Guests of the Nation Study Guide

"Guests of the Nation" was written in 1931 by Frank O'Connor. It is set in the middle of a war between the English and the Irish. In the opening, there are two Englishmen that have been captured and are being held hostage by some Irish. One of the Irishmen is the narrator of the story and telling of a past event. The narrator, Bonaparte, and another soldier, Noble, were in charge of watching the two Englishmen, Belcher and Hawkins. They were keeping them in a house owned by an old lady. The narrator makes it evident that these two Englishmen were taken care of and that the narrator had come to see them as friends. He was even sure that, if they were left alone, they would not try to escape. (read more)