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Context
1

James Joyce was born into a middle-class, Catholic family in Rathgar, a suburb of Dublin, on February 2, 1882. he family!s "ros"erity dwindled soon after Joyce!s birth, forcing them to mo#e from their comfortable home to the unfashionable and im"o#erished area of $orth Dublin. $onetheless, Joyce attended a "restigious Jesuit school and went on to study "hiloso"hy and languages at %ni#ersity College, Dublin. &e mo#ed to 'aris after graduation in 1()2 to "ursue medical school, but instead he turned his attention to writing. *n 1()+ he returned to Dublin, where he met his future wife, $ora ,arnacle, the following year. From then on, Joyce made his home in other countries. From 1()- to 1(1- he and $ora li#ed in Rome and rieste, *taly, and from 1(1- to 1(1( they li#ed in .urich, /wit0erland. ,etween 1orld 1ar * and 1orld 1ar **, they li#ed in 'aris. hey returned to .urich in 1(2), where Joyce died in 1(21. *n 1()3, at the age of twenty-fi#e, Joyce "ublished Chamber Music, a collection of "oetry. 're#iously, he!d also written a short-story collection, Dubliners, which was "ublished in 1(12. hough Joyce had written the boo4 years earlier, the stories contained characters and e#ents that were alarmingly similar to real "eo"le and "laces, raising concerns about libel. Joyce indeed based many of the characters in Dubliners on real "eo"le, and such suggesti#e details, cou"led with the boo4!s historical and geogra"hical "recision and "iercing e5amination of relationshi"s, flustered an5ious "ublishers. Joyce!s autobiogra"hical no#el A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man followed Dubliners in 1(16, and a "lay, Exiles, followed in 1(18. Joyce is most famous for his later e5"erimental no#els, Ulysses 71(228, which ma"s the Dublin wanderings of its "rotagonist in a single day, and Finnegans Wake 71(+(8. hese two wor4s emblemati0e his signature stream-of-consciousness "rose style, which mirrors characters! thoughts without the limitations of traditional narrati#e, a style he didn!t use in Dubliners.

*reland "ermeates all of Joyce!s writing, es"ecially *reland during the tumultuous early twentieth century. he "olitical scene at that time was uncertain but ho"eful, as *reland sought inde"endence from :reat ,ritain. he nationalist Charles /tewart 'arnell, who became acti#e in the 183)s, had rein#igorated *rish "olitics with his "ro"osed &ome Rule ,ill, which aimed to gi#e *reland a greater #oice in ,ritish go#ernment. 'arnell, dubbed the ;%ncrowned <ing of *reland,= was hugely "o"ular in *reland, both for his anti->nglish #iews and his su""ort of land ownershi" for farmers. *n 188(, howe#er, his "olitical career colla"sed when his adulterous affair with the married <itty ?!/hea was made "ublic. <itty!s husband had 4nown for years about the affair, but instead of ma4ing it "ublic, he attem"ted to use it to his "olitical and financial ad#antage. &e waited until he filed for di#orce to e5"ose the affair. ,oth *reland and >ngland were scandali0ed, 'arnell refused to resign, and his career ne#er reco#ered. 'arnell died in 18(1, when Joyce was nine years old. *n the last "art of the nineteenth century, after 'arnell!s death, *reland underwent a dramatic cultural re#i#al. *rish citi0ens struggled to define what it meant to be *rish, and a mo#ement began to rein#igorate *rish language and culture. he mo#ement celebrated *rish literature and encouraged "eo"le to learn the *rish language, which many "eo"le were forgoing in fa#or of the more modern >nglish language. %ltimately, the cultural re#i#al of the late nineteenth century ga#e the *rish a greater sense of "ride in their identity. Des"ite the cultural re#i#al, the bitter "ublicity surrounding 'arnell!s affair, and later his death, dashed all ho"es of *rish inde"endence and unity. *reland s"lintered into factions of 'rotestants and Catholics, Conser#ati#es and $ationalists. /uch social forces form a com"le5 conte5t for Joyce!s writing, which re"eatedly ta"s into "olitical and religious matters. /ince Joyce s"ent little of his later life in *reland, he did not witness such debates firsthand. &owe#er, des"ite li#ing on the continent, Joyce retained his artistic interest in the city and country of his birth and ably articulated the *rish e5"erience in his writings. Dubliners contains fifteen "ortraits of life in the *rish ca"ital. Joyce focuses on children and adults who s4irt the middle class, such as housemaids, office cler4s, music teachers, students, sho" girls, swindlers, and out-of-luc4 businessmen. Joyce en#isioned his collection as a loo4ing glass with which the *rish could obser#e and study themsel#es. *n most of the stories, Joyce uses a detached but highly "erce"ti#e narrati#e #oice that dis"lays these li#es to the reader in "recise detail. Rather than "resent intricate dramas with com"le5 "lots, these stories s4etch daily situations in which not much seems to ha""en@a boy #isits a ba0aar, a woman buys sweets for holiday festi#ities, a man reunites with an old friend o#er a few drin4s. hough these e#ents may not a""ear "rofound, the characters! intensely "ersonal and often tragic re#elations certainly are. he stories in Dubliners "eer into the homes, hearts, and minds of "eo"le whose li#es connect and intermingle through the shared s"ace and s"irit of Dublin. 9 character from one story will mention the name of a character in another story, and stories often ha#e settings that a""ear in other stories. /uch subtle connections create a sense of shared e5"erience and e#o4e a ma" of Dublin life that Joyce would return to again and again in his later wor4s.

Plot Overview
The Sisters 9 boy gra""les with the death of a "riest, Father Flynn. 1ith his aunt, the boy #iews the cor"se and #isits with the "riest!s mourning sisters. 9s the boy listens, the sisters e5"lain Father Flynn!s death to the aunt and share thoughts about Father Flynn!s increasingly strange beha#ior. An Encounter Fed u" with the restraints of school and ins"ired by ad#enture stories, two boys s4i" their classes to e5"lore Dublin. 9fter wal4ing around the city for a while, the unnamed narrator and his friend, Aahony, e#entually rest in a field. 9 strange old man a""roaches and tal4s to them, and his se5ual innuendos ma4e the narrator uncomfortable. %ltimately, the narrator and Aahony manage to esca"e. Araby

9 young boy falls in lo#e with his neighbor Aangan!s sister. &e s"ends his time watching her from his house or thin4ing about her. &e and the girl finally tal4, and she suggests that he #isit a ba0aar called 9raby, which she cannot attend. he boy "lans to go and "urchase something for the girl, but he arri#es late and buys nothing. Eveline 9 young woman, >#eline, sits in her house and re#iews her decision to elo"e with her lo#er, Fran4, to 9rgentina. >#eline wonders if she has made the correct choice to lea#e her home and family. 9s the moment of de"arture a""roaches, she reaffirms her decision, but changes her mind at the doc4s and abandons Fran4. After the Race Jimmy Doyle s"ends an e#ening and night with his well-connected foreign friends after watching a car race outside of Dublin. %"on returning to the city, they meet for a fancy meal and then s"end hours drin4ing, dancing, and "laying card games. *nto5icated and infatuated with the wealth and "restige of his com"anions, Jimmy ends the celebrations bro4e. Two Gallants Benehan and Corley wal4 through Dublin and discuss their "lot to swindle a housemaid who wor4s at a wealthy residence. Corley meets with the girl while Benehan drifts through the city and eats a chea" meal. Bater in the night Benehan goes to the residence as "lanned and sees the girl retrie#e something from the house for Corley. Finally Corley re#eals to Benehan that she "rocured a gold coin for him. The Boar in! "ouse *n the boarding house that she runs, Ars. Aooney obser#es the courtshi" between her daughter, 'olly, and a tenant, Ar. Doran. Ars. Aooney intercedes only when she 4nows Ar. Doran must "ro"ose to 'olly, and she schedules a meeting with Ar. Doran to discuss his intentions. Ar. Doran an5iously antici"ates the con#ersation and the "otential lifestyle change that awaits him. &e resol#es that he must marry 'olly. A #ittle Clou ?ne e#ening after wor4 Bittle Chandler reunites with his old friend, :allaher. Bittle Chandler as"ires to be a "oet, and hearing about :allaher!s career in Bondon ma4es Bittle Chandler en#ious and determined to change his life. Bittle Chandler imagines freedom from his wife and child, but he feels ashamed about his thoughts and acce"ts his situation. Counter$arts 9fter an infuriating day at wor4, Farrington embar4s on an e#ening of drin4ing with his friends. >#en though Farrington "awns his watch to re"lenish his em"ty wallet, he finds himself s"ending all of his money on drin4s for himself and his com"anions. :rowing more and more frustrated, Farrington almost e5"lodes when he loses an arm-wrestling match. 9t home later that night, Farrington #ents his anger by beating his son. Clay ?n &alloween night, Aaria o#ersees festi#ities at the charity where she wor4s. 9fterward, she tra#els to the home of Joe Donnelly, whom she nursed when he was a boy. 9long the way Aaria "urchases sweets and ca4es for Joe!s family. 1hen she arri#es at the house, she reali0es she has somehow lost the s"ecial "lum ca4e she!d bought. 9fter tal4ing, eating, and "laying &alloween games, Aaria sings a song for the Donnellys. A Painful Case Ar. Duffy de#elo"s a relationshi" with Ars. /inico at a concert in Dublin. he two meet often for long chats and become close, but Ar. Duffy cuts off the relationshi" when Ars. /inico ma4es the intimate but chaste gesture of ta4ing Ar. Duffy!s hand and "utting it against her chee4. Four years later, Ar. Duffy reads in a news"a"er that

Ars. /inico has died in a train accident. &e feels angry, sad, and uneasy as he remembers her, and he finally reali0es he lost "erha"s his only chance for lo#e. %vy &ay in the Co''ittee Roo' 9 grou" of men wor4ing as street "romoters for a mayoral candidate meet to discuss their Cobs and esca"e from the rainy weather on *#y Day, which commemorates the death of Charles /tuart 'arnell, the influential *rish "olitician. he men com"lain about their late "aychec4s and debate "olitics. Con#ersation e#entually turns to 'arnell and his "olitical endea#ors, and one of the men, &ynes, recites a "oem he wrote in memory of him. A (other 9n *rish cultural society organi0es a concert series with the hel" of Ars. <earney, the mother of one of the "erformers. Ars. <earney secures a contract with the society!s secretary, Ar. &olohan, so that her daughter is ensured "ayment for her "iano accom"animent. 9 series of logistical changes and failed e5"ectations infuriate Ars. <earney, and she hounds the officers of the society for the money, ma4ing a s"ectacle of herself and her daughter. Grace 9fter an embarrassing "ublic accident, om <ernan is con#inced by his friends to attend a Catholic retreat. he men ho"e that this e#ent will hel" Ar. <ernan reform his "roblematic, alcoholic lifestyle. 9t the ser#ice, the "residing "riest "reaches about the need for the admission of sins and the ability of all "eo"le to attain forgi#eness through :od!s grace. The &ea 1ith his wife, :retta, :abriel Conroy attends the annual dancing "arty hosted by his two aging aunts, Julia and <ate Aor4an, and their niece, Aary Jane. 9t the "arty, :abriel e5"eriences some uncomfortable confrontations. &e ma4es a "ersonal comment to Bily, the housemaid, that "ro#o4es a shar" re"ly, and during a dance he endures the taunts of his "artner, Aiss *#ors. Finally, :abriel sees :retta enra"tured by a song sung toward the end of the "arty. Bater, he learns that she was thin4ing of a former lo#er who had died for her. &e sadly contem"lates his life.

