Title: “British Literature” or “Irish Literature”

Abstract: After examining the definitions of “British literature” and “Irish literature,” this paper claims that the differences between the definitions by British intellectuals and those by Irish critics result from their political or cultural? grounds, and that behind their controversy were struggles of discourse power and combat between colonialism and decolonization. Having exploited notions of national boundary, naturalization, and birth and ancestry, each partyhad to seek either “Britishness” or “Irishness” to add more weight to their claim. Through these negotiations, they have virtually agreed on the placeof most “Anglo-Irish writers” and the division of the other few. In China, the reception of “Irish literature” as independent of “British literature” rose and fell, with a revival after the starting of diplomatic relations between China and Ireland,the result of continuing decolonization.

Keywords: Irish literature, British literature, belonging, decolonization

Author: Bo Cao, Professor, Foreign Studies College, Hunan Normal University, Changsha, Hunan, China.