The Gathering is a contemporary work of Irish literary fiction. Although the novel is universal in its themes, there are layers to the story that are specifically Irish.

Veronica has a difficult relationship with her mother. She resents her mother for having too many children (12 in all, plus seven miscarriages). Having too many children depleted her mother of the energy to be reliable or to give attention to each child. Even as children, Veronica and her siblings know not to tell their mother their problems. They share the expectation “Don’t tell Mammy” (9), worried that any amount of stress will shatter her. In Irish culture, history, and literature, the stereotype of the long-suffering Mammy figure is an important representation of what many women went through in Ireland, especially before the legalization of birth control with the Family Planning Act in 1978. Essentially, Irish women were expected by their community and their Catholic faith to abide by their husbands, bear children, and give themselves to motherhood. The consequence of this attitude is evident in the ways in which Veronica’s mother is unfit to deal with the reality of the world around her.