Town and Country : Juxtaposing Ireland's Big House and Europe's Capitals in Bowen's The House in Paris and The Heat of the Day

摘要

Because Bowen structured The House in Paris and The Heat of the Day around an Irish interlude, one could interpret the Big House as a counterpoint to the European capitals of London and Paris, the primary settings. Upon closer analysis, it becomes clear that Ireland serves as both impetus of the action and the means by which to analyze London society in particular. Through this juxtaposition, the author gives new meaning to Ireland's place in an increasingly chaotic Europe, and to the author's own Irishness as she contributes to the tradition of the European novel.