Recognition is an endurance battle

     For a lot of writers, recognition is gained after they pass away. Elizabeth Madox Roberts, however, received the opposite effect. Releasing her first novel The Time of Man in 1926 at the age of forty five, she received praise from the New York Times stating there had never been a finer first novel published in the States for many years (Harrison 325). She went on to have a prestigious career especially in the 20’s and 30’s where she received many awards such as the John Reed Memorial Prize in 1928, an O. Henry award in 1930, and the Poetry Society of South Carolina's prize in 1931 ("elizabeth-madox-roberts.co.tv"). Her fame started to fade towards the end of her life and she died in 1941 less recognized than when she released her first novel in 1926. In looking at her writings in her final collection Not by Strange Gods published the year she died, I will examine the reasons I think her fame did not endure. I will explore her writing style, aspects of her personal life, and the timing of her final work’s release, and how all these factors combined to eliminate Roberts from the literary canon over the years. In my analysis of Robert’s final works, I will examine The Haunted Palace.

     Roberts was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s disease in 1936. I feel this may have contributed to her falling from the spotlight in her final years. She moved to Florida during this period of her life during the winter months as it was warmer. I feel her illness was definitely a contributing factor to her later unrecognized work. I think Roberts stories are very challenging and would be very difficult to construe for the average reader. In The Haunted Palace, it is hard to make any connection between you as the reader and the main character Jess. Robert’s writing style is written in a firm rich-surfaced prose (Norton). Roberts preferred to describe things as if the reader is in the moment and so she pays attention to many small details that make the moment more real: “[u]sually it seems a living movement suited to the patterns that Miss Roberts found in life, intricate patterns sometimes dim to the reader, but, to judge by what he can see of them, designs of truth” (Norton).

     Looking more closely at the text I felt I had a connection with Jess. Just as we get angry and frustrated in trying to understand the story, Jess also gets angry at Fannie Burt’s stories which she doesn’t understand: “a spent pleasure no longer wanted” (Roberts 11). Throughout the story Jess feels insecure and afraid of things she doesn’t understand. When she is fighting the ghost we realize she is fighting her reflection in the mirror: “[s]he and the creature had beaten at the mirror from opposite sides” (33). I feel this signifies Jess fighting her fear and not letting her lack of knowledge get her down anymore: “she beat at the creature with her club while it beat at her with identical blows. Herself and the creature then were one” (33). Just like the main character I think we both reach a liberating feeling in the conclusion of the story as Jess has a better understanding of things and is more at ease in her new home (34), we also have a better understanding of the story. I think it symbolizes how women of this era always felt they were inadequate constantly trying to live up to standards set by their husbands. It may be symbolic of the feminist movement where women were no longer afraid of society and pushed for their rights smashing the mirror that showed them as underachieving and rising above it.

     I feel Roberts described too much just as if you were to describe everyday life. People don’t like reading too much about reality as a lot of it is boring and repetitive. I think people much prefer to read imaginative concise works. In The Haunted Palace there is a lot of irrelevant information that does not contribute to the story or its moral: “[o]ne would be making a drawing of a horse, such a horse as he would be devising. A horse would be sketched on paper before it was so much as foaled” (Roberts 14). Here we have repetition as well as needless information. It is described in a conversational manner highlighting Roberts desire to give a real effect but I feel the repetitive aspect turns readers off.

     I think the time of release of Roberts’s final publications was unlucky with America involved in World War II. There is the theme of fear constantly expressed in The Haunted Palace and I think people had enough fear in their lives to be reading Roberts work and also people may have wanted to forget reality in the texts they read, not be reminded of it through Roberts writing style. Roberts treatment to female and male characters is very different to other female authors I’ve looked at so far. In Marjane Satrapi’s short story Persepolis: The Veil, the main character’s mother is seen as courageous fighting against the veil which suppressed women: “I was really proud of her” (Satrapi 1174).

     In The Haunted Palace, however, Jess can’t nit or tell stories or do things most women were seen as being able to do. She is insecure with a lack of understanding of many things. Unlike the strong feminist character I’ve seen presented by previous authors, Jess is weak until the conclusion where she overcomes her fear and stamps out feelings of inadequacy. The male character Hubert is very much in the background all through the story. Jess still abides by his rules: “‘Get out of the truck,’ he said to her” (Roberts 20) and takes his decisions as final which is similar to male characters presented by other female authors but he plays a smaller role than I would normally see the male character in this kind of text. I think most authors want to show a domineering male presence whereas Roberts focuses mainly on Jess and her experience.

