and relationship. The novel outlines the history of the connection between Marianne’s Kilneagh and Woodcombe, describing how ancestors had married into the Marianne’s Quinton family, and how she caused history to repeat itself, as in Anglo-Irish “later relationships it has a way of doing: she fell in love with a Quinton and became, in time, the third English girl to come and live at Marianne depicts her Kilneagh” (4). unwavering commitment in her decision to move to Kilneagh against her parents’ wishes and wait for Willie to return from exile. After arriving and being told to go back home, Marianne responds, it would be better to go back to “I don’t believe England” (137). Marianne further illustrates this point when she exclaims, in “You think I'm extravagant my Irish fancies? Father Kilgariff thinks so, and the others too. Yet I am part of all this now. I cannot help my (175). Marianne is determined to follow her tragic love fervor” story to its conclusion; although Willie may never come back, she remains steadfast and fully devotes herself to Irish family and history. As critic John Hildebidle Willie’s concludes, in refusing to leave, Marianne herself off from England . . . by “knowingly cut so wholly adopting as her own the plight of the Irish that she offended her English and herself into the purest Irishry she In addition to cousins” “remolds can imagine.” illustrating the precarious bond between the Irish and English families and the powerful, historical relationship between Ireland and England, steadfastness depicts the Marianne’s hopeless love that history destroyed. destructive power is also exemplified through demolition History’s Kilneagh’s and the consequences that followed its devastation. As McAlindon asserts, “what clearly marks out as a historical novel is the impact of the War of Independence Fools of Fortune on character and action, and in particular the involvement of Michael Collins with the
and Marianne’s relationship. The novel outlines the history of the connection between Kilneagh and Woodcombe, describing how Marianne’s ancestors had married into the Quinton family, and how she “later caused history to repeat itself, as in Anglo-Irish relationships it has a way of doing: she fell in love with a Quinton and became, in time, the third English girl to come and live at Kilneagh” (4). Marianne depicts her unwavering commitment in her decision to move to Kilneagh against her parents’ wishes and wait for Willie to return from exile. After arriving and being told to go back home, Marianne responds, “I don’t believe it would be better to go back to England” (137). Marianne further illustrates this point when she exclaims, “You think I'm extravagant in my Irish fancies? Father Kilgariff thinks so, and the others too. Yet I am part of all this now. I cannot help my fervor” (175). Marianne is determined to follow her tragic love story to its conclusion; although Willie may never come back, she remains steadfast and fully devotes herself to Willie’s Irish family and history. As critic John Hildebidle concludes, in refusing to leave, Marianne “knowingly cut herself off from England . . . by so wholly adopting as her own the plight of the Irish that she offended her English cousins” and “remolds herself into the purest Irishry she can imagine.” In addition to illustrating the precarious bond between the Irish and English families and the powerful, historical relationship between Ireland and England, Marianne’s steadfastness depicts the hopeless love that history destroyed. History’s destructive power is also exemplified through Kilneagh’s demolition and the consequences that followed its devastation. As McAlindon asserts, “what clearly marks out Fools of Fortune as a historical novel is the impact of the War of Independence on character and action, and in particular the involvement of Michael Collins with the
Adina%20Harri%20Fools%20of%20Fortune.docx