Character #ist
The Sisters The Sisters narrator - he reser#ed and contem"lati#e boy who deals with the death of his friend, Father Flynn. he narrator a#oids showing outward emotions to his family members, but he de#otes his thoughts to the "riest!s memory. ?thers in the story see the narrator!s relationshi" with the "riest as ina""ro"riate and e5"loitati#e, and the narrator himself seems unsure of what the "riest meant to him. )ather )lynn - he "riest who dies in ; he /isters.= Father Flynn!s ambiguous "resence in the story as a "otential child molester initiates a boo4-long critiDue of religious leaders, consistently "ortraying them as incom"etent. Ol Cotter - he family friend in ; he /isters= who informs the narrator of Father Flynn!s death. ?ld Cotter #oices concern about the "riest!s intentions with the narrator, but he a#oids ma4ing any direct statements. An Encounter An Encounter narrator - he young boy who endures an aw4ward con#ersation with a "er#erted old man while s4i""ing school. ,ored with the drudgery of lessons, the narrator dreams of esca"e. 1hen imaginary games fail to fulfill his yearning for ad#enture, he embar4s on a real one with his friend Aahony by s4i""ing school and s"ending the day in Dublin, only to encounter fear. (ahony - he narrator!s com"anion in ;9n >ncounter.= 1hen Aahony and the narrator rest in a field, a strange old man a""roaches them. 9t one "oint Aahony runs aw ay after a cat, lea#ing the narrator and the old man alone.

Araby Araby narrator - he amorous boy who de#otes himself to his neighbor Aangan!s sister. *mages and thoughts of the girl subsume the narrator!s days, but when he finally s"ea4s to her it is brief and aw4ward. 1hen Aangan!s sister tells the narrator about a ba0aar called 9raby, the narrator decides to go there and buy something for her. &owe#er, he arri#es at the ba0aar too late and buys nothing. he narrator illustrates the Coys and frustrations of young lo#e. &is inability to "ursue his desires angers him. (an!an*s sister - he lo#e interest in ;9raby.= Aangan!s sister mentions the 9raby ba0aar to the narrator, "rom"ting him to tra#el there. /he suggests the familiarity of Dublin, as well as the ho"e of lo#e and the e5otic a""eal of new "laces. Eveline Eveline - he "rotagonist of the story that shares her name. >#eline ma4es a bold and e5citing decision to elo"e to 9rgentina with her lo#er, Fran4, but ultimately shrin4s away from it, e5cluding herself from lo#e. &er constant re#iew of the "ros and cons of her decision demonstrates her willingness to "lease e#eryone but herself, and her final resol#e to stay in Dublin with her family casts her as a woman tra""ed in domestic and familiar duties and afraid to embrace the un"redictable.

After the Race +i''y &oyle - he u"wardly mobile "rotagonist of ;9fter the Race.= *nfatuated with the "restige of his friends and giddy about his inclusion in such high-society circles, Jimmy conducts a life of facile whims and e5cessi#e e5"enditure. Two Gallants #enehan - ?ne half of the "air of swindlers in ; wo :allants.= Benehan e5udes energy and e5haustion at once. &e e5citedly "arta4es in the e5"loits of his friend Corley but also laments the aimlessness of his hard li#ing and lac4 of stability. hough he yearns to settle down, he remains fi5ed to Corley!s side as the stereoty"ical side4ic4. Corley - he scheming friend of Benehan in ; wo :allants.= Corley!s bul4y, asserti#e "hysical "resence matches his grandiose bragging and incessant self-"romotion. 9 "olice informant and s4illed in ta4ing ad#antage of women, Corley "ro#ides one of the most critical and unsym"athetic "ortraits of betrayal in Dubliners when he du"es the housemaid into gi#ing him a gold coin. The Boar in! "ouse (rs, (ooney - he "ro"rietor and mother from ; he ,oarding &ouse.= /e"arated from her husband and the owner of a business, Ars. Aooney firmly go#erns her own life, as well as her daughter 'olly!s. &er a""arently successful "lan to secure her daughter in a comfortable marriage ma4es her a morally ambiguous character. /he demands eDual treatment for men and women but also mani"ulates relationshi"s to rid herself of her daughter. (r, &oran - he lo#er of Ars. Aooney!s daughter 'olly in ; he ,oarding &ouse.= 9 successful cler4, Ar. Doran fears his affair with the un"olished daughter will tarnish his re"utation and bemoans the restraints of marriage, but he resol#es to marry her out of social necessity and fear. A #ittle Clou Gallaher - Bittle Chandler!s old friend who #isits Dublin in ;9 Bittle Cloud.= For Bittle Chandler, :allaher re"resents all that is enticing and desirableE success in >ngland, a writing career, foreign tra#el, and laid-bac4 ease with women. &is gruff manners and forthright beha#ior contrast with Bittle Chandler!s delicacy. #ittle Chan ler - he unha""y and fastidious cler4 who reunites with his friend :allaher in ;9 Bittle Cloud.= Bittle Chandler!s "hysical attributes match his name@he is small, fragile, and delicately groomed. &is tendency to su""ress his "oetic desires suggests that he also earns his title by li#ing Duietly and without "assion. &e fleetingly rebels against his domestic life after hearing about :allaher!s e5citing life, then shamefully re-embraces it. Counter$arts

)arrin!ton - he burly and aggressi#e co"y cler4 and "rotagonist in ;Counter"arts.= 1ith his wine-red face and fuming tem"er, Farrington mo#es through Dublin as a time bomb of rage. Farrington!s Cob dooms him to unthin4ingly re"eat his actions, and he transfers his frustrations from one e5"erience to the ne5t without discernment. &is outlets in life are drin4ing and fighting, a "hysical engagement with the world that ty"ifies his lac4 of care and thought. Farrington!s son is one #ictim of his rage. (r, Alleyne - Farrington!s boss in ;Counter"arts.= >5as"erated by Farrington!s "oor wor4, Ar. 9lleyne yells at and insults Farrington until Farrington embarrasses him in front of the office staff. &e ser#es mainly to e5acerbate Farrington!s frustrations and fuel his anger. Clay (aria - he Duiet and "rim maid and "rotagonist from ;Clay= who goes to #isit Joe Donnelly, the man she nursed when he was a boy. Aaria is "recise and dedicated to detail. /he mo#es through most of the narrati#e with content satisfaction and laughter. &er ha""iness, howe#er, faces challenges in the smallest of e#ents, and her dis"ro"ortionate reactions to small troubles suggest a remote detachment from life. +oe &onnelly - he man Aaria #isits in ;Clay.= Joe!s brief a""earance in the story "ro#ides a bac4dro" for Aaria!s own concerns. Bi4e her, he worries about mundane details, but he also hides a dee"er wound that the story does not articulate. &e therefore ser#es as a sad figure of unha""iness. A Painful Case (r, &uffy - 9 solitary and obsessi#e man who eschews intimacy with Ars. /inico in ;9 'ainful Case.= Disdainful of e5cess and tightly self-regulated, Ar. Duffy li#es according to mundane routine, and when a relationshi" e#ol#es beyond his comfort le#el, he sDuelches it. &is remorse o#er Ars. /inico!s death ma4es him reali0e that his "ursuit of order and control has led only to loneliness. &e is one of the most tragic "rotagonists of Dubliners. (rs, Sinico - Ar. Duffy!s com"anion in ;9 'ainful Case.= 9fter being shunned by him, Ars. /inico becomes an alcoholic and dies when she is hit by a train. /he once gras"ed Ar. Duffy!s hand and held it to her chee4, and this small, affectionate gesture led to the end of their relationshi". %vy &ay in the Co''ittee Roo' (at O*Connor - ?ne of the "olitical wor4ers from ;*#y Day in the Committee Room.= Fuiet and reser#ed, ?!Connor "aces the men!s con#ersation by tem"ering conflict and "raise about the dead "olitician 'arnell, but he shows little interest in his own "olitical wor4. +oe "ynes - Reads the "oem about 'arnell in ;*#y Day in the Committee Room.= /ome of the men are hesitant about his "resence in the room because &ynes is critical of the candidate for whom they wor4, but &ynes ne#er wa#ers in his statements or #iews. +ohn "enchy - he eDui#ocating "olitical "romoter from ;*#y Day in the Committee Room.= &enchy sus"ects e#eryone of betrayal. &e sus"ects his boss of shir4ing the men out of beer and "aychec4s, and he sus"ects &ynes of informing the o""osing candidate. &owe#er, he is the most eDui#ocal figure in the story and constantly changes his own #iews to suit the conte5t. A (other (rs, -earney - he commanding "rotagonist of ;9 Aother.= ?ne of the four female "rotagonists in Dubliners, Ars. <earney is ambitious but also haughty. /he orchestrates her daughter!s u"bringing as an e5em"lary "ro"onent of *rish culture and "oise, but she has trouble dealing with Dubliners of different bac4grounds and any challenges to her authority. (r, "olohan - he befuddled secretary who organi0es the musical concerts in ;9 Aother.= Ar. &olohan is the subCect of Ars. <earney!s abuse, and though he remains Duiet throughout the story, he is the only character who resists and counters her critiDues. Grace To' -ernan - he out-of-luc4 businessman of ;:race.= 9fter a nasty, drun4en fall, <ernan Coins his friends in an attem"t to reform his life. &e remains silent about his accident, ne#er Duestioning the men who were his com"anions that night. &is acce"ting attitude leads him to go along with his friends! "lan to attend a Catholic retreat, but he ne#er ma4es an acti#e decision.

+ac. Power - <ernan!s friend in ;:race.= 'ower rescues <ernan after his accident and suggests the Catholic retreat. Ar. 'ower!s dedication to <ernan a""ears shallow des"ite his efforts to reform the man, as he is acutely aware of <ernan!s dwindling social status in com"arison to his own burgeoning career. The &ea Gabriel Conroy - he "rotagonist from ; he Dead.= 9 uni#ersity-educated teacher and writer, :abriel struggles with sim"le social situations and con#ersations, and straightforward Duestions catch him off guard. &e feels out of "lace due to his highbrow literary endea#ors. &is aunts, Julia and <ate Aor4an, turn to him to "erform the traditionally male acti#ities of car#ing the goose and deli#ering a s"eech at their annual celebration. :abriel re"resents a force of control in the story, but his wife :retta!s fond and sad recollections of a former de#oted lo#er ma4e him reali0e he has little gras" on his life and that his marriage lac4s true lo#e. Gretta Conroy - :abriel!s wife in ; he Dead.= :retta "lays a relati#ely minor role for most of the story, until the conclusion where she is the focus of :abriel!s thoughts and actions. /he a""ears mournful and distant when a s"ecial song is sung at the "arty, and she later "lunges into des"air when she tells :abriel the story of her childhood lo#e, Aichael Furey. &er "ure intentions and loyalty to this boy unner#e :abriel and generate his des"airing thoughts about life and death. #ily - he housemaid to the Aor4an sisters who rebu4es :abriel in ; he Dead.= (olly %vors - he nationalist woman who teases :abriel during a dance in ; he Dead.= +ulia (or.an - ?ne of the aging sisters who throw an annual dance "arty in ; he Dead.= Julia has a grey and sullen a""earance that combines with her remote, wandering beha#ior to ma4e her a figure sa""ed of life. -ate (or.an - ?ne of the aging sisters who throw an annual dance "arty in ; he Dead.= <ate is #i#acious but constantly worries about her sister, Julia, and the ha""iness of the guests. (ichael )urey - :retta Conroy!s childhood lo#e in ; he Dead= who died for her long ago.

