Brian Moore's "The Luck of Ginger Coffey": an experience of immigration from Ireland to Canada in the fifties

Abstract

This work analyzes the novel "The luck of Ginger Coffey" by the Irish-Canadian writer Brian Moore in order to investigate some aspects of the main characters` experience of immigration from Ireland to Canada in the fifties. The theoretical boundaries between the concepts of immigration and diaspora are discussed, with emphasis on the Irish experience. As some of the elements appointed by theoreticians as belonging to diasporas may also be regarded as occurring in immigration, the boundaries between them are questioned in this thesis. The immigrant settling in a foreign country can face prejudice and marginalization. I analyze how the main character Ginger Coffey is perceived as Other by people form different ethnicities. The othering process may be strengthened by the use of stereotyped images. The question of stereotyping and how a system of representation contributes to this process are also addressed. Furthermore, I discuss the Coffeys` adjustment to the Montreal of the fifties and the influence of the post-war social environment on immigrants` gender roles.