Haunting the Text: Nicola Pierce’s Spirit of the Titanic and Irish Historical Children’s Fiction

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Notes

1Nicola Pierce was born in Tallaght in south Dublin (O’Brien Press).

2The idea of trauma in relation to textual representation and the Titanic has been discussed by Peter Middleton and Tim Woods. The importance of treating the topic of disaster, including the sinking of the Titanic, in children’s literature has been examined by Pauline Davey Zeece.

3The significance of hope to the narrative is also highlighted in ilovepercyjackson’s review.

4For other examples of children’s literature treating the topic of the sinking of the Titanic, see Womack (85). See also the CLCD (Children’s Literature Comprehensive Database).

5The “Author’s Notes” are unnumbered and located at the end of Spirit of the Titanic.

6In July 2011, Samuel Scott’s grave was given a headstone at a special ceremony held as a tribute, which Nicola Pierce also attended (Burns).

7For instance the 1997 film Titanic, as discussed by critics in Bergfelder and Street.

8This development has been noted by the Irish crime fiction author Declan Hughes in relation to Irish crime fiction.

9For example, the projects at The Titanic Experience http://www.titanicexperiencecobh.ie/; and Titanic 100 Cobh 2012 http://www.titanic100.ie/

10Notably, Rasor.

11For example, Barratt.

12Womack also notes that the narrative of the Titanic has been employed by some writers to critique the concepts of gender and class prevalent at that time. See discussion in Womack (86).

13A recent special issue of Irish Studies Review (2013) demonstrates the growing research area of Irish migration and diaspora and argues for the importance of drawing attention to it. My chapter on Kirsty Murray’s children’s book series also discusses the portrayal of Irish migration and diaspora (Beyer).

14Schultz, citing Siobhán Kilfeather, “Terrific Register: The Gothicization of Atrocity in Irish Romanticism,” boundary 2 31.1 (2004): 53.

15Bradford’s article specifically addresses American children’s literature and the 9/11 terrorist attacks; however, her discussions regarding the problems of mediating trauma also seem apt in this context.

16This echoes John Wilson Foster’s discussion of the Titanic, premonitions, and the supernatural (37).

17Kerry Mallan’s discussion (2013) provides further insight into the functions of empathy in children’s literature.

18I also discuss the idea of “family” based on emotional identification rather than biological ties in children’s literature, in Beyer (183).

19See my acknowledgment of Hughes and his point regarding this in footnote 8.