Analysis of (a/or Characters

Gabriel Conroy0 The &ea :abriel is the last "rotagonist of Dubliners, and he embodies many of the traits introduced and e5"lored in characters from earlier stories, including short tem"er, acute class consciousness, social aw4wardness, and frustrated lo#e. :abriel has many faces. o his aging aunts, he is a lo#ing family man, bringing his cheerful "resence to the "arty and "erforming ty"ically masculine duties such as car#ing the goose. 1ith other female characters, such as Aiss *#ors, Bily the housemaid, and his wife, :retta, he is less able to forge a connection, and his attem"ts often become aw4ward, and e#en offensi#e. 1ith Aiss *#ors, he stumbles defensi#ely through a con#ersation about his "lans to go on a cycling tour, and he offends Bily when he teases her about ha#ing a boyfriend. :retta ins"ires fondness and tenderness in him, but he "rimarily feels mastery o#er her. /uch Dualities do not ma4e :abriel sym"athetic, but rather ma4e him an e5am"le of a man whose inner life struggles to 4ee" "ace with and adCust to the world around him. he Aor4ans! "arty e5"oses :abriel as a social "erformer. &e carefully re#iews his thoughts and words, and he flounders in situations where he cannot "redict another "erson!s feelings. :abriel!s unease with unbridled feeling is "al"able, but he must face his discomfort throughout the story. &e illustrates the tense intersection of social isolation and "ersonal confrontation. :abriel has one moment of s"ontaneous, honest s"eech, rare in ; he Dead= as well as in Dubliners as a whole. 1hen he dances with Aiss *#ors, she interrogates him about his "lans to tra#el in countries other than *reland and as4s him why he won!t stay in *reland and learn more about his own country. *nstead of re"lying with niceties, :abriel res"onds, ;*!m sic4 of my own country, sic4 of itG= &e is the sole character in Dubliners to #oice his unha""iness with life in *reland. 1hile each story im"licitly or e5"licitly connects the characters! hardshi"s to Dublin, :abriel "ronounces his sentiment clearly and without remorse. his "urgati#e e5clamation highlights the symbolism of :abriel!s name, which he shares with the angel who informed Aary that she would be the mother of Christ in biblical history. :abriel deli#ers his own message not only to Aiss *#ors but also to himself and to the

readers of ; he Dead.= &e is the unusual character in Dubliners who dwells on his own re#elation without su""ressing or reCecting it, and who can "lace himself in a greater "ers"ecti#e. *n the final scene of the story, when he intensely contem"lates the meaning of his life, :abriel has a #ision not only of his own tedious life but of his role as a human. Eveline0 Eveline orn between two e5treme o"tions@unha""y domesticity or a dramatic esca"e to 9rgentina for marriage@ >#eline has no "ossibility of a moderately content life. &er dilemma does not illustrate indecisi#eness but rather the lac4 of o"tions for someone in her "osition. ?n the doc4s, when she must ma4e a choice once and for all, >#eline remembers her "romise to her mother to 4ee" the family together. /o close to esca"e, >#eline re#ises her #iew of her life at home, remembering the small 4indnessesE her father!s caring for her when she was sic4, a family "icnic before her mother died. hese memories o#ershadow the reality of her abusi#e father and deadening Cob, and her sudden certainty comes as an e"i"hany@she must remain with what is familiar. 1hen faced with the clear choice between ha""iness and unha""iness, >#eline chooses unha""iness, which frightens her less than her intense emotions for Fran4. >#eline!s nagging sense of family duty stems from her fear of lo#e and an un4nown life abroad, and her decision to stay in Dublin renders her as Cust another figure in the crowd of Dubliners watching lo#ers and friends de"art the city. >#eline holds an im"ortant "lace in the o#erall narrati#e of Dubliners. &er story is the first in the collection that uses third-"erson narration, the first in the collection to focus on a female "rotagonist, and the only one in the collection that ta4es a character!s name as the title. >#eline is also the first central adult character. For all of these reasons, she mar4s a crucial transition in the collectionE >#eline in many ways is Cust another Dubliner, but she also broadens the "ers"ecti#e of Dubliners. &er story, rather than being limited by the first-"erson narration of earlier stories, suggests something about the hardshi"s and limitations of women in early twentieth-century Dublin in general. >#eline!s tortured decision about her life also sets a tone of restraint and fear that resonates in many of the later stories. ?ther female characters in Dubliners e5"lore different harsh conditions of life in Dublin, but >#eline, in facing and reCecting a life-altering decision, remains the most tragic. )arrin!ton0 Counter$arts ?ne of the dar4est characters in Dubliners, Farrington rebels #iolently against his dull, routine life. &e e5"eriences "araly0ing, mechanical re"etition day after day as a co"y cler4, and his mind-numbing tas4s and uncom"romising boss cause rage to simmer inside him. 9fter the day in Duestion in ;Counter"arts,= the rage becomes so e5"losi#e that Farrington unleashes it on the most innocent figure in his world, one of his children. he root of Farrington!s "roblem is his inability to reali0e the maddening circularity that defines his days. Farrington has no boundaries between the different "arts of his worldE his wor4 life mimics his social life and his family life. $o one "art of his life can ser#e as an esca"e from any other "art because each element has the "otential to enrage him. Farrington consistently ma4es life worse for himself, not better. &e sli"s away from wor4 as he "leases, insults his boss, and matter-of-factly "awns his watch to buy alcohol. hough each small rebellion ma4es him momentarily ha""y, the dis"laced rage sim"ly rea""ears some"lace else, usually e5acerbated by his actions. his lac4 of mindfulness about the conseDuences of his actions s"ills o#er into Farrington!s anger, o#er which he a""ears to ha#e little or no control. Farrington!s e5"losi#e #iolence sets him a"art from some of the other characters in Dubliners, who oftenacce"t routine and boredom as facts of life and do little to u"set the balance of familiarity and calm they!#e established. Ar. Duffy in ;9 'ainful Case,= for e5am"le, identifies so fully with his routines that he cannot u"set them e#en for the chance of lo#e. >#eline, too, chooses her familiar routines instead of lea"ing into the un4nown, e#en though those routines are far inferior to the "ossibilities before her. Farrington!s insensiti#ity to the "eo"le around him also casts him as the o""osite of >#eline, whose concern for what others will thin4 of her o#errides her own desires. 9s the brutal bully of Dubliners, Farrington shows what can ha""en when a life consists "rimarily of mindless re"etitionE sooner or later #iolence will surface, and those who witness or are subCect to the #iolence may themsel#es act #iolently in the future.

Araby narrator he ;9raby= narrator!s e5"erience of lo#e mo#es him from "lacid youth to elation to frustrated loneliness as he e5"lores the threshold between childhood and adulthood. Bi4e the narrator of ;9n >ncounter,= he yearns to e5"erience new "laces and things, but he is also li4e >#eline and other adult characters who gra""le with the conflict between e#eryday life and the "romise of lo#e. &e wants to see himself as an adult, so he dismisses his distracting schoolwor4 as ;child!s "lay= and e5"resses his intense emotions in dramatic, romantic gestures. &owe#er, his inability to acti#ely "ursue what he desires tra"s him in a child!s world. &is dilemma suggests the ho"e of youth stymied by the una#oidable realities of Dublin life. he ;9raby= narrator is the last of the first-"erson narrators in Dubliners, all of whom are young boys.

The'es0 (otifs0 an Sy'bols

The'es Themes are the fun amental an often uni!ersal i eas ex"lore in a literary #ork$ The Prison of Routine Restricti#e routines and the re"etiti#e, mundane details of e#eryday life mar4 the li#es of Joyce!s Dubliners and tra" them in circles of frustration, restraint, and #iolence. Routine affects characters who face difficult "redicaments, but it also affects characters who ha#e little o"en conflict in their li#es. he young boy of ;9n >ncounter= yearns for a res"ite from the rather innocent routine of school, only to find himself sitting in a field listening to a man recycle disturbing thoughts. *n ;Counter"arts,= Farrington, who ma4es a li#ing co"ying documents, demonstrates the dangerous "otential of re"etition. Farrington!s wor4 mirrors his social and home life, causing his anger@and abusi#e beha#ior@to worsen. Farrington, with his e5"losi#e "hysical reactions, illustrates more than any other character the brutal ramifications of a re"etiti#e e5istence. he most consistent conseDuences of following mundane routines are loneliness and unreDuited lo#e. *n ;9raby,= a young boy wants to go to the ba0aar to buy a gift for the girl he lo#es, but he is late because his uncle becomes mired in the routine of his wor4day. *n ;9 'ainful Case= Ar. Duffy!s obsession with his "redictable life costs him a golden chance at lo#e. >#eline, in the story that shares her name, gi#es u" her chance at lo#e by choosing her familiar life o#er an un4nown ad#enture, e#en though her familiar routines are tinged with sadness and abuse. he circularity of these Dubliners! li#es effecti#ely tra"s them, "re#enting them from being rece"ti#e to new e5"eriences and ha""iness. The &esire for Esca$e he characters in Dubliners may be citi0ens of the *rish ca"ital, but many of them long for esca"e and ad#enture in other countries. /uch longings, howe#er, are ne#er actually reali0ed by the stories! "rotagonists. he schoolboy yearning for esca"e and 1ild 1est e5citement in ;9n >ncounter= is relegated to the imagination and to the confines of Dublin, while >#eline!s ho"es for a new life in 9rgentina dissol#e on the doc4s of the city!s ri#er. Bittle Chandler en#iously fantasi0es about the Bondon "ress Cob of his old friend and his tra#els to liberal cities li4e 'aris, but the shame he feels about such desires sto"s him from ta4ing action to "ursue similar goals. Aore often than offering a literal esca"e from a "hysical "lace, the stories tell of o""ortunities to esca"e from smaller, more "ersonal restraints. >#eline, for e5am"le, see4s release from domestic duties through marriage. *n ; wo :allants,= Benehan wishes to esca"e his life of schemes, but he cannot ta4e action to do so. Ar. Doran wishes to esca"e marrying 'olly in ;9 ,oarding &ouse,= but he 4nows he must relent. he im"ulse to esca"e from unha""y situations defines Joyce!s Dubliners, as does the inability to actually underta4e the "rocess. The %ntersection of #ife an &eath Dubliners o"ens with ; he /isters,= which e5"lores death and the "rocess of remembering the dead, and closes with ; he Dead,= which in#o4es the Duiet calm of snow that co#ers both the dead and the li#ing. hese stories

