Examining History: On the Multidimensional Historical Writing of J. G. Farrell's Troubles

J. G. Farrell's Troubles, the winner of the Lost Man Booker Prize, has gained great popularity since its publication in 1970. Most critics categorize Troubles into the framework of Big House novel. Some point out that the novel lacks a sense of history, because it does little to inform the reader about the complicated development of Irish history. However, this paper argues that these comments neglect the dynamics of multidimensional historical writing hidden in the text. First, Farrell inserts letters and cuttings of newspapers into the plot, so as to juxtapose the micro-history from the experience of the main characters with the macro-history formed by the official report as well as their conflicts and clashes, exhibiting the paradox and tension of different types of historical writing. Second, the writer employs metaphors to sketch the real Anglo-Irish social life and reflect the historical process of the ebb and flow of the Anglo-Irish forces in the decline of the Empire. Finally, through the diverse interpretations of different characters for certain historical events, the static historical events and dynamic personal discourses are contrasted and compared reciprocally, creating a multidimensional historical picture in Troubles, which shows Farrell's concern about the complicated history of Anglo-Irish War and his anxiety that Northern Ireland was caught in a haunting cycle of recurring violence in the mid to late part of the 20th century.