In his first sentence of “In Search of the Banished Children, Peter Quinn defines “memory” as he has learned it in pursuing his personal history. Quinn’s search for the facts of his family story led him to conclude that these memories transcend his surname and belong to a larger picture of the Irish spirit. His family history is “tribal, communal.”
Quinn connects his first sentence to the body of the essay by concluding with the story of the old man. Stating that the old man had “the face of Robert Manning”, his great-great uncle, Quinn likens his story, whose legs seem as if they were never broken when he dances, to his life growing up; his parents never often spoke of their struggles to achieve success in America, but rather simply enjoyed it. Thus, the essay’s definition of memory as tribal and communal relates his family history to paint the picture of Irish pride; that although each of the Irish families endured a great and unique story of suffering to be where they are, today they stand without scars. Similar to the old man’s image of health while dancing, Quinn never heard family lore about his ancestors’ struggles, but rather was taught by example to live each moment purely in the present. The first sentence of Quinn’s essay and the story of the old man emphasize that memory of the Irish is not a story told, a set of dates, or an item of sentimental value. Quinn goes to great lengths to demonstrate that of all the Irish families he knows, not one possesses an artifact or object from the Famine migration. Rather, their memory is imbued in their blood, and displays itself in the fighting spirit and resiliency of the Irish today.
(Posted late due to issue with website)