boo4end the collection and em"hasi0e its consistent focus on the meeting "oint between life and death. >ncounters between the newly dead and the li#ing, such as in ; he /isters= and ;9 'ainful Case,= e5"licitly e5"lore this meeting "oint, showing what 4ind of aftershoc4s a death can ha#e for the li#ing. Ar. Duffy, for e5am"le, ree#aluates his life after learning about Ars. /inico!s death in ;9 'ainful Case,= while the narrator of ; he /isters= doesn!t 4now what to feel u"on the death of the "riest. *n other stories, including ;>#eline,= ;*#y Day in the Committee Room,= and ; he Dead,= memories of the dead haunt the li#ing and color e#ery action. *n ;*#y Day,= for e5am"le, 'arnell ho#ers in the "olitical tal4. he dead cast a shadow on the "resent, drawing attention to the mista4es and failures that "eo"le ma4e generation after generation. /uch o#erla" underscores Joyce!s interest in life cycles and their re"etition, and also his concern about those ;li#ing dead= figures li4e Aaria in ;Clay= who mo#e through life with little e5citement or emotion e5ce"t in reaction to e#eryday snags and delays. he monotony of Dublin life leads Dubliners to li#e in a sus"ended state between life and death, in which each "erson has a "ulse but is inca"able of "rofound, lifesustaining action. (otifs Motifs are recurring structures% contrasts% or literary e!ices that can hel" to e!elo" an inform the text&s ma'or themes$ Paralysis *n most of the stories in Dubliners, a character has a desire, faces obstacles to it, then ultimately relents and suddenly sto"s all action. hese moments of "aralysis show the characters! inability to change their li#es and re#erse the routines that ham"er their wishes. /uch immobility fi5es the Dubliners in cycles of e5"erience. he young boy in ;9raby= halts in the middle of the dar4 ba0aar, 4nowing that he will ne#er esca"e the tedious delays of Dublin and attain lo#e. >#eline free0es li4e an animal, fearing the "ossible new e5"erience of life away from home. hese moments e#o4e the theme of death in life as they show characters in a state of inaction and numbness. he o"ening story introduces this motif through the character of Father Flynn, whose literal "aralysis tra"s him in a state sus"ended between life and death. hroughout the collection, this stifling state a""ears as "art of daily life in Dublin, which all Dubliners ultimately ac4nowledge and acce"t. E$i$hany Characters in Dubliners e5"erience both great and small re#elations in their e#eryday li#es, moments that Joyce himself referred to as ;e"i"hanies,= a word with connotations of religious re#elation. hese e"i"hanies do not bring new e5"eriences and the "ossibility of reform, as one might e5"ect such moments to. Rather, these e"i"hanies allow characters to better understand their "articular circumstances, usually rife with sadness and routine, which they then return to with resignation and frustration. /ometimes e"i"hanies occur only on the narrati#e le#el, ser#ing as sign"osts to the reader that a story!s character has missed a moment of self-reflection. For e5am"le, in ;Clay,= during the &alloween game when Aaria touches the clay, which signifies an early death, she thin4s nothing of it, o#erloo4ing a moment that could ha#e re#ealed something about herself or the "eo"le around her. ;9raby,= ;>#eline,= ;9 Bittle Cloud,= ;9 'ainful Case,= and ; he Dead= all conclude with e"i"hanies that the characters fully register, yet these e"i"hanies are tinged with frustration, sadness, and regret. 9t the end of ; he Dead,= :abriel!s re#elation clarifies the connection between the dead and the li#ing, an e"i"hany that resonates throughout Dubliners as a whole. he e"i"hany motif highlights the re"eated routine of ho"e and "assi#e acce"tance that mar4s each of these "ortraits, as well as the general human condition. Betrayal Dece"tion, deceit, and treachery scar nearly e#ery relationshi" in the stories in Dubliners, demonstrating the unease with which "eo"le attem"t to connect with each other, both "latonically and romantically. *n ; he ,oarding &ouse,= Ars. Aooney tra"s Ar. Doran into marrying her daughter 'olly, and Ar. Doran dreads the union but will meet his obligation to "ursue it. *n ; wo :allants,= Benehan and Corley both sus"ect each other of cheating and scheming, though they Coin forces to swindle innocent housemaids out of their li#elihoods.

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Concerns about betrayal frame the con#ersations in ;*#y Day in the Committee Room,= "articularly as 'arnell!s su""orters see his demise as the result of "ro-,ritish treachery. %ntil his affair was e5"osed, 'arnell had been a "o"ular and influential "olitician, and many *rish belie#e the ,ritish were res"onsible for his downfall. 9ll of the men in ;*#y Day= dis"lay wa#ering beliefs that suggest betrayal looms in *reland!s "olitical "resent. *n ; he Dead,= :abriel feels betrayed by his wife!s emotional out"ouring for a former lo#er. his feeling e#o4es not only the sense of dis"lacement and humiliation that all of these Dubliners fear but also the tendency for "eo"le to categori0e many acts as ;betrayal= in order to shift blame from themsel#es onto others. Reli!ion References to "riests, religious belief, and s"iritual e5"erience a""ear throughout the stories in Dubliners and ultimately "aint an unflattering "ortrait of religion. *n the first story, ; he /isters,= Father Flynn cannot 4ee" a strong gri" on the chalice and goes mad in a confessional bo5. his story mar4s religion!s first a""earance as a haunting but incom"etent and dangerous com"onent of Dublin life. he strange man of ;9n >ncounter= wears the same clothing as Father Flynn, connecting his lasci#ious beha#ior, howe#er remotely, to the Catholic Church. *n ;:race,= Father 'urdon shares his name with Dublin!s red-light district, one of many subtle ironies in that story. *n ;:race,= om <ernan!s fall and absent redem"tion highlight the "retension and inefficacy of religion@religion is Cust another daily ritual of re"etition that ad#ances no one. *n other stories, such as ;9raby,= religion acts as a meta"hor for dedication that dwindles. he "resence of so many religious references also suggests that religion tra"s Dubliners into thin4ing about their li#es after death. Sy'bols (ymbols are ob'ects% characters% figures% or colors use to re"resent abstract i eas or conce"ts$ 1in ows 1indows in Dubliners consistently e#o4e the antici"ation of e#ents or encounters that are about to ha""en. For e5am"le, the narrator in ; he /isters= loo4s into a window each night, waiting for signs of Father Flynn!s death, and the narrator in ;9raby= watches from his "arlor window for the a""earance of Aangan!s sister. he sus"ense for these young boys centers in that s"ace se"arating the interior life from the e5terior life. 1indows also mar4 the threshold between domestic s"ace and the outside world, and through them the characters in Dubliners obser#e their own li#es as well as the li#es of others. ,oth >#eline and :abriel turn to windows when they reflect on their own situations, both of which center on the relationshi" between the indi#idual and the indi#idual!s "lace in a larger conte5t. &us. an 2i!htti'e Joyce!s Dublin is "er"etually dar4. $o streams of sunlight or cheery landsca"es illuminate these stories. *nstead, a s"ectrum of grey and blac4 underscores their somber tone. Characters wal4 through Dublin at dus4, an inbetween time that ho#ers between the acti#ity of day and the stillness of night, and li#e their most "rofound moments in the dar4ness of late hours. hese dar4 bac4dro"s e#o4e the half-life or in-between state the characters in Dubliners occu"y, both "hysically and emotionally, suggesting the intermingling of life and d eath that mar4s e#ery story. *n this state, life can e5ist and "roceed, but the dar4ness renders Dubliners! e5"eriences dire and doomed. )oo $early all of the characters in Dubliners eat or drin4, and in most cases food ser#es as a reminder of both the threatening dullness of routine and the Coys and difficulties of togetherness. *n ;9 'ainful Case,= Ar. Duffy!s solitary, du"licated meals are finally interru"ted by the shoc4ing news"a"er article that re"orts Ars. /inico!s death. his interru"tion ma4es him reali0e that his habits isolate him from the lo#e and ha""iness of ;life!s feast.= he "arty meal in ; he Dead= might e#o4e con#i#iality, but the rigid order of the rich table instead suggests military battle. *n ; wo :allants,= Benehan!s Duiet meal of "eas and ginger beer allows him to dwell on his selfabsorbed life, so lac4ing in meaningful relationshi"s and security, while the constant imbibing in ;9fter the Race=

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fuels Jimmy!s attem"ts to con#ince himself he belongs with his u""er-class com"anions. Food in Dubliners allows Joyce to "ortray his characters and their e5"eriences through a substance that both sustains life yet also symboli0es its restraints.

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The Sisters
Su''ary 9 young boy reflects on the im"ending death of his friend Father Flynn. <nowing that after three stro4es the "araly0ed "riest has little time left, the boy ma4es a habit of wal4ing "ast Father Flynn!s house, loo4ing for the light of the traditional two candles "laced on a coffin that would indicate his death. >ach time, the boy thin4s of the word "aralysis. ?ne night at his aunt and uncle!s house, the boy arri#es at su""er to find his uncle and ?ld Cotter, a family friend, sitting before the fire. ?ld Cotter has come to the house to share the news that Father Flynn is dead. <nowing that e#eryone waits for his reaction, the boy remains Duiet. 1hile the aunt shuffles food to and from the table, a con#ersation ensues between the uncle and ?ld Cotter, and the uncle notes the high ho"es Father Flynn had for the boy. &e hints that Father Flynn "lanned to "re"are the boy for the "riesthood and remar4s on the friendshi" between them. ?ld Cotter, howe#er, thin4s of Father Flynn as a ;"eculiar case= and insists that young boys should "lay with "eo"le their own age. 1hile the uncle agrees with ?ld Cotter, the aunt is disturbed that anyone could thin4 critically of Father Flynn. /he as4s ?ld Cotter to clarify his "oint, but ?ld Cotter trails off and the con#ersation ends. hat night, ?ld Cotter!s comments 4ee" the boy awa4e, and he dreams of Father Flynn smiling and confessing something to him. he ne5t morning the boy #isits Father Flynn!s house, where a bouDuet of flowers and a card hang from the door handle. *nstead of 4noc4ing, he wal4s away and reminisces about the time he s"ent there. &e used to bring Father Flynn snuffing tobacco from his aunt, and Father Flynn would teach him things, such as Batin "ronunciation and the "arts of the Aass. Remembering ?ld Cotter!s cry"tic comments, the boy then tries to recall more of his dream from the night before, but he can remember only a 'ersian setting@he cannot remember the end. hat e#ening the boy #isits the house with his aunt, and they 4neel at Father Flynn!s o"en coffin with one of Father Flynn!s sisters, $annie, to "ray. 9fterward, the three retire to another room to Coin >li0a, Father Flynn!s other sister. ?#er sherry and crac4ers they discuss Father Flynn!s death, his ta5ing career as a "riest, and the hel"ful ser#ices of Father ?!Rour4e, another "riest who anointed Father Flynn and com"leted all of the necessary "a"erwor4 and death notices. 9ll the while the boy remains Duiet. he story ends with >li0a!s recollection of Father Flynn!s increasingly odd beha#ior, which started with dro""ing a chalice during Aass. 1hen one night Father ?!Rour4e and another "riest found Father Flynn shut in a confessional bo5, laughing to himself, they finally reali0ed he was sic4. Analysis *n ; he /isters,= and in the rest of the stories in Dubliners, strange and "u00ling e#ents occur that remain une5"lained. Father Flynn suffers from "araly0ing stro4es and e#entually dies, but his deterioration, e"itomi0ed by his laughing fren0y in a confessional bo5, also hints that he was mentally unstable. he reader ne#er learns e5actly what was wrong with him. /imilarly, Father Flynn and the young narrator had a relationshi" that ?ld Cotter thin4s was unhealthy, but that the narrator "aints as s"iritual when he recounts the discussions he and Father Flynn had about Church rituals. &owe#er, the narrator also has strange dreams about Father Flynn and admits to feeling uncomfortable around him. Joyce "resents Cust enough information so that the reader sus"ects Father Flynn is a male#olent figure, but ne#er enough so that the reader 4nows the full story. /uch a techniDue is hinted at in the first "aragra"h of the story. he narrator thin4s of the word "aralysis when loo4ing at Father Flynn!s window and says the word sounds strange, li4e the word gnomon, a term that generally refers to instruments, li4e the hand on a sundial, that indicate something. Joyce does e5actly thatE &e "oints to details and suggestions, but ne#er com"letes the "u00le. he "hysical "resence of Father Flynn lingers throughout the story, coloring the narrator!s e5"erience of dealing with death in life and showing how a death interru"ts normal human acti#ities. Father Flynn "lays a fleshly role in the story. &is a""roaching death ma4es the narrator thin4 of the cor"se, which he e#entually sees. 1hen Father Flynn dies, the narrator continues to thin4 of his "hysical "resence, "articularly the lurid way in which his tongue rested on his li", and dreams of his face. /uch bi0arre "hysical images e#o4e the aw4ward nature of death. Bi4e the e"isodes of Father Flynn!s odd beha#ior that the sisters recount, the narrator!s memories gi#e Father Flynn a

