Writer's Methods and Techniques (Leaving Cert English): Revision Notes

Writer's Methods and Techniques

Genre and Style

• Historical Fiction:
  • The novella is set in Ireland in 1985, drawing on real events and societal norms of the time, such as the Magdalen laundries.
  • Keegan's restrained and minimalist style leaves much unsaid, making subtle details and context crucial to understanding the story.

Narrative and Perspective

• Narrator and Point of View:
  • Written in close third-person from Bill Furlong's perspective, allowing readers insight into his inner conflict.
  • Furlong's quiet and reflective nature influences the narrative, with unsaid elements carrying as much weight as what is explicitly mentioned.
  • The use of past tense underscores the reflective tone of the novella.

Tone and Mood

• Tone: Conflicted and reflective, as Furlong grapples with moral dilemmas.
• Mood: A mix of tenderness, hope, and tension, set against a backdrop of social injustice and personal responsibility.

Key Literary Techniques

• Foreshadowing:
  • Furlong's focus on keeping his daughters at St. Margaret's foreshadows the risks his actions will pose to their education.
  • Early descriptions of the convent hint at its darker reality beneath its polished exterior.
• Imagery:
  • Keegan uses strong natural imagery to evoke the harshness of the setting, such as "a December of crows" and "November winds stripping yellow trees bare."
  • These descriptions establish a vivid sense of place and reflect the emotional and moral struggles of the characters.
• Understatement:
  • Keegan's minimalist approach allows subtle details to speak volumes, like a nun's casual action of shaking a frying pan to silence Sarah.
  • This restraint encourages readers to read between the lines and interpret hidden meanings.
• Allusion:
  • The name "Magdalen" alludes to Mary Magdalene, traditionally seen as a repentant sinner, reflecting the nuns' unjust treatment of the girls as "fallen women."
• Personification:
  • Furlong personifies his truck as a "she," emphasising the personal relationship he has with his work and daily routine.
• Parallelism:
  • Recurring imagery of nature, such as wind stripping leaves and flowers, reflects cycles of destruction and renewal, mirroring Furlong's moral awakening.
• Paradox:
  • Furlong's reflexion, "Why were the things that were closest so often the hardest to see?" captures the irony of his delayed recognition of Ned as his father despite his lifelong presence.