Anna Burns's novel Milkman focuses on the negative effects of living in a totalitarian society. The setting is recognizable as focusing on the Troubles in 1970s Ireland, though place names and identifications of the factions involved in the conflict are notably absent from the narrative. As Burns presents the text of Milkman in the stream-of-consciousness style, she uses the narrative to grapple with themes such as secrecy, gender inequality, oppression, and the power of individuality.
