by entering the distorted mind of a Polish woman who ends up killing her Irish boss, in "The Slave" he offers the viewpoint of an Irish-born character who feels estranged in the face of the Other. Both stories offer a rather gloomy portrayal of the "Ireland of the Welcomes" by revealing the various tensions which may emerge between the Irish host and the foreign guest.
The aim of this chapter is to examine carefully Doyle's interest in conveying multiculturalism through such different viewpoints and his use of various artistic resources to portray the difficulties involved in the Irish and non-Irish intercultural encounter.
Except where otherwise noted, this item's license is described as Licencia Creative Commons (Reconocimiento-No comercial-Sin obras derivadas 4.0 internacional)