A Call for the Study of Irish Rhetoric
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Georgia State University ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University English Theses Department of English 12-2021 A Call for the Study of Irish Rhetoric Rachel E. Woods Georgia State University Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_theses Recommended Citation Woods, Rachel E., "A Call for the Study of Irish Rhetoric." Thesis, Georgia State University, 2021. https://scholarworks.gsu.edu/english_theses/267 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Department of English at ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. It has been accepted for inclusion in English Theses by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ Georgia State University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. A Call for the Study of Irish Rhetoric by Rachel Elena Woods Under the Direction of Michael Harker, PhD A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University 2021 ABSTRACT This thesis examines the existing scholarship in Irish rhetoric and the narrative that has been built thus far. Current knowledge of Irish rhetoric examines minute periods in the literature and communication rather than a coherent overview of its rhetorical development. This thesis identifies and analyzes three periods of rhetorical significance using the stipulative characterization of Irish rhetoric being narrative based relying on recursive elements from Irish history. It then posits a new perspective and language to typify Irish rhetoric using the metaphor of a Celtic braid. Through the composition of a braid, I classify three strands of rhetoric and trace them through the identified rhetorical periods to demonstrate the continuous nature of Irish rhetoric. Furthermore, I propose research questions for other scholars to use as entry points into the conversation. These questions also propose strategies for teaching the Irish rhetorical braid in classrooms. INDEX WORDS: Irish rhetoric, Oratory, Narrative/Narrators, Spectrality, Vernacular Copyright by Rachel Elena Woods 2021 A Call for the Study of Irish Rhetoric by Rachel Elena Woods Committee Chair: Michael Harker Committee: Lynée Gaillet George Pullman Electronic Version Approved: Office of Graduate Services College of Arts and Sciences Georgia State University December 2021 iv DEDICATION For my friends and family who have given me the strength, courage, and love to pursue my education despite the challenges I have encountered along the way. This is as much your triumph as it is mine. v ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Writing this thesis has been a monumental challenge that I could not have completed without the help of many people. First, I want to thank my thesis advisor, Dr. Michael Harker, whose expertise has been invaluable in developing my research and with turning my thoughts into a qualitative study of Irish rhetoric. You provided me with support and encouragement I needed to stay motivated during this challenging year and I cannot adequately express my gratitude for your help. I also want to thank the other members of my committee, Dr. Lynée Gaillet and Dr. George Pullman, for their help directing my research and ensuring that my thesis was comprehensive and thorough. To Dr. Gaillet, I want to thank you for introducing me to this program and encouraging my journey as a scholar. I am incredibly grateful for the time you took to teach me how to write and think on a higher level than I had experienced before. To Dr. Pullman, I want to thank you for bringing a knowledge of Classical rhetoric to my project as it allowed me to view this research through a different lens. Your critique and insight provided me the tools to develop my ideas even further. In addition to my committee, I would like to express my gratitude for Dr. Elizabeth Lopez, Dr. Mary Hocks, Dr. Ashley Holmes, and Dr. Baotong Gu. The experiences I had while in your classes helped me gain a deeper understanding of Rhetoric and Composition. Finally, I want to thank all of my friends and classmates that I worked with over the last two years at GSU. Despite being virtual due to the pandemic, it was your support and community that allowed me to grow and push through the challenges I faced during our time together. Going forward, I hold you all dear to my heart and will use the lessons I learned from you. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................ V LIST OF FIGURES .................................................................................................................. VII INTRODUCTION......................................................................................................................... 1 Key Terms and Phrases ........................................................................................................... 4 CHAPTER ONE: INVESTIGATING OUR CURRENT UNDERSTANDING OF IRISH RHETORIC ....................................................................................................................... 5 Mythical Roots with the Arrival of Celtic Culture ............................................................... 5 Introduction to Christianity and Literacy in Medieval Ireland ........................................ 16 The War with Great Britain and Postcolonial Identity Construction .............................. 32 CHAPTER TWO: LESSONS AND QUESTIONS .................................................................. 50 First Strand: Oratorical Language ...................................................................................... 52 Second Strand: Narratives .................................................................................................... 55 Third Strand: Spectrality ...................................................................................................... 58 Further Questions to Consider ............................................................................................. 61 CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................................... 63 NOTES ......................................................................................................................................... 67 WORKS CITED.......................................................................................................................... 70 vii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Photo of Celtic Cross in Dublin, Ireland ......................................................................... 2 Figure 2: Close-up Photo of Celtic Cross ....................................................................................... 3 1 INTRODUCTION This project idea resulted from a study abroad trip to Ireland during the final year of my undergraduate education. I was enamored by the country and explored it through the physical terrain as well as its catalogue of literature. Coincidentally, I read Bram Stoker’s Dracula the month before my trip to Ireland. And during my visit, I saw connections between characters, plot points, and events to the Irish fight for independence from England. I explored this idea in my undergraduate thesis, “Dracula and the Irish Fight for Independence,” and presented it at the South Atlantic Modern Language Association 2018 Conference. While conducting research for my conference paper, I noticed the scarcity of articles or books examining Irish rhetoric. This gap became more evident as I developed a research question for my MA Thesis. Ireland has a rich history that was predominantly cultivated outside the Greco-Roman influence which can be traced throughout the rest of Europe. Resulting in a unique and innately Irish rhetoric that has been largely ignored by academics. As I continued to search for a research topic, I became frustrated by the inadequacy of scholarship related to Irish rhetoric. My research will examine the existing scholarship in Irish rhetoric and the narrative that has been built thus far. Current knowledge of Irish rhetoric examines minute periods in literature and communication rather than a coherent overview of its rhetorical development. This thesis identifies and examines three major periods of rhetorical significance: early folklore and mythology, medieval Christian, and postcolonial. Using my initial review of sources for this project, I propose a stipulative characterization that Irish rhetoric is narrative based with recursive elements (Purdue). This understanding of Irish rhetoric is used as a lens for the 2 literature review in my first chapter. My second chapter then posits a new perspective and language to characterize Irish rhetoric. One of the most common images in Celtic art is the knot or braid. For the purposes of this study, I am going to refer to the knot as a braid because the words are used interchangeably. Celtic braids are unique as all begin and end at the same place; they are continuous loops (Palmer). During a trip to Ireland in 2019, I found a sculpture featuring the Celtic cross (see Figure 1). The cross is arguably the most popular type of a Celtic braid. Along with the prominent cross in the center, there are several examples of other versions of the Celtic braid on the statue. Figure 1: Photo of Celtic Cross in Dublin, Ireland 3 The commonality among every braid and knot on this statue is the infinite loop. Using Figure 1.2, we see an example of the Celtic braid on the right side of the larger statue and can observe that every