What was the "Irish Renaissance"? Who were some of the literary giants associated with it? O'Flaherty was born after most of the older writers of the renaissance had published some of their best work. Would you rank him in this group? How does his work differ from that of other renaissance writers?

Find information on the Easter Rebellion, then read Yeats's poem "Easter, 1916." What does Yeats mean by "A terrible beauty is born"? Liam O'Flaherty was, in 1916, fighting against the Germans in France and Belgium, wearing a British uniform, yet he had been a Republican (a group of Irish patriots who called for freedom from England) and, on his return to Ireland would advocate a united, free Ireland. Do you find this contradictory?

What other stories have you read in which there are no human (or animal) characters? Do you consider this...