     In conclusion I feel Elizabeth Madox Roberts did not receive the credit she deserved for her life’s work. Her writing style was complicated and some may not have liked the difficulty in interpreting some of her stories but Roberts was a huge inspiration for many writers. I think Roberts thought on a higher level than the average reader which may have lost her a lot of potential readers. I feel she was too intelligent in some of her work for it to be liked and therefore I think her elimination from the literary canon over the years is undeserved and unjustified especially seeing as her early works were such a success with her first novel described as the best to come out of the States in years and one critic describing Roberts herself as “America’s greatest writer” (Harrison 325). Roberts illness sapped her endurance in the literary scene. Her work was affected and some critics look for consistency. Life is unfair sometimes. That is true for Roberts. You can achieve all your goals in your youth but without consistency you may fail to be recognized.

Works Cited

Charters, Ann. The Story and Its Writer An Introduction to Short Fiction. Compact 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. 878-904. Print

"Elizabeth Madox Roberts." elizabeth-madox-roberts.co.tv. Belknap Press, 2005. Web. 6 Apr 2011. <http://elizabeth-madox-roberts.co.tv/>.

Harrison, Lowell H. A New History Of Kentucky. Lexington: University Press of Kentucky, 1997. 325. eBook.

Norton, Dan S. "A Fine and Private Place." The Virginia Quarterly Review. The Virginia Quarterly Review, 2011. Web. 6 Apr 2011. <http://www.vqronline.org/articles/1941/autumn/norton-fine-private/>.

Roberts, Elizabeth Madox. Not by Strange Gods. New York: The Viking Press, 1941. 11-34. Print.

Faith: The Devil's Tool?

Young Goodman Brown is recognized as one of the greatest short stories in American literature where Nathaniel Hawthorne addresses themes of evil and hypocrisy in expressing his views on Puritanism. He questions Puritanism labeling it as ambiguous and hypocritical in its teachings. He believes all men are inherently evil, therefore, Puritans are hypocritical in saying they are good holy men. This hypocrisy is reflected several times in the story; therefore, I feel background information is crucial for the understanding of “Young Goodman Brown” to see where the writer is coming from, what issues he is addressing, and to understand the history of the Salem witch trials.

     There is a dark foreboding atmosphere since the start even in the sunset as Goodman kisses his wife. She begs him to stay this night “of all nights in the year”, and says “[t]hen God bless you” but “there was trouble in her face” (Charters 357). This tells us she knows something he doesn’t know and he dismisses her as an “angel on earth” (357). Goodman is a puritan who is taking a path through a dark forest and this is interesting as it is symbolic of the writer delving into the teachings of Puritanism, which he feels are dark and mislead just like Goodman in the forest. The Puritan belief is that all beings are evil and each person must come to terms with this and realize their sinful nature. I think this is why Goodman took the forest path to reflect on his sin but it overcame him and ultimately caused his downfall as it was a path of evil which he walked alongside the devil.

The Devil portrayed as a white Puritan with a serpent stick

     Goodman even asks himself: “What if the devil himself should be at my very elbow?”, and just then a man appears with an “indescribable air of one who knew the world” (358). He seemed to have a power over Goodman to “unconsciously resume his walk” (358). When the old lady refers to him as the devil, he replies: “Then Goody Cloyse knows her old friend” (359). It seems to me that the old man with the serpent stick is surely the devil. The pastor of Salem village Samuel Parris wrote in 1692 that “[t]he Devil hath been raised amongst us, & his rage is vehement & terrible” (Trask ix). The old woman can be seen as a witch as she is an old friend of this mysterious man: “[w]itches were thought to be humans, typically women, who had agreed to serve the devil” (Trask x). To strengthen my case in claiming the old man to be the devil, I must point out that as well as the things I’ve mentioned of his power over Goodman, etc. he is never addressed by any name which to me seems dark and evil and a serpent is seen as a symbol of Satan: “[c]onde attacks the Christian metaphysical symbolism of black/white at its core; by representing the Serpent, or Satan, as a white Puritan” (Salhi 156). He is addressed once by the old lady and she calls him the devil.

