58 pages • 1 hour read
Intermezzo
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Background
Ideological Context: Marxism
To lay out the political assumptions that underpin her novels, Sally Rooney has described herself as a Marxist. Drawn from the works of the 19th century German philosophers Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Marxism uses a materialist view of history—that is, one that focuses on physical existence rather than spiritual concerns—to evaluate power dynamics. In Rooney’s novels, Marxist theory underpins the ways in which the economic conditions of Ireland and the larger world affect interpersonal relationships.
In Rooney’s most popular work, Normal People (2018), Connell and Marianne navigate their romance in the context of their respective social classes. Marianne’s wealthy family employs Connell’s single mother as a house cleaner, which colors their view of Connell. On the other hand, Connell is immensely popular among his peers in County Sligo, leading him to weigh his relationship with the less-popular Marianne against his standing in a milieu destined to remain in the town. Rooney’s next novel, Beautiful World, Where Are You (2021), similarly confronts the question of class: Its characters are directly affected by the rapid collapse of Ireland’s literary sphere.
Intermezzo also examines interpersonal relationships through this lens. Naomi is a college student who is directly affected by the housing shortage crisis throughout the course of the novel. Her financial instability makes it necessary for her to engage in sex work. It also affects the power balance of her relationship with Peter Koubek, a successful human rights lawyer in who has sway over Naomi because he is one of her primary sources of income. When Naomi expresses jealousy over Peter’s love for his ex-girlfriend, literature professor Sylvia, Naomi is also expressing anxiety over her livelihood. Peter’s attempts to help Naomi through the housing crisis thus also signify his emotional investment in her well-being.
Geographical Context: Inequitable Development in Dublin and Neighboring Counties
Rooney’s Marxist lens aligns with the problem of development in Ireland, which has seen the bulk of resources pouring into the capital city of Dublin. This imbalance overlooks the rest of the country, and also raises the cost of living in Dublin to an unsustainable degree.
A 2017 surveyors report noted that Dublin accounted for nearly half of Ireland’s gross domestic product, translating into a 150% difference between Dublin and second-tier Irish cities in terms of land cost per plot alone (McCarthy, Michael. “Unbalanced Development—How Dublin is Killing Ireland.” MMC Quantity Surveyors, 2017). The gap widens proportionally, resulting in smaller towns that receive only a trickle of the resources needed to match the capital’s infrastructure and quality-of-life. Conversely, youth and talent from these towns are drawn to Dublin for the promise of higher wages. This traps them in a struggle to meet the high costs of living in Ireland’s largest city.
The economic conditions that define Ireland community wealth disparity provide a backdrop for one of Intermezzo’s key plot threads. Margaret Keans has spent her entire life in the fictional town of Clogherkeen, which is located in the northern county of Leitrim. When she meets protagonist Ivan Koubek, Margaret sees him as a distraction from monotonous town life, where her primary concerns revolve around her work at the local arts center, her relationship with her mother, and her separation from her husband, Ricky. Clogherkeen’s size makes it impossible for Margaret to avoid her mother’s scrutiny and Ricky’s harassment at work. Her greatest anxiety therefore concerns the discretion of her relationship with Ivan, who is based in Dublin, and is therefore less cognizant of small-town interconnectedness. The local chess club regard Ivan with reverence but also threaten Margaret’s emotional security through gossip and scandal.
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