Fidelity to Irish Identity: Allegory of the Outsider in Julia O'FAOLAIN'S “First Conjugation” and John Montague's “An Occasion of Sin”

Abstract

Julia O’Faolain’s “First Conjugation” and John Montague’s “An Occasion of Sin” are contemporary short stories that have received critical attention. The authors’ attempts to renovate stylistic qualities of short story writing and to experiment with thematic issues in Irish literary tradition are main sources of this attention. This article examines the impact of outsiders who suddenly appear in a contemporary Irish setting in both works. Traditionally, Irish writers of fiction have pointed out a sense of isolation and solitude dominating the mind of Irish characters, which results in a network of dark and gloomy social relationships. The intervention of outsiders, however, renders this critical analysis exceptional in that outsiders disrupt social formations resulting in an identity crisis. O’Faolain’s “First Conjugation” introduces outsider image in the form of an Italian instructor who challenges the worldview of a young Irish girl, an insider in this setting. Depicted from the perspective of the Irish protagonist, the story illustrates how easily outsider challenges Irish identity. On the other hand, Montague’s “An Occasion of Sin” narrates outsider’s experience among Irish characters. The conflict between outsiders and insiders illustrates the urgent need for a renewal of Irish perceptions. Both texts focus on the aftermath of the arrival of outsiders among insiders leading to a climactic point of collision. Accordingly, this article reviews the relationship between outsiders and insiders in the selected works and argues that both texts appoint outsider as an allegory of questioning. Furthermore, the article concludes that outsider is a means of self-questioning that faces traditional notion of Irish identity and that eventually a solution to this inner conflict appears once again in the form of traditional fidelity.