Witches supposedly carried out the Devil's work

     I think the people of the secret meeting all worked for this man: “In return for favors and certain amazing powers from the Devil, they attempted to help “The Old Deluder” bring ruin upon the Christian community” (Trask x). I think this is what actually happened in the story. It seems to me they stripped Goodman of his belief in God taking away his Faith meaning his actual faith and his wife. As she was present at this meeting he can no longer thrust anybody and as he was a good Christian; the Devil has succeeded in bringing ruin to a member of the Christian community subjecting him to a life of loneliness and despair and a dying hour of gloom.

     The loss of faith touches off the hypocrisy of Puritanism where the writer wants to show that the religion was contradictory. Hypocrisy is seen all through the story where Goodman sees his father and grandfather as “good Christians” but they “lashed the Quaker woman” and “set fire to an Indian village” (Charters 358). Many a pleasant walk they had along the path with the old man (358). Goodman realizes his own family was a part of this secret group and finds it hard to believe: “We are a people of prayer, and good works to boot, and abide no such wickedness” (359). I think the writer may be referring to his own great-great-grandfather John Hathorne, “one of the judges in the Salem witchcraft trials of 1692” when and where this story is set (Liukkonen). Goodman may be a representation of Hawthorne himself with his sense of shame towards his ancestors for their evil deeds and with his negative view of Puritanism. In fact the more background reading I do on Nathaniel Hawthorne, the more convinced I become that this short story is a reflection of his life. The death sustained by Goodman at the end is the exact same as the writer’s mother Elizabeth Clarke Manning Hathorne who withdrew to a life of seclusion, which she maintained till her death” (Liukkonen).

     He starts to feel despair hearing the old man say, “[t]he deacons of many a church have drunk the communion wine with me; the selectmen of divers towns make me their chairman; and a majority of the Great and General Court are firm supporter of my interest” (Charters 359). Goodman is disgusted by the hypocrisy of church officials exclaiming that the minister’s voice would make him “tremble both Sabbath day and lecture day” (359).

     It is necessary to gather background information to help in the understanding of Young Goodman Brown. There are many symbols in the story that need to be looked up and extra information gives us a more in-depth look at the themes of evil and hypocrisy explored by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Reading about Hawthorne’s life and history gives us clues as to why he wrote “Young Goodman Brown” and explains a lot of the story to us in a much clearer light. In doing my background research on this short story, I was intrigued by the skill of the writer and I feel that Hawthorne’s “Young Goodman Brown” is 100% deserving of being called one of the greatest short stories in American literature.

Cited Works

Charters, Ann. The Story and Its Writer An Introduction to Short Fiction. Compact 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. 357-359. Print

Liukkonen, Petri. "Nathaniel Hawthorne." www.kirjasto.sci.fi. Creative Commons, 2008. Web. 16 Feb 2011. <http://www.kirjasto.sci.fi/hawthorn.htm>.

Salhi, Kamal. Francophone Post-Colonial Cultures Critical Essays. 1st ed. New York: Lexington Books, 2003. 156. eBook.

Trask, Richard B. "The Devil hath been raised" A Documentary History of the Salem Village Witchcraft Outbreak of March 1692. Rev. ed. Danvers: Yeoman Press, 1997. ix-x. Print.

Paul's Case-Words Go Beyond The Story

Red Cloud, Nebraska

In every literary works it is not just the ink we see on the page. The writer transfers something of him/herself to the text when the pen touches the paper. Words are a marvelous thing that can convey many layers and meanings. This is true for Willa Cather’s Paul’s Case which she published in 1905 when she was still a high-school teacher in Allegheny, Pittsburgh. We are told the story of a depressed  young man Paul who refuses to become a mere cog in the machine that is society. He longs for the finer things in life where he can “find romance and escape the drab reality of his daily life” (Carpenter-Houde). This reflects the feelings of the author towards her home in the frontier prairie village of Red Cloud, Nebraska where her family settled after leaving Virginia. She felt confined by the wide open plains and “hungered for a broader life experience” (Sirridge). In reading Paul’s Case I looked at the relationship between the author and the story, the constraints of society and division of social classes, obsession with material wealth, and the theme of communication.

