This paper examines the representation of Irish storytelling in Conor McPherson’s 1997 play The Weir. Drawing on postcolonial theory as well as the historical context of Ireland during the play’s release, I argue that The Weir is uniquely positioned at the intersection of traditional and modern values. Further, I assert that fairy legend is a tool used by the play’s characters to both understand and escape a fluctuating cultural landscape, and ultimately, a way to articulate their own values. Using textual analysis, I examine the rhetorical choices of the play’s storytellers and compare it with established conventions of Irish fairy legend. More broadly, I argue for storytelling as a way of negotiating values during times of change.
","abstract_html":"<p>This paper examines the representation of Irish storytelling in Conor McPherson’s 1997 play <em>The Weir</em>. Drawing on postcolonial theory as well as the historical context of Ireland during the play’s release, I argue that <em>The Weir</em> is uniquely positioned at the intersection of traditional and modern values. Further, I assert that fairy legend is a tool used by the play’s characters to both understand and escape a fluctuating cultural landscape, and ultimately, a way to articulate their own values. Using textual analysis, I examine the rhetorical choices of the play’s storytellers and compare it with established conventions of Irish fairy legend. More broadly, I argue for storytelling as a way of negotiating values during times of change.</p>","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Johnson, Sarah"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Arts (MA)","degree_level":"Thesis","degree_discipline":"English","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Justine Van Meter","Joanna Levin","Mildred Lewis"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2024,"date_issued":"2024-05-01T07:00:00Z","date_published":"2024-05-01T07:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:37Z","subjects":["The Weir","Conor McPherson","Irish fairy legend","Storytelling","Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory","Other English Language and Literature"],"languages":[],"rights":[],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/english_theses/78","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Justine Van Meter","Joanna Levin","Mildred Lewis"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Johnson, Sarah"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["English"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Thesis"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Arts (MA)"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["The Weir","Conor McPherson","Irish fairy legend","Storytelling","Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory","Other English Language and Literature"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/english_theses/78"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["This paper examines the representation of Irish storytelling in Conor McPherson’s 1997 play The Weir. Drawing on postcolonial theory as well as the historical context of Ireland during the play’s release, I argue that The Weir is uniquely positioned at the intersection of traditional and modern values. Further, I assert that fairy legend is a tool used by the play’s characters to both understand and escape a fluctuating cultural landscape, and ultimately, a way to articulate their own values. Using textual analysis, I examine the rhetorical choices of the play’s storytellers and compare it with established conventions of Irish fairy legend. More broadly, I argue for storytelling as a way of negotiating values during times of change.
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"],"dc:identifier":["https://digitalcommons.chapman.edu/english_theses/78"],"dc:source":["Johnson, Sara Nicole. \"Old Cod\": The Power of Storytelling in Conor McPherson's The Weir. 2024. Chapman University, MA Thesis. Chapman University Digital Commons, https://doi.org/10.36837/chapman.000582"],"dc:subject":["The Weir","Conor McPherson","Irish fairy legend","Storytelling","Dramatic Literature, Criticism and Theory","Other English Language and Literature"],"dc:title":["\"Old Cod\": The Power of Storytelling in Conor McPherson's The Weir"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["English"],"thesis:degree_level":["Thesis"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Arts (MA)"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T01:38:37Z"}