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haunting "resence that is fearful and mysterious, not beautiful and neat. *n the final scene with the sisters, eating, drin4ing, and tal4ing become difficult since death frames those acti#ities. 9fter #iewing the cor"se, the narrator declines the crac4ers offered because he fears that eating them would ma4e too much noise, as if he might disturb Father Flynn in his coffin. /imilarly, the narrator!s aunt is unable to broach the subCect of death. /he as4s Duestions about how Father Flynn died, but her thoughts trail off. Father Flynn may be dead, but in many ways he is still #ery "resent among the li#ing. he inability of the narrator and his aunt to eat and s"ea4 during their #isit to the sisters recalls the sense of "aralysis that the narrator connects to the dying Father Flynn in the story!s o"ening "aragra"h. his lin4 between "aralysis or inaction to both death and religion under"ins all the stories in Dubliners. Characters face e#ents that "araly0e them from ta4ing action or fulfilling their desires, as though they e5"erience a 4ind of death in life. *n ; he /isters,= such "aralysis is connected to religion through Father Flynn. Father Flynn!s dro""ing of the chalice and his inability to gras" the same obCect in his coffin suggest that the rituals of religion lead to "aralysis. &is sisters also attribute his demise to the strains of clerical life. he cri""ling Duality of religion resurfaces in other stories li4e ;:race,= in which Joyce more directly Duestions the role of the Church in the li#es of Dubliners. his story o"ens with an image of a Dubliner ga0ing through a window and reflecting on a dilemma. /uch a symbol a""ears throughout the collection, and here it is "articularly im"ortant because it draws attention to the narrati#e "oint of #iew. ; he /isters= is the first of three stories in the collection told in first-"erson "oint of #iew. 9s in the other two stories, ;9n >ncounter= and ;9raby,= the narrator ne#er di#ulges his name and rarely "artici"ates in the con#ersations. he o"ening image of the window in the first "aragra"h reinforces this sense of Duiet, detached obser#ation, which the narrators of the later stories ado"t. hrough this narrati#e techniDue Joyce suggests that e#en first-hand e5"erience is in some ways #oyeuristic, and that it!s "ossible for a "erson to obser#e his or her own life from the outside.

An Encounter

14

Su''ary *magining they are in the 1ild 1est, a grou" of schoolboys stage moc4 ;cowboy and *ndian= battles. he narrator, an unnamed boy, e5"lains that Joe Dillon, the host and consistent winner, always ends his #ictory with a dance. /uch games and the fictional ad#enture stories on which they are based bond these boys together, both in leisurely release and secrecy. 9s the narrator e5"lains, he and his fellow students surre"titiously circulate the maga0ines that carry the stories at school. he narrator recalls one time when Father ,utler caught Beo Dillon, Joe!s younger brother, with one such "ublication in his "oc4et. Father ,utler scolded Beo for reading such material instead of his Roman history. he narrator yearns for more concrete ad#entures and organi0es a "lan with Beo and another boy named Aahony to s4i" school one day and wal4 through Dublin, #isiting the shi"s along the wharf and finally the 'igeon &ouse, Dublin!s electrical "ower station. &e confirms the "act by collecting si5"ence from Beo and Aahony, and they all "romise to meet at ten the ne5t morning. &owe#er, only Aahony arri#es as agreed. 1hile the narrator and Aahony wal4 south through $orth Dublin, two "oor boys a""roach them and yell insults, thin4ing them 'rotestant. Resisting retribution, the boys continue until they reach the ri#er, and there they buy some food and watch the Dublin water traffic and laborers. hey cross the ri#er in a ferryboat, buy some more food on the other side, and wander the streets until they reach an o"en field where they rest on a slo"e. he boys are alone for a while until an older man a""ears in the distance, wal4ing toward them leaning on a stic4. &e gradually a""roaches and "asses the boys, but then bac4trac4s and Coins them. he man begins to tal4, reminiscing about his boyhood and tal4ing about boo4s, such as the wor4s of Bord Bytton, who wrote romances. he con#ersation then turns to ;sweethearts= as the man as4s the boys if they ha#e many girlfriends, a Duestion that sur"rises the narrator. 9s the story continues, the narrator notes the "eculiar a""earance and beha#ior of the manE his yellow-toothed, ga"ed smile, how he twitched occasionally, and, most of all, his monotonous re"etition of "hrases. 1hen the man lea#es for a moment, the narrator suggests that he and Aahony assume the code names of /mith and Aur"hy, to be safe. 9s the man returns, Aahony runs off to chase a stray cat, lea#ing the narrator to listen to the man!s "eculiar monologues alone. he man remar4s that Aahony seems li4e the 4ind of boy that gets whi""ed at school, and from there launches into a diatribe about disci"lining boys who misbeha#e, insisting that any boy who tal4s to a girl should be whi""ed, and that he himself would enCoy e5ecuting the "unishment. 9t a "ause in the man!s s"eech, the narrator rises and announces that he must de"art. &e calls for Aahony, using the name Aur"hy, who runs across the field toward him in res"onse. Analysis ;9n >ncounter= suggests that although "eo"le yearn for esca"e and ad#enture, routine is ine#itable, and new e5"eriences, when they do come, can be "rofoundly disturbing. he narrator and his friends "lay games about the 1ild 1est to disru"t the rote acti#ity of school, and #enture into Dublin for the same reason. &owe#er, the narrator and his friends ne#er fully reach esca"e. hough the narrator bemoans the restraint of school, his attem"t to a#oid it leads him to the discomforting encounter with an old man whose fi5ation on erotic no#els, girlfriends, and whi""ing casts him as a "er#ert. his cree"y figure ser#es as an embodiment of routine and suggests that re"etition e5ists e#en within strange new e5"eriences. he man wal4s in circles, a""roaching and "assing the boys before retracing his ste"s to Coin them. &e mimics this action in his s"eech by re"eating "oints already raised and lingering on to"ics uncomfortable for the narrator. 9lthough these boys see4 an esca"e, they must suffer monotony, in the form of an e5cruciating afternoon with a frightening man. he rather mundane title for the story suggests that this dee"ly aw4ward and an5ious meeting is not so aty"ical of Dublin life, nor of childhood. he troubling "resence of a strange older man recalls the ambiguous relationshi" between Father Flynn and the narrator of ; he /isters,= but this story clearly shows the man e5"loiting and abusing the innocence of youth. he man!s con#ersation becomes more and more ina""ro"riate and threatening, culminating in his fantasy about whi""ing Aahony. Aost dangerous, the circular manner of his s"eech "araly0es the narrator. he man!s orbit of

15

words both mesmeri0es and disturbs him, and he can do nothing but stare at the ground and listen. 1hen the man abru"tly rises to wal4 away and, "resumably, e5"oses himself to the boys, the narrator remains fro0en li4e a startled #ictim. *n this state, the narrator 4nows something is wrong, since he suggests to Aahony that they assume fa4e names, but he does not run away. >#en when the man returns and Aahony runs away to chase a cat, the narrator stays rooted to the ground. >5actly why the narrator e5"eriences this "aralysis is not e5"lained, but its effects are anything but neutral. Aany references to religion ho#er in ;9n >ncounter,= demonstrating that religion is a fi5ture in Dublin life that e#en the boys! imaginations cannot elude. 1hen Father ,utler chastises Beo about the maga0ine, he scolds that only 'rotestant boys, not Catholic boys li4e Beo, would read such fanciful stories. his insult introduces the tension between Catholics and 'rotestants that Joyce alludes to throughout Dubliners, and re#eals it to be a routine fact of life in *reland. Religious tension a""ears again when two "oor boys throw roc4s at the narrator and Aahony and mista4e them for 'rotestants, an incident that suggests that the line between these staunchly o""osed grou"s is blurry. he narrator, using words li4e chi!alry and siege, "retends that he and Aahony are in a battle, but the "layfulness of such imaginary games only reinforces the authenticity of the scene. *magination can mas4 e5"eriences, Joyce suggests, but it cannot re#erse them or ma4e them disa""ear.

Araby

16

) #atche my master&s face "ass from amiability to sternness* he ho"e ) #as not beginning to i le$ ) coul not call my #an ering thoughts together$ ) ha har ly any "atience #ith the serious #ork of life #hich% no# that it stoo bet#een me an my esire% seeme to me chil &s "lay% ugly monotonous chil &s "lay$ +(ee )m"ortant ,uotations Ex"laine Su''ary he narrator, an unnamed boy, describes the $orth Dublin street on which his house is located. &e thin4s about the "riest who died in the house before his family mo#ed in and the games that he and his friends "layed in the street. &e recalls how they would run through the bac4 lanes of the houses and hide in the shadows when they reached the street again, ho"ing to a#oid "eo"le in the neighborhood, "articularly the boy!s uncle or the sister of his friend Aangan. he sister often comes to the front of their house to call the brother, a moment that the narrator sa#ors. >#ery day begins for this narrator with such glim"ses of Aangan!s sister. &e "laces himself in the front room of his house so he can see her lea#e her house, and then he rushes out to wal4 behind her Duietly until finally "assing her. he narrator and Aangan!s sister tal4 little, but she is always in his thoughts. &e thin4s about her when he accom"anies his aunt to do food sho""ing on /aturday e#ening in the busy mar4et"lace and when he sits in the bac4 room of his house alone. he narrator!s infatuation is so intense that he fears he will ne#er gather the courage to s"ea4 with the girl and e5"ress his feelings. ?ne morning, Aangan!s sister as4s the narrator if he "lans to go to 9raby, a Dublin ba0aar. /he notes that she cannot attend, as she has already committed to attend a retreat with her school. &a#ing reco#ered from the shoc4 of the con#ersation, the narrator offers to bring her something from the ba0aar. his brief meeting launches the narrator into a "eriod of eager, restless waiting and fidgety tension in antici"ation of the ba0aar. &e cannot focus in school. &e finds the lessons tedious, and they distract him from thin4ing about Aangan!s sister. ?n the morning of the ba0aar the narrator reminds his uncle that he "lans to attend the e#ent so that the uncle will return home early and "ro#ide train fare. Het dinner "asses and a guest #isits, but the uncle does not return. he narrator im"atiently endures the time "assing, until at ( '.A. the uncle finally returns, unbothered that he has forgotten about the narrator!s "lans. Reciting the e"igram ;9ll wor4 and no "lay ma4es Jac4 a dull boy,= the uncle gi#es the narrator the money and as4s him if he 4nows the "oem ; he 9rab!s Farewell to his /teed.= he narrator lea#es Cust as his uncle begins to recite the lines, and, than4s to eternally slow trains, arri#es at the ba0aar Cust before 1) '.A., when it is starting to close down. &e a""roaches one stall that is still o"en, but buys nothing, feeling unwanted by the woman watching o#er the goods. 1ith no "urchase for Aangan!s sister, the narrator stands angrily in the deserted ba0aar as the lights go out. Analysis *n ;9raby,= the allure of new lo#e and distant "laces mingles with the familiarity of e#eryday drudgery, with frustrating conseDuences. Aangan!s sister embodies this mingling, since she is "art of the familiar surroundings of the narrator!s street as well as the e5otic "romise of the ba0aar. /he is a ;brown figure= who both reflects the brown faIades of the buildings that line the street and e#o4es the s4in color of romantici0ed images of 9rabia that flood the narrator!s head. Bi4e the ba0aar that offers e5"eriences that differ from e#eryday Dublin, Aangan!s sister into5icates the narrator with new feelings of Coy and elation. &is lo#e for her, howe#er, must com"ete with the dullness of schoolwor4, his uncle!s lateness, and the Dublin trains. hough he "romises Aangan!s sister that he will go to 9raby and "urchase a gift for her, these mundane realities undermine his "lans and ultimately thwart his desires. he narrator arri#es at the ba0aar only to encounter flowered teacu"s and >nglish accents, not the freedom of the enchanting >ast. 9s the ba0aar closes down, he reali0es that Aangan!s sister will fail his e5"ectations as well, and that his desire for her is actually only a #ain wish for change. he narrator!s change of heart concludes the story on a moment of e"i"hany, but not a "ositi#e one. *nstead of reaffirming his lo#e or reali0ing that he does not need gifts to e5"ress his feelings for Aangan!s sister, the narrator sim"ly gi#es u". &e seems to inter"ret his arri#al at the ba0aar as it fades into dar4ness as a sign that

