Robin especially liked the portrayal of the immigrant experience and noted that even we are (almost) all immigrants (and lots of talk about how today’s immigrants differ from immigrants in the 1950’s...)
We noted the strong Catholic religious pressure from the priest and the Irish community overall.
We all debated her passivity for quite some time then Monika helped us conclude that in the end she managed to evaluate each decision, in a way sort of realizing that choosing to let others decide was in itself a decision. We could not agree to which extent she was just lucky, noting that the American dream was just at its greatest moment in the 1950’s so it was the best possible moment to create your own success.
Mark loved the ending being sort of open, and also shared stories of how his Italian-American father experienced ethnic prejudice on more than one occasion….even in the 1960’s in NJ.
Lot’s of speculation on whether she would be happy or not in the US with Tony, and also what the photo she kept of Jim really signified/how it would play a role in the future if Tony ever found it.
Cynthia at first thought the writing was too flat but then having read other books by Toibin realized it was a deliberate device. For Monika the device of the flatness was to mimic her passivity. Artistic medium or not, this flatness created for Clare and Maren a disappointment about the consequently missing emotional impact on the reader.
And, last but not least, we shared a universal disdain for the shop owner in Ireland !
A question Cynthia wish we had discussed: How did to interpret the final scene with the mother, when Eilis says she’s leaving back to the US. Another question could be about what signify the expectations Eilis' mother has apparently towards her daughter to take care of her.
Cynthia (& Maren)