Willa Cather (1873-1947)

     It was not until 1912 long after she graduated and after her career as a journalist that Cather found her subject after a trip home to Red Cloud: “she no longer saw her adolescence on the prairie as deprived and stifling, she was able to feel that her own experience was significant enough to write about” (Cather 228). I feel Paul represents not just Cather in her adolescence years but every teenager that struggles with depression and the constraints of society. Cather picked Pittsburgh as the background for her story based on her adolescent experiences in Nebraska but also “her love of music and concerts led her to Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, ‘the city of steel’” (Merriman). This is a tragic story in which I think Cather is sympathizing with those who, like herself, felt deprived in their adolescent years. I think she feels she is one of the lucky ones and she wants to be the voice for all those poor souls who couldn’t escape the suppression of society. It’s as if she wants to tell their story in the hope that people will listen and help these people.

Pittsburgh, Steel City

     Cather went to Pittsburgh for her interest in music and concerts but it was also a manufacturing city concerned with steel works. Already we see the divide in society, the two social classes that form the basis for Cather’s story. Paul feels very “frustrated with his home life and his family’s expectations that he would grow up to work in a factory or the steel mills as his father and most of his neighbors did” (Sirridge). It was Paul’s “father’s dearest hope that he would pattern” a “clerk to one of the magnates of a great steel corporation” (Cather 234).

     No-one realizes that Paul’s behavior is a rebellion against the constraints of society: “[d]isorder and impertinence were among the offenses named, yet each of his instructors felt that it was scarcely possible to put into words the real cause of the trouble” (229). They came to the conclusion that “[t]here is something wrong with the fellow” (230), never considering that it may be society that has suppressed him to a state of rebellion and insolence even when “his master had noted with amazement what a white, blue-veined face it was; drawn and wrinkled like an old man’s about the eyes, the lips twitching even in his sleep, and stiff with a nervous tension that drew them back from his teeth” (230).

     It seems Paul has an obsession with materialistic society where everything revolves around money. Cather was against consumerism which “she saw as taking over society” (Stout 3). Paul feels constrained by this society as it makes him feel inadequate. He desires riches but knows he won’t be rich like the men he hears his dad talk about so he creates his own fantasy world saturated with self-obsession and shut off from any real emotion and communication: “in Paul’s world, the natural nearly always wore the guise of ugliness, that a certain element of artificiality seemed to him necessary in beauty” (Cather 235). He found beauty in music: “any sort of music, from an orchestra to a barrel organ” (236). He’s also not stage struck yet “he had no desire to become an actor, any more than he had to become a musician” (236).

     I feel as if Paul does not want to be controlled by society. He does not want to become another blank face in a system that does not allow you to enjoy the beauty of your work: “what he wanted was to see, to be in the atmosphere, float on the wave of it, to be carried out, blue league after blue league, away from everything” (236). This I feel reflects Cather’s feelings that there is a “cheapening of life and lowering of standards of quality on all fronts” (Stout 3), brought on by an emerging consumerist society. She is concerned “about the cheapening of things and experiences” (3), which is the lack of appreciation for art and beauty and in a way it seems that these beautiful things are being left behind along with Paul in an increasingly bland and systematic society.

     The lack of dialogue in Paul’s Case signifies Paul’s inability to communicate with the world and his unemotional relationship with his family. He rarely mentions his sisters using one for a lie but he doesn’t give her name: “his sister was ill, and he should have to defer his voyage until spring” (Cather 236). The only other time he mentions them is when they are in the street “talking to the minister’s daughters next door about how many shirt-waists they had made” (234). We barely even know the sisters exist as he never talks to them conveying his lack of social ability even with those closest to him. He also never mentions his father’s name.

     Colors are used to define Paul’s life. His characteristics, ambitions, and feelings are encapsulated in these colors, yellow for example representing ugliness and fear. These colors help paint the play of Paul’s life. He loathes his working class background taking his frustration out in school (Lindemann 134). He receives no moral support from the school or even his father who fails as a parent to understand him. Paul escapes to Carnegie Hall which had “all the allurement of a secret love” (Cather 235). He realizes “that the romantic illusions of the theatre cannot be sustained beyond its doors” (Lindemann 134). He attempts to make the illusion permanent, his imagined world a reality. He creates his own masterpiece that becomes real in its grand finale. Death is something solid that links his world to the real world.

