Abstract:
This thesis is concerned with the treatment of the themes of memory and trauma in Irish short stories written by female authors. The authors in the text use memory as a way to explore both personal and cultural trauma; the contemporary works show a shift in this treatment, a movement towards catharsis through narrative psychotherapy. Additionally, not only do these characters undergo the process of confronting traumas, but the authors themselves also use their texts as a way to confront their own Anglo-Irish identity and the associated turmoil.