The Red and the Green depicts the 1916 Easter Rising in Ireland and political tensions in the Anglo-Irish family. The Anglo-Irish have a dual identity as both Irish and English, while being regarded as neither. The "red" and the "green" of the novel`s title implies the opposing forces between the British side and the Irish side that exist between members of the Anglo-Irish family in the novel. The opposition of the two sides is most apparent in their temperamental differences. Within the microcosm of this family, the members of the Irish side seem to be more passionate, robust, alive, and capable of both greater emotion and greater flaws than the members of the English side, who appear more reserved and rational, but dull and sterile. The novel shows the Irish patriotism of the Anglo-Irish in the Easter Rising, of which some doubtful, and about which some were enthusiastic. Andrew and his Irish cousin, Patrick Dumay, embody this dichotomy. The Easter Rising in The Red and the Green can be read as the resurgence of Ireland`s national aspirations in its long struggle to attain nationhood as well as to define the reshaped Irish national spirit. In the novel, a particular aspect of "Irishness," which is distinguishable from "Englishness" (or Anglicized culture), is implied through one of the major two leaders who plays a key role in the Easter Rising: Patrick Pearse, the mystic poet, Gaelic scholar, and leader of the Irish Volunteers, and not James Connolly, a leader of the social revolution and Irish Citizen Army. Pearse`s emphasis in the Easter Rising is on martyrdom, which is manifested in the humanized symbol of Ireland as Kathleen ni Houlihan, a sad old woman, who calls on her Irish sons to go out and die for Ireland. The image of martyrdom contains within it the dark and mysterious force which Andrew always fears. The dark force works as a key spirit which Patrick Pearse invokes and Pat Dumay embodies through his patriotic fervor in the Easter Rising. Emotionally, Pat is tied deeply to Ireland and to Catholicism, and he is fiercely devoted to the national cause. Despite his distaste for the sentimentality in Patrick Pearse`s address, he finds the opportunity to make a final sacrifice giving up his life for Ireland. Christopher Bellman, the intelligent and most judicious English person in the novel, who has an intellectual interest in Ireland and a sympathy for the Irish history and people, used to regard this Irish spirit as "insane," but when Christopher confronts the Rising, he joins the insurrection and pays a high price with death. While Andrew fears the irrational attraction of Ireland, Christopher is profoundly moved by it.