Mongrels and Young Curs: The Hounding of the Feminine in 'St James Infirmary, Good Works, Blackrock' and 'Spurboard'

Abstract

This chapter focuses on selected plays by Nick Enright in its exploration of the manner in which their female characters and associated markers and modes of operation aligned with "the feminine" are largely deployed to give definition to hegemonic masculinity and the concerns and difficulties experienced by the young male protagonists as they move from boys to men. In essence it is argued that, following the example of Mongrels, in Sf James Infirmary, Good Works, Blackrock and Spurboard, the female characters largely function as aides in the recuperation of emotional expression for the men in their lives and that this role is performed at the expense of any satisfying exploration of the women's individual concerns and complexities. It is therefore ironic that the extent of this silencing or erasure of the women is so evident as to demand attention.