Introduction

Construction of Identity in Northern Irish Novels 241
on English was designated to establish homogeneity and commonality within the
British Empire and to lessen ‘regional’ differences” (Nic Craith 2003, 98). In 1870
the Education Act promoted “a homogenous English print community and
sounded a death knell for all British Celtic regions” (ibid. 98). Thus, for example
Welsh and Scottish Gaelic were deleted from the curriculum of Welsh and Scottish
schools (ibid. 98). The intention was to establish a “print community in the
language of the colonizer” (ibid. 100).
While some scholars have argued that national education merely offered the
chance to learn English and did not force the Irish to abandon their native language,
Nic Craith points out that “the desire for education” of the Irish was underestimated
(ibid. 100). She also calls attention to the colonial pressure and the
wish to assimilate to the superior power. “The ‘native’ perceives his own cultural
style as inferior and abandons traditional cultural forms and language endeavours
to appropriate the whole way of life of his oppressor” (ibid. 102), she argues. Besides,
it was necessary to speak, read and write English if one wanted to partake in
the economic world (ibid. 101). So, both the introduction of English in schools
and the colonial presence put the further decline of Irish into effect. At the same
time education should enable children to rise above their parents’ social status and
equip them with the knowledge necessary to partake in British life. However, the
contrary happened; all they learned was about their Irish inferiority (ibid. 102).
Although Eureka Street and also Where They Were Missed illustrate education as
important properties in this chapter I would like to focus on One by One in the
Darkness as there are many good examples of educational change. Jake and his
friends all have benefited from a rather good education. Jake has studied politics,
Slat is a lawyer, Donal works for the Government and Septic Ted is selling insurance
(McLiam Wilson 139ff). Aoirghe has studied history (ibid. 94), Saoirse is
doing good at school.
As one can see the development and importance of education in general has
taken a significant position in Northern Ireland like in the rest of Europe. In
Madden’s One by One in the Darkness the change in the educational system in the
second half of the twentieth century and the perception of value of education is
illustrated well by means of the two generations that appear in the novel. Cate’s,
Sally’s and Helen’s parents, Emily and Charlie Quinn, grew up in an age that highlighted
the meaning of education at every moment. The reason for this lies in the
history of Northern Ireland as already stated above. In her remembrances of bygone
days of the 1950s Emily recounts Northern Irish politics: “At that time ‘politics’
meant Stormont, meant a Protestant government for a Protestant people, so
if you happened to be a Catholic, the message was clear” (Madden 115). Indeed,
unionist fears of a “Catholic infiltration” (Mulholland 45) was accompanied by the
attempt to keep politics in unionist hands. As Mulholland has remarked,
“throughout the Stormont era there was consistent and largely successful pressure
from the unionist grassroots to keep Catholics out of senior public employment