1. Continue my Mercyhurst College education in a new environment
2. To gain a new perspective on life
I am indeed taking classes while I am abroad. One of my classes is entitled British Literature Survey. In this class, we read Irish and British literature and poetry, discuss it, dissect it, and try and relate what we learn to our time here in Ireland. One of our readings is called "Dubliners" by James Joyce.
In the past, Ireland has been Shamrocks, Leprechauns, Guinness, and Irish music. That is all it has been for me. As I walk around Dungarvan, I see that there is a lot more to this country than that. The people of Ireland are not always drunk and doing jigs all over the place. They are just like you and me; they have the same experiences that we do. They feel pain, they laugh, they cry, they find escapes from reality, and they love hard.
The stories in "Dubliners" has really opened my eyes. The first story "The Sisters" is about a boy who has his first encounter with death. It brought me back to the first time I went to a funeral. I was too young to know what it all meant, but I could tell it was something bad since everyone was crying. The people of Ireland have abusive relationships with their parents and spouses just like everyone else. They live lonely lives, find someone but are too afraid to let that special someone in, lets them go, and then a tragic event happens to the special someone which causes the person to then realize that they were their soul mate.
What I realize is that it's the same across the world. Events do not happen to just one race, but to all. I guess there's no escaping life. That is what I'm beginning to understand while reading the book "Dubliners".
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