The Last September

The country houses, mansions, and estates of the landed upper class in Ireland were called “Big Houses” by locals. They represented Anglo Irish political power, starting in the 16th century, when the British Crown gifted the Anglo Irish Protestant class huge tracts of land and positions of political and economic power. Big Houses demonstrated power, so during the Irish War of Independence, they became targets for the Irish Republican Army (IRA). Over 275 were destroyed by burning, explosives, or other means during the Irish War of Independence.

As in life, the Big Houses of The Last September are symbols of Anglo Irish power and, by extension, English imperial rule. The characters desperately cling to their homes as they cling to their power, but they also fear attracting the ire of the IRA to their own homes as they hear of their peers’ homes being burned down. The father of Lois’s friend Livvy has warned her that cavorting with English soldiers could make them a target and lead to the loss of their home, and Danielstown, the Naylors’ home, is often described in terms that foreshadow its demise. The house is often described as being surrounded by red flowers or red sunsets, heralding the fires at the end of the novel.