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Star of the Sea : A Postcolonial/Postmodern Voyage into the Irish Famine

Man v. Society

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Conflict (Non-Spoiler) How to write guides often discuss the different types of conflict used to build a story. Any good story needs to have some sort of conflict for it to be interesting. Conflict is usually what drives the plot, and what’s the use of a story without plot. Joseph O’Connor uses several different kinds of conflict in Star of the Sea to build tension and drive the plot. Some notable conflicts explored through the novel are person versus nature, person versus society, person versus person, and person versus self.
Person v. Nature
The element of person vs. nature appears in the many ways that the famine comes into play. The characters in the book must face up against nature herself and are at the mercy of nature whether they are starving in Ireland or at sea on the ship. This is especially difficult for the characters to resolve because they can’t control nature. There is nothing they can do but run and hope for the best.
Person v. Person
The person versus person conflict is about one group or individual being pitted against another. We see this in the murder mystery aspect of the novel most clearly, but there is also violence between people of the novel. Whether they are actually fighting or arguing with each other, the people that inhabit the novel are almost always in conflict with each other.
Person v. Society
This is similar to person versus person, but on a larger scale. “In this type of conflict, a character must take on society itself, and not a single person. The character stands at odds with societal norms and realizes the necessity to work against these norms” ("Conflict"). Here, there's the obvious struggle between the English and Irish and the tensions in society there. So much of what makes Merridith an interesting character is his duality - not quite belonging to one or the other. The society of the time prevented people from helping as much as they could have, making the blight worse.
Person v. Self
Throughout the novel, Merridith struggles with depression. Though this fact is not necessarily explicitly stated, enough evidence is given that readers can draw their own conclusions. This is the classic example of the conflict type man versus self. Merridith must come to terms with himself and the choices he’s made in his life. Much of the plot of the novel comes from Merridith trying to resolve his issues
“A clawing unease crept into his days; the restlessness and anxiety he had known as a child. Marrying Laura Markham had driven it away, but being married was somehow allowing it to return. He began to feel dissatisfied, was prone to depressions…The sleeplessness that had plagued him since boyhood worsened…Part of it was boredom, the sheer lack of purpose. The life of a gentleman of leisure did not suit him, it made him feel useless and vaguely ungrateful: the ingratitude making the uselessness sharper. His days were entirely empty of anything important.” (224)
Works Cited
"Conflict." Literary Devices. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.
O’Connor, Joseph. Star of the Sea. Florida: Harcourt Books, 2002. Print.
Researcher/Writer: Michaila Gerlach
Web Designers: Madison Luke and Andrew Olsen
Conflict (Spoiler) How to write guides often discuss the different types of conflict used to build a story. Any good story needs to have some sort of conflict for it to be interesting. Conflict is usually what drives the plot, and what’s the use of a story without plot. Joseph O’Connor uses several different kinds of conflict in Star of the Sea to build tension and drive the plot. Some notable conflicts explored through the novel are person versus nature, person versus society, person versus person, and person versus self.
Person v. Nature
The element of person vs. nature appears in the many ways that the famine comes into play. The characters in the book must face up against nature herself and are at the mercy of nature whether they are starving in Ireland or at sea on the ship. This is especially difficult for the characters to resolve because they can’t control nature. There is nothing they can do but run and hope for the best.
Person v. Person
The person versus person conflict is about one group or individual being pitted against another. We see this in the murder mystery aspect of the novel most clearly, but there is also violence between people of the novel. The Hibernian brothers plot to kill David Merridith and threaten to kill Pius if he doesn't follow through with his end of the deal.
Person v. Society
This is similar to person versus person, but on a larger scale. “In this type of conflict, a character must take on society itself, and not a single person. The character stands at odds with societal norms and realizes the necessity to work against these norms” (Conflict). Here, there's the obvious struggle between the English and Irish and the tensions in society there. So much of what makes Merridith an interesting character is his duality - not quite belonging to one or the other. The society of the time prevented people from helping as much as they could have, making the blight worse.
Person v. Self
Throughout the novel, Merridith struggles with depression. Though this fact is not necessarily explicitly stated, enough evidence is given that readers can draw their own conclusions. This is the classic example of the conflict type man versus self. Merridith must come to terms with himself and the choices he’s made in his life. Much of the plot of the novel comes from Merridith trying to resolve his issues
“A clawing unease crept into his days; the restlessness and anxiety he had known as a child. Marrying Laura Markham had driven it away, but being married was somehow allowing it to return. He began to feel dissatisfied, was prone to depressions…The sleeplessness that had plagued him since boyhood worsened…Part of it was boredom, the sheer lack of purpose. The life of a gentleman of leisure did not suit him, it made him feel useless and vaguely ungrateful: the ingratitude making the uselessness sharper. His days were entirely empty of anything important.” (224)
Spoiler Home Page

Works Cited
"Conflict." Literary Devices. 2015. Web. 17 Mar. 2016.

O’Connor, Joseph. Star of the Sea. Florida: Harcourt Books, 2002. Print.
Researcher/Writer: Michaila Gerlach
Web Designers: Madison Luke and Andrew Olsen