Brendan Behan: Nationalism, Human Nature, and Literary Legacy
This paper examines the literary contributions of Irish writer Brendan Behan, arguing that his works go far beyond the public notoriety he gained as a controversial figure. Drawing on plays such as The Quare Fellow and The Hostage, as well as the autobiographical novel Borstal Boy, the paper explores two central themes: Behan's humanistic portrayal of ordinary people and shared human experience, and his pointed political critique of Irish cultural nationalism. The paper also reviews critical debates surrounding the authorship and originality of Behan's work, ultimately affirming his unique theatrical voice and the enduring significance of his literary legacy.
- Introduction: Thesis: Behan critiques nationalism and celebrates human nature
- Brendan Behan: Biography and Background: Life, politics, imprisonment, and early writing career
- Behan on Human Nature: Satirizing convention and exploring shared human experience
- Behan on Nationalism and Politics: Anti-nationalist themes and cross-cultural working-class solidarity
- Critical Analysis of Behan's Work: Debates over authorship, originality, and literary reputation
- Conclusions: Behan's enduring literary and political contributions
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What makes this paper effective
- The paper establishes a clear thesis in the introduction — that Behan's writing functions as both a humanistic exploration and a political critique of nationalism — and consistently returns to that thesis throughout each section.
- It balances biographical context with textual evidence, grounding claims about Behan's themes in direct quotations from his works and from secondary scholarly sources.
- The critical analysis section demonstrates intellectual honesty by presenting opposing views (e.g., challenges to Behan's authorship) before fairly rebutting them with evidence.
Key academic technique demonstrated
The paper makes effective use of integrated quotation — embedding passages from Behan's works alongside commentary from literary scholars to build layered, evidence-supported arguments. Rather than simply summarizing critics, the author uses them to corroborate an original interpretive claim about Behan's political dissidence and humanism.
Structure breakdown
The paper opens with an introduction that poses its central argument, followed by a biographical section establishing Behan's life and political context. Two thematic sections then develop the paper's twin claims — Behan's humanism and his anti-nationalist politics. A critical analysis section engages with scholarly debate about his work, and a brief conclusion synthesizes the main findings. This six-part structure is straightforward and well-suited to an undergraduate literary analysis essay.
Introduction
Brendan Behan contributed much to the literary genre, though his literary achievements are often overshadowed by his public recognition as a drunk, disorderly, and frequently entertaining member of society. Many literary critics fail to recognize Behan for the serious contributions he made to writing, choosing instead to focus on the controversy surrounding his work ethic and personal habits.
This paper asserts, however, that Behan used his writing to voice his disagreement with the notion of cultural nationalism that prevailed in Ireland during his lifetime. Brannigan (2002) supports this claim, arguing that Behan's writing allowed him to "articulate dissent" and contributed to the emergence of revisionist and other critiques of nationalism.
This paper also explores the idea that Behan wrote from a strictly humanistic standpoint, attempting to enlighten his audience with amusing anecdotes about human nature and sharing the notion that all humans are subjected to the same living conditions and torments. His implicit argument is that freedom from life's constraints lies in the ability of people to overcome their differences and recognize their similarities. His writing suggests a preoccupation with — and even a love for — the diverse nature of humankind.
References
Behan, B. (1958). Borstal Boy. London: Hutchinson.
Brannigan, J. (2002). Belated Behan: Brendan Behan and the cultural politics of memory. Éire-Ireland: A Journal of Irish Studies, p. 39.
Demastes, W. W., & Schrank, B. (1997). Irish playwrights, 1880–1995: A research and production sourcebook. Westport: Greenwood Press.
Gonzales, A. G. (1997). Modern Irish writers: A bio-critical sourcebook. Westport: Greenwood.
Jasto, K. (2000). Brendan Behan. Retrieved October 10, 2004, from
Silltoe, A. (1959, August). Proletarian novelists. Books and Bookmen, 13. Cited in Brannigan, J. (2002). Belated Behan: Brendan Behan and the cultural politics of memory. Éire-Ireland: A Journal of Irish Studies.
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