17

his relationshi" with Aangan!s sister will also remain Cust a wishful idea and that his infatuation was as misguided as his fantasies about the ba0aar. 1hat might ha#e been a story of ha""y, youthful lo#e becomes a tragic story of defeat. Auch li4e the disturbing, unfulfilling ad#enture in ;9n >ncounter,= the narrator!s failure at the ba0aar suggests that fulfillment and contentedness remain foreign to Dubliners, e#en in the most unusual e#ents of the city li4e an annual ba0aar. he tedious e#ents that delay the narrator!s tri" indicate that no room e5ists for lo#e in the daily li#es of Dubliners, and the absence of lo#e renders the characters in the story almost anonymous. hough the narrator might imagine himself to be carrying thoughts of Aangan!s sister through his day as a "riest would carry a >ucharistic chalice to an altar, the minutes tic4 away through school, dinner, and his uncle!s boring "oetic recitation. ime does not adhere to the narrator!s #isions of his relationshi". he story "resents this frustration as uni#ersalE the narrator is nameless, the girl is always ;Aangan!s sister= as though she is any girl ne5t door, and the story closes with the narrator imagining himself as a creature. *n ;9raby,= Joyce suggests that all "eo"le e5"erience frustrated desire for lo#e and new e5"eriences.

Eveline
Su''ary

18

>#eline &ill sits at a window in her home and loo4s out onto the street while fondly recalling her childhood, when she "layed with other children in a field now de#elo"ed with new homes. &er thoughts turn to her sometimes abusi#e father with whom she li#es, and to the "ros"ect of freeing herself from her hard life Cuggling Cobs as a sho" wor4er and a nanny to su""ort herself and her father. >#eline faces a difficult dilemmaE remain at home li4e a dutiful daughter, or lea#e Dublin with her lo#er, Fran4, who is a sailor. &e wants her to marry him and li#e with him in ,uenos 9ires, and she has already agreed to lea#e with him in secret. 9s >#eline recalls, Fran4!s courtshi" of her was "leasant until her father began to #oice his disa""ro#al and bic4er with Fran4. 9fter that, the two lo#ers met clandestinely. 9s >#eline re#iews her decision to embar4 on a new life, she holds in her la" two letters, one to her father and one to her brother &arry. /he begins to fa#or the sunnier memories of her old family life, when her mother was ali#e and her brother was li#ing at home, and notes that she did "romise her mother to dedicate herself to maintaining the home. /he reasons that her life at home, cleaning and coo4ing, is hard but "erha"s not the worst o"tion@her father is not always mean, after all. he sound of a street organ then reminds her of her mother!s death, and her thoughts change course. /he remembers her mother!s une#entful, sad life, and "assionately embraces her decision to esca"e the same fate by lea#ing with Fran4. 9t the doc4s in Dublin, >#eline waits in a crowd to board the shi" with Fran4. /he a""ears detached and worried, o#erwhelmed by the images around her, and "rays to :od for direction. &er "re#ious declaration of intent seems to ha#e ne#er ha""ened. 1hen the boat whistle blows and Fran4 "ulls on her hand to lead her with him, >#eline resists. /he clutches the barrier as Fran4 is swe"t into the throng mo#ing toward the shi". &e continually shouts ;ComeG= but >#eline remains fi5ed to the land, motionless and emotionless. Analysis >#eline!s story illustrates the "itfalls of holding onto the "ast when facing the future. &ers is the first "ortrait of a female in Dubliners, and it reflects the conflicting "ull many women in early twentieth-century Dublin felt between a domestic life rooted in the "ast and the "ossibility of a new married life abroad. ?ne moment, >#eline feels ha""y to lea#e her hard life, yet at the ne5t moment she worries about fulfilling "romises to her dead mother. /he gras"s the letters she!s written to her father and brother, re#ealing her inability to let go of those family relationshi"s, des"ite her father!s cruelty and her brother!s absence. /he clings to the older and more "leasant memories and imagines what other "eo"le want her to do or will do for her. /he sees Fran4 as a rescuer, sa#ing her from her domestic situation. >#eline sus"ends herself between the call of home and the "ast and the call of new e5"eriences and the future, unable to ma4e a decision. he threat of re"eating her mother!s life s"urs >#eline!s e"i"hany that she must lea#e with Fran4 and embar4 on a new "hase in her life, but this reali0ation is short-li#ed. /he hears a street organ, and when she remembers the street organ that "layed on the night before her mother!s death, >#eline resol#es not to re"eat her mother!s life of ;common"lace sacrifices closing in final cra0iness,= but she does e5actly that. Bi4e the young boys of ;9n >ncounter= and ;9raby,= she desires esca"e, but her reliance on routine and re"etition o#errides such im"ulses. ?n the doc4s with Fran4, away from the familiarity of home, >#eline see4s guidance in the routine habit of "rayer. &er action is the first sign that she in fact hasn!t made a decision, but instead remains fi5ed in a circle of indecision. /he will 4ee" her li"s mo#ing in the safe "ractice of re"etiti#e "rayer rather than Coin her lo#e on a new and different "ath. hough >#eline fears that Fran4 will drown her in their new life, her reliance on e#eryday rituals is what causes >#eline to free0e and not follow Fran4 onto the shi". >#eline!s "aralysis within an orbit of re"etition lea#es her a ;hel"less animal,= stri""ed of human will and emotion. he story does not suggest that >#eline "lacidly returns home and continues her life, but shows her transformation into an automaton that lac4s e5"ression. >#eline, the story suggests, will ho#er in mindless re"etition, on her own, in Dublin. ?n the doc4s with Fran4, the "ossibility of li#ing a fully reali0ed life left her.

19

After the Race

Su''ary 9s many flashy cars dri#e toward Dublin, crowds gather and cheer. 9 race has Cust finished, and though the French ha#e "laced second and third after the :erman-,elgian team, the local sightseers loudly su""ort them. Jimmy Doyle rides in one of the cars with his wealthy French friend, Charles /Jgouin, whom he met while

20

studying at Cambridge. wo other men ride with them as wellE /Jgouin!s Canadian cousin, 9ndrJ Ri#iJre, and a &ungarian "ianist, Killona. Dri#ing bac4 into Dublin, the young men reCoice about the #ictory, and Jimmy enCoys the "restige of the ride. &e fondly thin4s about his recent in#estment in /Jgouin!s motor-com"any business #enture, a financial bac4ing that his father, a successful butcher, a""ro#es and su""orts. Jimmy sa#ors the notoriety of being surrounded by and seen with such glamorous com"any, and in such a lu5urious car. /Jgouin dro"s Jimmy and Killona off in Dublin so they can return to Jimmy!s home, where Killona is staying, to change into formal dress for dinner at /Jgouin!s hotel. Jimmy!s "roud "arents dote on their smartly dressed and well-connected son. 9t the dinner, the reunited "arty Coins an >nglishman, Routh, and con#ersation energetically mo#es from music to cars to "olitics, under the direction of /Jgouin. Jimmy, turning to *rish->nglish relations, rouses an angry res"onse from Routh, but /Jgouin e5"ertly snuffs any "otential for argument with a toast. 9fter the meal, the young men stroll through Dublin and run into another acDuaintance, an 9merican named Farley, who in#ites them to his yacht. he "arty grows merrier, and they sing a French marching song as they ma4e their way to the harbor. ?nce on board, the men "roceed to dance and drin4 as Killona "lays the "iano. Jimmy ma4es a s"eech that his com"anions loudly a""laud, and then the men settle down to "lay cards. Drun4 and giddy, Jimmy "lays game after game, losing more and more money. &e yearns for the "laying to sto", but goes along ne#ertheless. 9 final game lea#es Routh the cham"ion. >#en as the biggest loser alongside Farley, Jimmy!s s"irits ne#er dwindle. &e 4nows he will feel remorse the ne5t day, but assures himself of his ha""iness Cust as Killona o"ens the cabin door and announces that daybrea4 has come. Analysis ;9fter the Race= e5"lores the "otentially destructi#e desire for money and status. he monetary standing and social connections of most of the characters are e5"lored, but the story focuses on the efforts of Jimmy, and to some e5tent Jimmy!s father, to fit into an affluent class. Jimmy is com"letely unburdened and childishly whimsical about life and money, as his father fosters Jimmy!s lush lifestyle. &a#ing earned a large income from wise contracts and retail de#elo"ments in his butchery business, the father "ro#ides Jimmy with a "restigious education at Cambridge, where he gains /Jgouin!s co#eted friendshi". &owe#er, this "otentially sunny "ortrait of carefree wealth and "restige is dulled by the less im"ressi#e e5cesses of success. Jimmy!s studies focus mainly on social outings and s"ending, and at the end of ;9fter the Race= Jimmy emerges not as a dashing, "o"ular bachelor, but as a clueless fool, his "oc4ets em"ty after a s"ate of card games in which he was barely sober enough to "artici"ate. *ndeed, Jimmy hardly seems cogni0ant of himself as a "erson, but highly aware of where and with whom he is seen. For Jimmy, see4ing riches and notoriety leads only to "o#erty and embarrassment. Bi4e many of the characters in Dubliners, Jimmy has a moment of re#elation in which he recogni0es the truth of his situation, but he does nothing to change it. 9fter he loses ruinously at cards, Jimmy hangs his head in his hands, 4nowing that regret will set in the ne5t day. he irony of the conclusion is that the ne5t day is already there, that daybrea4 has come. Jimmy, the story suggests, always faces the reality of his feigned wealth and his follies, but he also always a#oids it. Regret lur4s constantly beneath the surface of his actions, yet he continuously "uts off fully ac4nowledging it. Jimmy instead submerses himself in his infatuation with signs of wealth. &e relishes the e5"erience of riding in the French car, e5claiming to himself how stylish the grou" must loo4. /uch statements re#eal Jimmy as into5icated with "resentation and committed to con#incing himself of his rightful "lace in the grou". 1hen Jimmy deli#ers his s"eech on the yacht, he cannot remember what he says only moments after finishing, but assures himself that it must ha#e been decent if such e5cellent "eo"le a""lauded him. he story casts Jimmy as sim"le and "assi#e, "lacing trust in money that constantly eludes him. ;9fter the Race= highlights the "olitical interests that under"in the Doyle family!s clamoring for money. he father!s "rofitable business that gi#es leisure to Jimmy flourished at the cost of his "olitical #iews. hough once a fer#ent su""orter of *rish inde"endence, the father ma4es his money on contracts with the same "olice who u"hold ,ritish law. &e also acts against the national interests of "romoting all things *rish by sending his son to >ngland and encouraging his in#estments in French business #entures. 1hen Jimmy attem"ts to tal4 about such "o"ularly debated issues at the dinner table, his #oice is silenced. he >nglishman lea#es this story the winner. Bi4e the lu5ury cars that s"eed away from the countryside to return to the continent in the o"ening of the story, all

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money seems to flee from Jimmy!s "oc4ets into those of others by the end of the story. he *rish, ;9fter the Race= im"lies, always finish in last "lace.

