Breaking Enmities: Religion, Literature and Culture in Northern Ireland, 1967-1997

This book discusses relationships among religion, literature and ethnicity in Northern Ireland since 1967. The introduction provides a theoretical account of how literature engages sectarian prejudices, allowing these to be played out in ways that can help to dissolve or mitigate the alienating effects of traditional enmities. Subsequent chapters deal with identity, endogamy, education, gender, and imprisonment. Each chapter combines an analysis of specific cultural issues with a critical assessment of relevant works by key authors. A conclusion offers an assessment of relationships between Northern Ireland and other modern societies facing analogous problems in a post-modern world marked by rapid globalisation.