Stories of the Great Famine: “The Hungry Death” as an inspiration for The Countess Cathleen

Abstract

The Great Irish Famine (1845-1848) resulted in the loss of twenty-five percent of the Irish population. Thus, the Famine meant a significant trauma for Ireland, which is reflected in the literature covering this historical period. Many literary works focused on themes such as starvation, death, and sacrifice. There are two works by Rosa Mulholland and by William Butler Yeats which deal with the most recurrent themes of Famine literature but also present a connection between them. This is because William Butler Yeats illustrates in his play similar literary motifs previously captured in Mulholland’s story. This dissertation carries out a comparative analysis to show how Rosa Mulholland’s “The Hungry Death” may have inspired William Butler Yeats to write The Countess Cathleen without it being a literary adaptation.

La Hambruna Irlandesa (1845-1848) significó la pérdida del veinticinco por ciento de la población irlandesa. Por eso, la hambruna supuso un gran trauma para Irlanda, que se refleja en la literatura que abarca este periodo histórico. Muchas obras literarias se centraron en temas como el hambre, la muerte y el sacrificio. Hay dos obras de Rosa Mulholland y de William Butler Yeats que, además de abarcar los temas más recurrentes de la literatura de la hambruna, presentan una conexión entre ellas. Esto se debe a que William Butler Yeats refleja en su obra motivos literarios similares a los plasmados anteriormente en la obra de Mulholland. Esta tesis lleva a cabo un análisis comparativo para reflejar cómo “The Hungry Death” de Rosa Mulholland pudo haber inspirado a William Butler Yeats para escribir The Countess Cathleen sin tratarse de una adaptación literaria.