     Cather’s writing style is unique in this story. She does not just tell the story with words. She uses colors to vividly depict the emotions of Paul throughout the text. Yellow is associated with all that he hates especially his home: “Paul never went up Cordelia Street without a shudder of loathing” as it gave him “that sense of defeat, the hopeless feeling of sinking back forever into ugliness and commonness that he had always had when he came home” (Cather 232-233). “His ugly sleeping chamber; the cold bathroom with the grimy zinc tub, the cracked mirror, the dripping spiggots” (233), all came to his thoughts through the “horrible yellow wall-paper” (232) in his room.

     Paul feels threatened by these feelings, which reflect cowardice and fear. Paul desires to stand tall, fearless of his teachers and the common people of Cordelia Street, but is frightened of being weak (Carpenter-Houde). “He realized well enough that he had always been tormented by fear” (Cather 238), a fear which “had been pulling the muscles of his body tighter and tighter (238), under the strain of all he detested.

     Paul dreams of a better world which is depicting by the color blue. He escapes the yellow ugliness of Cordelia Street to a blue dream world where he “fantasizes about the opera, romance, and the finer things that do not exist in his own life” (Carpenter-Houde). Music and art help Paul to lose himself “as he had done before the Rico” when the “instruments seemed to free some hilarious and potent spirit within him”, granting him “a sudden zest of life” where “the concert hall blazed into unimaginable splendor” (Cather 231). Paul desired "to be carried out, blue league after blue league, away from everything" (236), to float on the cloud of the accomplished and feel its magic change his world (Carpenter-Houde). “This blue dream world eventually makes it impossible for Paul to endure life in Pittsburgh and causes him to take drastic measures to fulfill his fantasies” (Carpenter-Houde), as he can no longer take “all the physical depression which follows a debauch” (Cather 233). 

     Paul takes action against society by displaying the color red to show himself as “strong, confident and in control” (Carpenter-Houde). Red is the only color that links Paul’s imagined world to the real world. It represents him for who he is- a rebelling adolescent for reasons people can’t make out. His teachers can see the “red carnation in his buttonhole” which they felt “was not properly significant of the contrite spirit befitting a boy under the ban of suspension” (Cather 229). Paul looks down on the teachers who are threatening him with suspension. He is not fazed by the verbal onslaught.

     The red shows he is in control, as he acts “gracefully” but his mannerisms are merely “a repetition of the scandalous red carnation” (230). He is strong because “[o]lder boys than Paul had broken down and shed tears under that baptism of fire, but his smile did not once desert him” (229-230). He is confident in his display as he “grinned” before being told he could leave (230), signaling he has full confidence he survived the questioning. Red portrays his contempt, arrogance and defiance to a society with middle-class values, declaring his independence from them but it is also symbolic of his materialistic attitude in his purchase of a red robe in New York (Carpenter-Houde). He saw his teachers as being part of a “flavorless, colorless mass of every-day existence” (Cather 233) as well as everyone else in Pittsburgh. He escapes to New York where the red carpet symbolizes his freedom (Carpenter-Houde). He realized the plot of all dramas, the text of all romances, the nerve-stuff of all sensations was whirling about him like the snowflakes” (Cather 239).

     Purple symbolizes luxury, royalty and prosperity and is a disguise used by Paul to fit in with what he believes to be his people and the society he deserves to live in (Carpenter-Houde). He felt he belonged as “[h]e was now entirely rid of his nervous misgivings, of his forced aggressiveness, of the imperative desire to show himself different from his surroundings” and “[n]o-one questioned the purple; he only had to wear it passively” (Cather 240). Paul lives in this purple fantasy of royalty completely forgetting his past and accepting himself in his new role of nobility (Carpenter-Houde), but it can’t last forever as reality comes rushing back in the door knocking Paul back to the depression of Cordelia Street. He has depleted his small fortune living the dream but he is down to his last hundred dollars and he realizes the curtains are closing-he would have to make it a splendid grand finale: “[h]e had not a hundred dollars left; and he knew now, more than ever, that money was everything, the wall that stood between all he loathed and all he wanted….. all the world had become Cordelia Street (Cather 242).

