68 pages • 2 hours read
Niall WilliamsThis Is Happiness
Fiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2019A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Historical Context: Ireland in the 1950s
This Is Happiness is set during a critical turning point in Ireland’s history, a period marked by the transition from age-old rural traditions to an emerging modern, industrial society. Mirroring the protagonist Noe’s transformative journey, the nation was on its own “coming of age” path during this historical time frame. The era was characterized by significant emigration, particularly among the younger generation of workers who sought to gain economic prosperity far beyond the stagnant opportunities available at home. This mass exodus risked sapping Ireland’s vibrancy and led to a reflective period fraught with uncertainty about the future of the country as a whole.
As Ireland grappled with economic evolution, transitioning from an agrarian economy toward an industrial and service-centric one, several key debates gained prominence. Traditionalists cherished their farming roots and found themselves at odds with those who were eager for industrial progress and modernization. This economic upheaval, coupled with the political instability of the late 1940s and 1950s, marked a period of societal self-questioning and crisis. This era also witnessed a broadening of Ireland’s cultural horizons as it absorbed influences from the global sphere through various media like newspapers, films, and radio. This sudden influx of foreign influences ignited citizens’ aspirations while concurrently highlighting their domestic economic hardships, intensifying the dissatisfaction of the populace with the status quo.
The 1950s was also a significant decade for the Irish Catholic Church, which greatly influenced Irish society and values. Despite the modernizing forces at play, Ireland remained a devoutly religious country, with the church dictating many aspects of public and private life. This dominant role of the church in a time of change is reflected in Noe’s struggles with his faith and his eventual decision to leave the seminary. Historically, religious traditionalism and Catholicism in general experienced considerable strain from the invasion of secular influences. (Williams aptly depicts this struggle in the novel as the village of Faha, steeped in religious customs and values, finds itself navigating the currents of change and struggling to assimilate the invention of electricity, which inevitably brings the tiny, isolated community closer to the outside world.)
The emerging youth culture at this time was brimming with new attitudes toward work and compensation. Young people began to pursue occupations beyond the roles offered by traditional farming, instead seeking monetary wages and access to modern goods and services. This evolving mindset mirrors the broader shift among young Irish citizens at the time, and throughout the novel, Williams takes care to address this recurring theme about The Balance Between Tradition and Progress: between the pressure to remain and the yearning to depart. Furthermore, the influence of the Irish language, itself an essential component of Irish identity, was also in flux during this period. While English was increasingly dominant, especially in the cities, rural areas like Faha still held onto their Gaelic roots. This tension between the English and Irish, akin to the broader struggle between modernity and tradition, is also subtly present in the novel.
However, despite these challenges and tensions, the 1950s also represented a time of resilience and hope. The introduction of electricity into rural areas (symbolized in the novel by Christy McMahon’s arrival in Faha) was a pivotal moment in Irish history, for this unprecedented technological development transformed daily life and signaled a newfound connection between rural communities and the wider world. In essence, the 1950s became a time of profound change and contradiction for Ireland, a time when progress warred with tradition. This cultural and ideological dichotomy provides the backdrop for the novel, adding depth and significance to the characters’ individual experiences and choices. Thus, the novel is not merely a story set within a particular time and place; instead, it acts as a commentary on the transformative sociocultural and economic shifts that marked this pivotal decade in Irish history.
Cultural Context: Irish Storytelling Culture
In any society, stories often function as cultural glue, binding communities together and creating a shared sense of identity and understanding, and Williams deliberately utilizes the trappings of Irish storytelling culture to infuse his own narrative with a strong sense of tradition and character. Additionally, storytelling has long been a tool to pass down history, wisdom, and lessons from one generation to the next. This theme is reflected in the novel as Noe recounts the transformative summer of his 17th year, employing a narrative style deeply rooted in the Irish oral storytelling tradition. In this particular narrative style, the tale often unfolds in a nonlinear, circular fashion, embracing tangents and asides that serve to enrich the narrative. The novel’s structure accordingly mirrors this traditional approach, for Williams gradually unveils the dominant narrative using a series of deliberate digressions, reflections, and anecdotes. Such storytelling methods emphasize the importance of the journey and the lessons learned rather than merely focusing on the destination or the conclusion.
The oral storytelling culture of Ireland also tends to emphasize character and place, imbuing them with a life of their own. Similarly, in This Is Happiness, Faha emerges as more than just a setting; it becomes a character in itself, an entity shaped by the weather, the land, and the people who live there. The richly drawn characters in the novel also embody the Irish storytelling tradition, in which individuals are often portrayed with a unique blend of realism and whimsy designed to emphasize their human traits and quirks.
Moreover, the Irish storytelling tradition often integrates humor, wit, and a bit of the fantastical or surreal. The novel’s narrative tone and the slightly exaggerated, larger-than-life incidents that Noe recounts also reflect this tradition. Irish stories also frequently involve themes of love, loss, joy, and sorrow, all of which play prominent roles in the novel. Perhaps most importantly, Irish storytelling, and oral storytelling in general, would not be complete without a sense of its communal nature. Stories like this one are often told in a social setting, such as a pub or a family gathering, creating a sense of shared experience and collective memory. In This Is Happiness, the shared tales of Faha’s inhabitants—their collective experiences and memories—serve as a communal narrative that forms the fabric of their community.