Two Gallants
Su''ary Benehan and Corley, two men whose occu"ations are sus"iciously #ague, wal4 through the streets of central Dublin after a day of drin4ing in a bar. Corley dominates the con#ersation, chatting about his latest romantic interest, a maid who wor4s at a wealthy home and with whom he has a date that e#ening. &e brags about the

22

cigarettes and cigars the maid "ilfers for him from the house and how he has e5"ertly managed to a#oid gi#ing her his name. Benehan listens "atiently, occasionally offering a Duestion or a clichJd res"onse. 9s the men tal4, they re#eal a "lan they!#e hatched to con#ince the maid to "rocure money from her em"loyer!s house. Benehan re"eatedly as4s Corley if he thin4s she is right for their business, which launches Corley into a short lecture on the utility of a good maid, or ;sla#ey.= %nli4e other women who insist on being com"ensated, Corley e5"lains, sla#eys "itch in. &e "auses wistfully to recall one of his former lo#ers who now wor4s as a "rostitute, and Benehan teases that Corley, who seems to e5cel in "im"ing, must ha#e encouraged such a "rofession. he men resume discussing their "lan, and Corley confirms that the maid will turn u" as "romised. hey "ass a har"ist "laying a mournful song about *rish legends, then a""roach the a""ointed corner where the maid is waiting. /he is a young, ruddy-chee4ed woman, dressed oddly with a sailor hat and tattered boa. Benehan, im"ressed with Corley!s taste, leers at her. Corley a""ears disgruntled, sus"ecting Benehan of trying to sDuee0e him out of the "lan. ,ut as he lea#es Benehan to greet his date, he "romises to wal4 "ast so Benehan can loo4 at her again. he men agree to meet later that night at a corner by the maid!s house. Benehan watches as Corley and the maid wal4 off, and he ta4es another intense loo4 before "ositioning himself so he can watch the cou"le "ass once more. Finally alone, Benehan aimlessly wanders through Dublin to "ass the time. $ot wishing to s"ea4 with anyone, Benehan continues to wal4 until he sto"s into a bar for a Duic4 meal of "eas and ginger beer. ?#er his food, he sadly contem"lates his lifeE instead of Cust scra"ing by, he wishes instead for a steady Cob and stable home life. Benehan lea#es the bar and, after running into some friends in the street, ma4es his way to meet Corley. Benehan ner#ously smo4es a cigarette, worrying that Corley has cut him out of the "lan, before he s"ots Corley and the maid. &e stealthily wal4s behind the cou"le until they sto" at a "osh residence, where the maid runs inside through the ser#ant!s entrance. *n a moment, she emerges from the front door, meets Corley, and then runs bac4 inside. Corley lea#es. Benehan runs after him, but Corley ignores his calls. >#entually, Corley sto"s and shows Benehan a gold coin, a sign that the "lan was successful. Analysis he title of this story, ; wo :allants,= is ironic because Corley and Benehan are anything but fine, chi#alrous men. *nstead, they ma4e an un"leasant "ractice of du"ing maids into stealing from their em"loyers. ?f the two men, Benehan is the more self-reflecti#e, and he "ro#ides a Duiet, contem"lati#e balance for the burly actions of Corley, who has crafted and e5ecuted their current "lan. Benehan is a Dublin man Duite literally on the edge. &e has one foot on the "ath and one on the road as he wal4s with Corley, he must bide time while Corley woos the girl, he li#es on the #erge of ban4ru"tcy, and many consider him to be ;a leech.= 9t the age of thirty-one, Benehan yearns for a comfortable life, but he is no less guilty of deceit than Corley is. ,oth men lead dissolute li#es and ha#e few "ros"ects, and nothing but easy money gi#es them ho"e. he meanderings of the story ultimately lead to the gold coin, suggesting that for both of these men, the coin is their ultimate reward and desire. >#en though Benehan and Corley use betrayal to ma4e money, both men are an5ious about treachery. Corley orchestrates his encounter with the maid defensi#ely, allowing Benehan only distant glim"ses of the maid for fear of com"etition. /imilarly, Benehan "esters Corley about his choice of #ictim, worried that the "lan will fall flat and lea#e him "enniless yet again. 1hen Corley and the maid rea""ear later than Benehan e5"ected, Benehan momentarily con#inces himself that Corley has cheated him out of the "rofits, and not until the final sentence of the story can we be certain that the men!s collaboration is intact. his constant worry about betrayal rea""ears throughout Dubliners and always recalls *reland!s "olitical scandal in which the "olitician 'arnell, according to his loyal followers, was abandoned by the *rish go#ernment and many #oters when news of his affair lea4ed into the "ress. Benehan and Corley are "art of a generation disa""ointed after 'arnell!s downfall who now feel they ha#e no one to trust. his state of mind leads only to further betrayal. raditional national images connect Benehan!s and Corley!s des"erate and shallow li#es with *reland itself. For e5am"le, the har", a traditional symbol of *reland, a""ears in ; wo :allants.= ?utside a wealthy 9nglo-'rotestant gentleman!s club, the men "ass a har"ist who is "laying on a femini0ed, bare, and ;weary= instrument. he har"ist!s melodies later follow Benehan and "ace his ste"s. 1hile Corley galli#ants with his maid, Benehan acts

23

as the har"ist, ta""ing his hands to the notes as he wal4s through Dublin. his "arallel suggests that Benehan is in some ways guilty of the same swindling as Corley, of ta4ing ad#antage of a ;woman= in the form of his country. his ambiguous connection between Benehan and the har" is ty"ical of Joyce!s national references. Joyce both lea#es the inferences o"en to his readers and continually com"licates them. 1hen Benehan later enCoys the meager feast of "eas and ginger beer and reflects on his directionless life, for e5am"le, his meal reflects the colors of the *rish flag 7the green "eas and the orange ginger beer8. /uch associations lin4 the maligned life to an image of the country, but with no conclusi#e sense of cause and effect, and no "otential for solution.

The Boar in! "ouse

Su''ary 9fter a difficult marriage with a drun4en husband that ends in se"aration, Ars. Aooney o"ens a boarding house to ma4e a li#ing. &er son, Jac4, and daughter, 'olly, li#e with her in the house, which is filled with cler4s from the city, as well as occasional tourists and musicians. Ars. Aooney runs a strict and tight business and is 4nown by the lodgers as ; he Aadam.= 'olly, who used to wor4 in an office, now stays at home at her mother!s reDuest, to

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amuse the lodgers and hel" with the cleaning. /urrounded by so many young men, 'olly ine#itably de#elo"s a relationshi" with one of them, Ar. Doran. Ars. Aooney 4nows about the relationshi", but instead of sending 'olly bac4 to wor4 in the city, she monitors its de#elo"ments. 'olly becomes increasingly uncomfortable with her mother!s lac4 of inter#ention, but Ars. Aooney waits until ;the right moment= to intercede. First she s"ea4s aw4wardly with 'olly, then arranges to s"ea4 with Ar. Doran on a /unday morning. Ars. Aooney loo4s forward to her confrontation, which she intends to ;win= by defending her daughter!s honor and con#incing Ar. Doran to offer his hand in marriage. 1aiting for the time to "ass, Ars. Aooney figures the odds are in her fa#or, considering that Ar. Doran, who has wor4ed for a wine merchant for thirteen years and garnered much res"ect, will choose the o"tion that least harms his career. Aeanwhile, Ar. Doran anguishes o#er the im"ending meeting with Ars. Aooney. 9s he clumsily grooms himself for the a""ointment, he re#iews the difficult confession to his "riest that he made on /aturday e#ening, in which he was harshly re"ro#ed for his romantic affair. &e 4nows he can either marry 'olly or run away, the latter an o"tion that would ruin his sound re"utation. Con#incing himself that he has been du"ed, Ar. Doran bemoans 'olly!s unim"ressi#e family, her ill manners, and her "oor grammar, and wonders how he can remain free and unmarried. *n this #e5ed moment 'olly enters the room and threatens to end her life out of unha""iness. *n her "resence, Ar. Doran begins to remember how he was bewitched by 'olly!s beauty and 4indness, but he still wa#ers about his decision. %neasy, Ar. Doran comforts 'olly and de"arts for the meeting, lea#ing her to wait in the room. /he rests on the bed crying for a while, neatens her a""earance, and then nestles bac4 in the bed, dreaming of her "ossible future with Ar. Doran. Finally, Ars. Aooney interru"ts the re#erie by calling to her daughter. Ar. Doran, according to Ars. Aooney, wants to s"ea4 with 'olly. Analysis *n ; he ,oarding &ouse,= marriage offers "romise and "rofit on the one hand, and entra"ment and loss on the other. 1hat begins as a sim"le affair becomes a tactical game of obligation and re"aration. Ars. Aooney!s and Ar. Doran!s "ro"ositions and hesitations suggest that marriage is more about social standards, "ublic "erce"tion, and formal sanctions than about mere feelings. he character of Ars. Aooney illustrates the challenges that a single mother of a daughter faces, but her scheme to marry 'olly into a higher class mitigates any sym"athetic res"onse from the reader. Ars. Aooney may ha#e endured a difficult marriage and se"aration, but she now carries the dubious title of ; he Aadam,= a term suggesti#e of her scru"ulous managing of the house, but also of the head of whorehouse. Ars. Aooney does, in fact, "rostitute her daughter to some degree. /he insists that 'olly lea#e her office Cob and stay at home at the boarding house, in "art so she might entertain, howe#er innocently, the male lodgers. 1hen a relationshi" blossoms, Ars. Aooney trac4s it until the most "rofitable moment@until she is sure Ar. Doran, a successful cler4, must "ro"ose to 'olly out of social "ro"riety. Ars. Aooney Custly insists that men should carry the same res"onsibility as women in these casual lo#e affairs, but at the same time "rides herself on her ability to rid herself of a de"endent daughter so easily. Ar. Doran agoni0es about the limitations and loss of res"ect that marrying beneath him will bring, but he ultimately relents out of fear of social critiDue from his "riest, his em"loyer, Ars. Aooney, and 'olly!s #iolent brother. 1hen 'olly #isits him in distress he feels as hel"less as she does, e#en though he tells her not to worry. &e goes through the motions of what society e5"ects of him, not according to what he intuiti#ely feels. 1hen he descends the stairs to meet with Ars. Aooney, he yearns to esca"e but 4nows no one is on his side. he ;force= that "ushes him down the stairs is a force of an5iety about what others will thin4 of him. 1hile Ar. Doran!s #ictimi0ation by Ars. Aooney e#o4es "ity, his self-concern and harsh com"laints about 'olly!s un"olished bac4ground and manner of s"ea4ing ma4e him an eDual counter"art to Ars. Aooney. &e worries little about 'olly!s integrity or feelings, and instead considers his years of hard wor4 and good re"utation now #erging on destruction. 9s a "lace where ;e#eryone 4nows e#eryone else!s business,= the boarding house ser#es as a microcosm of Dublin. Karious classes mi5 under its roof, but relationshi"s are gauged and watched, class lines are constantly