     The black weeds as Paul is driving out of town signify his approaching death (Carpenter-Houde). His carnations were fading in the cold, their red glory dying as “[i]t was only one splendid breath they had, in spite of their brave mockery at the winter outside” (Cather 242). “Life without color is more than merely the passing hues of a rainbow; it is a life without passion and meaning. Paul's life is a vibrant rainbow of expressions, creating and displaying a masterpiece of his own choosing” (Carpenter-Houde), but in the end he realizes that his revolt against the homilies by which the world is run is a losing game (Cather 242) and so he jumps in front of a train with “a frightened smile” (242) that says ‘they will remember me.’

     I feel that this is not just a story about a boy, it is a story about a consumerist society whose materialistic ideals constrain people forcing them into a system that does not allow them to enjoy life. They simply could not survive without their jobs. Paul does not want to be taken over by this lifestyle. He wants to enjoy what life has to offer rebelling against social norms but he realizes that money is everything in a material world and without it he would fall back to the miserable working class environment of Cordelia Street. Paul’s death signifies the death of freedom and all beautiful things as there is no appreciation for them anymore in a society that only cares for money.

     There was a clear relationship between the author and the story referring to Willa Cather’s adolescent years in Nebraska where she felt isolated and suppressed. She based the background in Pittsburgh where she worked. It is a good setting for the story as it depicts a working class society in the steel works that Cather was familiar with. In the end Paul’s obsession for material wealth and longing to be part of the upper-class caused his downfall. His lack of communication with everyone symbolizes his refusal to have anything to do with society as he is sickened by the constraints of his working class environment.

    

References

Carpenter-Houde, Rene. "Symbolism In "Paul's Case"." Hohonu A Journal Of Academic Writing. Board of Student Publications,University of Hawai'i at Hilo/Hawai'i Community College, 2010. Web. 25 Apr 2011. <http://www.uhh.hawaii.edu/academics/hohonu/writing.php?id=49>.

Cather, Willa. “Paul’s Case” in Ann Charters’ The Story and Its Writer An Introduction to Short Fiction. Compact 8th ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2011. 878-904. Print

Lindemann, Marilee. The Cambridge Companion to Willa Cather. New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005. 134. Print.

Merriman, C.D. "Willa Cather-Biography and Works."The Literature Network. Jalic Inc., 2005. Web. 25 Apr 2011. <http://www.online-literature.com/willa-cather/>.

Sirridge, Marjorie S. "Cather, Willa: Paul's Case."Literature, Arts, and Medicine Database. New York University, 2011. Web. 25 Apr 2011. <http://litmed.med.nyu.edu/Annotation?action=view&annid=1227>.

Stout, Janis T. Willa Cather & Material Culture; Real-World Writing, Writing the Real World. Tuscaloosa: The University of Alabama Press, 2005. 3. Print.

Nothing to lose and everything to give!

Rugby is like a poker game. There are many hands to be played and many decisions to be made. It is the brain behind the operation that is clinical in determining the result. Ireland's performance Sunday morning showed us that Declan Kidney is a guru in tactical planning. He knows the ins and outs of the game. As well as playing his cards right, he was able to accurately predict Italy's run of play and capitalize on Ireland's response to any advance on the Italian front. Kidney made two crucial changes to his side with O'Gara starting ahead of Sexton and Conor Murray in for Eoin Reddan. For Kidney there is no player better in his eyes. He utilizes the full strength of his squad. Doing his homework previous to each game he revises what are his best options on the day. Sexton and Reddan started against Australia and for no fault of theirs were replaced against Italy. Every team is different and every player has certain attributes that make him a more desirable option for specific roles and tactics. Sexton is younger and fitter than O'Gara and more capable of running at the opposition and finding gaps which is probably why he was picked against Australia who are a skillful side and were expected to be playing at a high tempo. The Italian game was a gruelling battle as predicted with the scrum being a decisive factor in the run of play. O'Gara would be favored in these kind of games for his impeccable record from placed kicks and his precision kicking for touch in pressurized situations. Conor Murray is quick on the off-load and also very physical in his offensive approach taking on the opposition. This may have stunned the Italian side who may have expected Murray to be cautious like Reddan off-loading the ball to safer options which was advisable against Australia. Murray was keen to get stuck in, taking risks to gain every inch. In sport you can train all you want, you can revise all possible outcomes but at the end of the day there is always an element of luck involved. It is the team with the greatest heart that can adapt to the unpredictability of the game that will put luck on their side. In sport you have to be a gambler except you never fold your cards. You must go through with every decision; there is no point in looking back with regrets. Just know that you put in your best effort and will continue to do so. This seems to be the mentality we have seen in Ireland's world cup thus far and we hope they can sustain it all the way to the final.

