Post-colonial side effects: perceptions of doctors and medicine in 20th century Irish literature

Jacob Pinkston
Wed, 22 Apr 2026 17:51:48 PDT

"Though the English medical structure was firmly implanted in Ireland by the end of the 19th century, Irish authors and historians continued to question it well into the 20th century because medicine represented a colonial structure whose effects on Irish society continued even after the Republic of Ireland gained independence. Irish literature and folklore combined with historical and biographical material show a general dissatisfaction with English medicine, particularly with regards to the social hierarchy it creates, its effects on patient care, and the religious influences on medical practices. Using James Joyce's Ulysses, John McGahern's Amongst Women, and Clare Boylan's Beloved Stranger combined with the folklore surrounding the 19th-century healer Biddy Early, this thesis exposes an underlying sentiment of distrust toward English medicine in 20th-century Ireland. The works of other authors such as William Butler Yeats, Samuel Beckett, and Brian Friel are also touched on in order to give a larger context to this thesis. While some characters within these works highly respect those who practice medicine, many resent the aspects of the medical structure inherited from colonial rule. Through these characters, authors rebel against the colonial medical structure still present in their nation"--Leaf iii