The Heather Blazing and Reading in the Dark - Essay Example

The aspect of silence is particularly evident in two literal works: “Reading in the Dark” by Seamus Deane and “The Heather Blazing” by Colm Toibin. The two authors use silence to highlight on the prejudices, fears and anxieties that characterized the relationship between the Protestant Nationalist majority supported by the state and the minority Catholic Unionist. The silence is also used to imply that apart from the polarizing role played by the British colonialist, the two parties were also responsible for the tension existing in post colonial Ireland.

A comparison of the silence as used in “Reading in the Dark” and “The Heather Blazing” serves as an analysis to bring out some important aspects about the warring factions. Mysteries. In the two works of fiction the authors use silence to highlight the eerie mysteries surrounding the tension between the warring factions. In the novel “Reading in the Dark” the family is submerged in mysteries that are well kept for fear of erupting fresh scandals that might lead to strife. From the protagonist in the book we realize that there are so many mysteries surrounding the death of his uncle Eddie.

In the beginning, the boy outlines that despite the fact that the other three uncles Dan, Tom and John were debating on the whereabouts of Eddie, the protagonists father kept silent (Harte 9). In Chapter 4 the boy learns that his uncle Eddie was actually killed on the suspicion of being a police informer. In his analysis, Harte reveals that the Protagonist’s father is silent because of events leading to Eddie’s death. Harte outlines that the protagonist’s father thought that Eddie was killed because he was a police informer (7).

The protagonist’s father thought that he was acting on the best interest of the family by keeping the details surrounding Eddie’s death secret. On the other hand, the protagonist’s mother also thought that she was acting on the best interest of the