What is the theme in Guests of the Nation?
The main theme in this story is duty. Each character has a duty to perform. Donovan is the first one to discuss his duty as the rebels are leading the prisoners into the bog. He tells them that four Irish fellows had been shot and ''you are to be shot as a reprisal.
Why is Guests of the Nation ironic?
The title of the story, "Guests of the Nation," is an example of verbal irony. … Thus, in "Guests of the Nation," Frank O'Connor uses irony to illustrate the conflict that soldiers feel when they recognize the humanity of their enemies and yet they are compelled to kill them.
Why is the short story entitled Guests of the Nation?
The Title. The title of the story, “Guests of the Nation,” refers to the English hostages that the Irish soldiers watch in an old woman's home. Irishmen Noble and Bonaparte don't realize that Hawkins and Belcher are hostages until later in the story, after befriending the Englishmen.
What happens at the end of Guests of the Nation?
He continues to complain and appeal to Bonaparte as his friend as they walk down to the bog. All the while, the finality of the execution is dawning on Bonaparte, and he silently resolves not to shoot the prisoners if they try to escape.
Is Guests of the Nation a true story?
“Guests of the Nation,” one of several early O'Connor stories about the Irish gunman, reflects his own experiences while fighting on the losing Republican side during the Irish Civil War.
What does Belcher symbolize?
He states that he never understood the concept of “duty.” Donovan and Belcher symbolize the great number of Irish and English soldiers caught up in the War of Independence who felt obligated to serve their respective countries.
What does Hawkins symbolize in Guests of the Nation?
In the story these two characters often debate each other on the presence of an afterlife. … The constant debates between Noble and Hawkins symbolize one of the primary tensions between the Irish and English that prompted the Irish War of Independence: The divide between Irish Catholicism and English Protestantism.