There are so many songs to choose from here, like paxetaurora said, depending on your perspective. I took Irish Lit myself--"The Irish Renaissance," taught by this wonderful Irish guy named Jonathan Allison, who of course was a U2 fan...
Anyway, a couple of suggestions:
Johann Georg Kohl was quoted in Desiree Edwards-Rees'
Ireland's story as saying over 200 years ago: "It seems as if there were something peculiar in the nature and condition of Ireland that prevents her wounds from ever healing." This is a fabuous lead-in to many songs that speak of alienation or isolation on more than just a personal level: just about everything on War, for example.
Another interesting topic might be to trace the evolution of lyrical references to the Troubles and how the narrator (singer? author?) often turns to religion as a solace in the face of the alienation (bewilderment?) and rage or confusion caused by conflict. Sunday Bloody Sunday, Please, Wake up Dead Man, Peace on Earth...
Or you could trace the evolution of the theme of isolation throughout Bono's career, taking each album as a whole:
Boy - teenage angst, loss of mother
October - looking to God for answers; finding any?
War - anger, national conflict, personal conflict
Unforgettable fire - inner turmoil, introspection (a line from Bad is "Isolation, desolation, let it go..."--he's feeling isolated from a friend because of the helplessness he feels in the face of that friend's addiction)
Joshua Tree - the liberation of finding new perspectives? (though there's angst there, too "I want to run, I want to hide.." Still Haven't Found, WOWY, Exit, and even anguish--WOWY, Running to Stand Still)
R&H - uh, well, there's.... someone help me out, here?
Achtung - So Cruel, Acrobat, Ultraviolet, Love is Blindness--things seem to have taken a bitter turn?
Pop - hmmm... references back to themes touched on in earlier albums: Mofo=Boy; If God will send his Angels=October; Please=War; ?=UF--Do you feel loved? Wake up Dead man?; ok, it breaks down there. Pop, I think, sort of acknowledges that the bitter turn taken in AB should be laughed off.
All That You Can't Leave Behind - I think that the feel of Grace sort of sums up Bono's attitude at this point (pre-9/11)--has he accepted or otherwise somehow gotten past his alienation? Seen that his isolation was of his own creation, or a product of his youth (immaturity)?
Uh, how long does this paper have to be?
I could go on all night...
References to check out if you like:
The Irish Renaissance by Richard Fallis ISBN 0-8156-2187-6
Ireland: a concise history, by Maire & Conor Cruise O'Brien, ISBN 0-500-27379-0
I thought I had an anthology of Irish literature, but I'm not seeing it...
Best of luck. You're welcome to email me privately if you like.
--
This desparation.
Dislocation.
Separation.
Condemnation.
Revelation.
In temptation.
Isolation.
Desolation.
Let it go,
And so to fade away.
To let it go,
And so fade away.