   Kidney knows that the psychological side to the game is just as important as the physical. The motivation of the team has been overwhelming with Australia crumbling to a hungry Irish side. Players are eager to prove their worth with O'Gara coming on against Australia to score two penalties and earning a starting place against Italy. Similarly Sexton came on against Italy to score two penalties. This competition ensures that players will do their utmost on the pitch to retain their place and Kidney can take comfort in the fact that any of his replacements will do the job he requests to the best of their ability. Ireland like the odds when they're the underdogs. It's what gave them the edge against Australia. It's what made them nervous against Italy as Ireland were underdogs turned favorites. Now they are in a quarter final of the world cup ranking fifth in the world. I don't think they can call themselves underdogs anymore. It's heads up against Wales. They won as favorites against Italy so hopefully Irish nerves have hardened and expectation won't falter their game plan.

   With Sean O'Brien bursting through Italian defenses like a giant among men, Keith Earl's relentless pace earning him two tries and Cian Healy's determined strength in the scrum along with Mike Ross and Rory Best, Wales certainly have a lot to worry about. Tommy Bowe will be looking for a consolation in the upcoming match after the referee unjustifiably disallowed two tries which were perfectly fine. The first was called as a knock on when all he did was juggle it and the second should have been given as a penalty try when Bowe was clearly impeded on off the ball by the Italian defense. Cian Healy did well to keep his cool with Salvatore Perugini constantly hampering him off the ball. There was one incident where Perugini's fingers came in contact with Healy's eyes which some may say was an eye gouging attempt. Healy was angered but instead of getting involved in a scuffle he alerted the ref. He exchanged words with Perugini on a number of occasions but never got into any serious physical confrontation. He just posed a cheeky smile when the game was over knowing Perugini would shortly be on a flight home to the Northern hemisphere. Healy showed that discipline is positively enforced in the Irish squad and this is something we can be happy about for the remainder of the tournament. Gatland's side lead by Ryan Jones let Ireland win a grand slam before. They will be adamant in preventing Ireland getting a ticket to the world cup semi-final. Shane Williams is a record try scorer for Wales posing a big threat to the Irish defense. Stephen Jones will remember that kick he missed that granted Ireland the grand slam title. He won't want to relive that. Wales are a strong side with a good scrum and backrow and they can work well off their lineouts. It will be hard to break their backline with Jamie Robertson and Jonathon Davis doing everything to hold it together. It's going to be a tough game and it will be interesting to see what Kidney will bring to the table.

   The support has been phenomenal and a huge boost to the players. Fifty thousand of the sixty thousand capacity stadium at the Australia game were Irish supporters. Australia are only next store yet Irish supporters filled the arena. Most of them are young people who emigrated to New Zealand and Australia and it's so uplifting to see them making the effort to support their Country when they need support themselves. They need something to celebrate about and Ireland have been giving them that and hopefully they can keep giving them something to be happy about. A lot of these people left Ireland in the depths of it's despair but our rugby team are showing them that there is still something to be proud about. The economy may be in tatters but our spirit remains strong. The beautiful thing about sport is it's not all about winning. It's about bringing communities together, it's about respectability and sustaining composure in the face of defeat. The pride will always be strong when we stand shoulder to shoulder. Our boys have suffered defeat many times but still stand tall. They will answer Ireland's call with the support of every Irish man and woman. In this world cup the chips may be stacked against us but Ireland can put it up to the best and they can win.The flop may favour the opposition but there is always a turn that can help the underdogs wade against the current and seal victory in the river. It's all in for Kidney and his boys. For the fans abroad; what better way to feel close to home then get behind the Irish squad in such huge numbers. Win or lose I'm proud of the team and proud to be Irish and I hope I speak for everyone Irish. It's that eighty minute rush and suspense and supporting each other that counts. As George Hook said after the Italy match: "This is my team, this is my Country, I'm absolutely bloody well delighted!".