Abstract
In this study, I examine the lasting effects of colonization in contemporary Irish fiction. In particular, this thesis traces postcolonial themes through three recent Irish novels--The Gathering by Anne Enright, Night by Edna O’Brien, and The Sea by John Banville. These novels all display themes common in the works of writers from nations that suffered from colonization in their histories, including the loss of identity; the construction of the self through narration; the problematic relationship to Ireland as a motherland; the need to re-write familial and personal history from an Irish perspective; and the challenges of using English, an imposed language, to construct identity. It is valuable for critics to recognize the postcolonial traits present in Irish works in order to better understand Irish literature itself, as well as the struggles that the country’s citizens continue to face today.