The Wave | Essays and Criticism

  • The Wave Overview

    In the following essay, the author argues that ‘‘The Wave’’ reveals O’Flaherty’s understanding of the forces of nature and that its inclusion in the collection Spring Sowing serves to undercut notions of birth and rebirth suggested by the collection’s title.

  • Nature as a Living Thing

    In the following essay, she discusses the way in which the elements of nature become living creatures in ‘‘The Wave.’’

  • Liam O’Flaherty and the Speaking Voice

    In the following excerpt, Murray faults O’Flaherty for his didactic narrative, arguing that O’Flaherty breaches the oral tradition by ‘‘refusing to let his art suggest’’ important thematic issues, instead weighing down his stories with ‘‘contrived symbolism or overstated theme.’’