25

negotiated, and social standing must o#erride emotions li4e lo#e. he inhabitants are not free to do what they choose because unstated rules of decorum go#ern life in the house, Cust as they do in the city. /uch rules maintain order, but they also ensnare "eo"le in aw4ward situations when they ha#e com"eting and secret interests. >#en the seemingly innocent 'olly ultimately a""ears com"licit in Ars. Aooney!s "lot. 9fter threatening to 4ill herself in des"air, she suddenly a""ears ha""y and unbothered about the dilemma when she is left alone, and she 4nows Ar. Doran will com"ly with Ars. Aooney!s wishes. *n ; he ,oarding &ouse,= marriage ser#es as a fi5ture of life that Dubliners cannot a#oid, and the story shows that strategy and acce"tance are the only means of sur#i#al.

A #ittle Clou
.e remembere the books of "oetry u"on his shel!es at home$ .e ha bought them in his bachelor ays an many an e!ening% as he sat in the little room of the hall% he ha been tem"te to take one o#n from the bookshelf an rea out something to his #ife$ /ut shyness al#ays hel him back* an so the books ha remaine on their shel!es$ +(ee )m"ortant ,uotations Ex"laine Su''ary

26

Bittle Chandler eagerly awaits a reunion with his old friend *gnatius :allaher, who mo#ed to Bondon eight years ago. 9 married man and father who earned his nic4name from his small and delicate de"ortment, Bittle Chandler whittles away the afternoon hours at his clerical Cob, constantly thin4ing about his a""roaching e#ening drin4. Bittle Chandler wonders in ama0ement at :allaher!s im"ressi#e career writing for >nglish news"a"ers, though he ne#er doubted that :allaher would do well for himself. 9s Bittle Chandler lea#es wor4 and wal4s to the bar where the men agreed to meet, he contem"lates :allaher!s homecoming and success, then thin4s of his own stunted writing as"irations and the "ossibilities of life abroad that remain out of his reach. Bittle Chandler used to lo#e "oetry, but he ga#e it u" when he got married. 9s he wal4s he considers the far-fetched "ossibility of writing his own boo4 of "oems. *n the bar, Bittle Chandler and :allaher tal4 about foreign cities, marriage, and the future. Bittle Chandler is sur"rised to see :allaher!s unhealthy "allor and thinning hair, which :allaher blames on the stress of "ress life. hroughout the con#ersation, during which the men consume three glasses of whis4ey and smo4e two cigars, Bittle Chandler simultaneously recoils from and admires :allaher!s gruff manners and tales of foreign cities. &e is dis"leased with :allaher!s "resum"tuous way of addressing others and wonders about the immorality of a "lace li4e 'aris with its infamous dance halls. 9t the same time, he en#ies :allaher!s worldliness and e5"erience. Bittle Chandler has settled down with a wife and has a son. 1hen he himself becomes the subCect of con#ersation, he is uneasy and blushes. &e manages to in#ite :allaher to #isit his home and meet his family that e#ening, but :allaher e5"lains that he has another a""ointment and must lea#e the bar soon. he men ha#e their final drin4 together, and the con#ersation returns to and ends with :allaher and his bachelorhood. 1hen Bittle Chandler insists that :allaher will one day marry, the Cournalist scoffs at the "ros"ect, claiming that if he does so he will marry rich, but as it stands he is content to "lease himself with many women rather than become bored with one. Bater that night in his house, Bittle Chandler waits for his wife to come home from the local store@Chandler had forgotten to bring home coffee in his flurry of e5citement about :allaher. 1hile he holds his baby son in his arms, as directed by his wife, he ga0es at a "icture of her and recounts his con#ersation with :allaher. %nli4e :allaher!s e5otic, "assionate mistresses, his wife a""ears cold and unfeeling, though "retty. Chandler begins to Duestion his marriage and its tra""ingsE a ;little= house, a crying child. Reading a "assage of ,yron stirs his longings to write, but soon his wife returns home to snatch the screaming child from his arms and scold her husband. Bittle Chandler feels remorse for his rebellious thoughts. Analysis ;9 Bittle Cloud= ma"s the frustrated as"irations Bittle Chandler has to change his life and "ursue his dream of writing "oetry. he story contrasts Bittle Chandler!s dissatisfaction and temerity with :allaher!s bold writing career abroad. Bittle Chandler belie#es that to succeed in life, one must lea#e Dublin li4e :allaher did. &owe#er, :allaher!s success is not altogether confirmed in this story, unless one measures his success by his straightforward, unrestrained ta4e on life. Bittle Chandler com"ares himself to :allaher, and in doing so blames his shortcomings on the restraints around him, such as Dublin, his wife, and his child. &e hides from the truth that his as"irations to write are fanciful and shallow. $ot once in the story does Bittle Chandler write, but he s"ends "lenty of time imagining fame and indulging in "oetic sentiments. &e has a collection of "oetry boo4s but cannot muster the courage to read them aloud to his wife, instead remaining intro#erted and re"eating lines to himself. &e constantly thin4s about his "ossible career as a "oet of the Celtic school and en#isions himself lauded by >nglish critics, often to the e5tent that he mythologi0es himself. Bittle Chandler uses his country to dream of success, but at the same time blames it for limiting that success. 1hile dreaming of a "oetic career may "ro#ide esca"e for Bittle Chandler, the demands of wor4 and home that ser#e as obstacles to his dreams ultimately o#erwhelm him. Bi4e other characters in Dubliners, Bittle Chandler e5"eriences an e"i"hany that ma4es him reali0e he will ne#er change his life. Boo4ing at a "icture of his wife after returning home from the "ub, Bittle Chandler sees the mundane life he leads and briefly Duestions it. he screams of his child that "ierce his concentration as he tries to read "oetry bring him to a tragic re#elation. &e 4nows he is ;"risoner= in the house. Bittle Chandler!s fleeting resistance is li4e a little cloud that "asses in the s4y. ,y the end of the story he feels ashamed of his disloyal beha#ior, com"leting the circle of emotions, from doubt to

27

assurance to doubt, that he "robably will re"eat for the rest of his life. he story finishes where it beganE with Bittle Chandler sighing about his unreali0ed as"irations, but submitting to the melancholy thought that ;it was useless to struggle against fortune.= Circular routine "lagues Chandler as it does for most of the characters in Dubliners. Bittle Chandler!s inability to act on his desires and his de"endence on :allaher to "ro#ide e5"eriences he can "artici"ate in #icariously ma4e him similar to Benehan in ; wo :allants.= Just as Benehan stands in Corley!s shadow, Bittle Chandler admires and en#ies :allaher. >#en when he reali0es that :allaher refuses his in#itation to see his home and family out of disinterest, he 4ee"s such sentiments to himself. *n :allaher, an old friend who has done well for himself, Bittle Chandler sees the ho"e of esca"e and success. his friendshi" sustains Bittle Chandler!s fantasies, allowing him to dream that :allaher might submit one of his "oems to a Bondon "a"er, and allowing him to feel su"erior because he has foreign connections. 9t the same time, as the meeting at the "ub "rogresses, Bittle Chandler feels cheated by the world since :allaher can succeed and he cannot, and so once again the friend "ro#ides a barometer to measure and Cudge himself against. Beft on his own with his boo4s, Bittle Chandler must face his own shortcomings.

Counter$arts
Su''ary *n a busy law firm, one of the "artners, Ar. 9lleyne, angrily orders the secretary to send Farrington to his office. Farrington is a co"y cler4 in the firm, res"onsible for ma4ing co"ies of legal documents by hand, and he has failed to "roduce an im"ortant document on time. Ar. 9lleyne taunts Farrington and says harshly that if he does not co"y the material by closing time his incom"etence will be re"orted to the other "artner. his meeting angers Farrington, who mentally ma4es e#ening "lans to drin4 with his friends as a res"ite. Farrington returns to his des4

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but is unable to focus on wor4. &e s4irts "ast the chief cler4 to snea4 out to the local "ub where he Duic4ly drin4s a beer. wo clients are s"ea4ing with the chief cler4 when Farrington returns to the office, ma4ing his absence a""arent. he cler4 as4s him to ta4e a file to Ar. 9lleyne, who is also with a client. Farrington reali0es that the needed file is incom"lete because he has failed to co"y two letters as reDuested. &o"ing that Ar. 9lleyne will not notice, Farrington deli#ers the incom"lete file and returns to his des4 to wor4 on his "roCect. 9gain unable to concentrate, Farrington dreams of hot drin4s and crowded "ubs, only to reali0e, with increasing rage, that com"leting the tas4 is im"ossible and that he has no ho"e of getting an ad#ance on his "aychec4 to fund his thirst. Aeanwhile, Ar. 9lleyne, ha#ing noticed the missing letters, has come to Farrington!s des4 with his client, the Co#ial Aiss Delacour, and started another abusi#e critiDue of Farrington!s wor4. Farrington claims ignorance and wittily insults Ar. 9lleyne to the amusement of Aiss Delacour and his fellow cler4s. Forced to a"ologi0e to Ar. 9lleyne, Farrington lea#es wor4 without com"leting his "roCect and dreading the sure bac4lash at the office. Aore determined than e#er to go to the "ub, Farrington "awns his "oc4et watch for drin4ing money. 9t his first sto" he meets his friends $osey Flynn, ?!&alloran, and 'addy Beonard, and tells them of his shining moment insulting his boss. 9nother cler4 from the office arri#es and Coins them, re"eating the story. /oon the men lea#e the "ub, and ?!&alloran, Beonard, and Farrington mo#e on to another "lace. here Beonard introduces the men to an acrobat named 1eathers, who ha""ily acce"ts the drin4s the other men buy for him. Farrington becomes irritated at the amount of money he s"ends, but the men 4ee" drin4ing and mo#e to yet another "ub. 1eathers meets the men there and Farrington begrudgingly buys him another drin4 out of courtesy. Farrington!s frustrations build as he flirts with an elegant woman sitting nearby who ultimately ignores his ad#ances. Beonard and ?!&alloran then con#ince Farrington to arm wrestle with 1eathers, who has been boasting about his strength to the men. 9fter two attem"ts, Farrington loses. Filled with rage and humiliation, Farrington tra#els home to /helbourne Road, a lower-middle-class area southeast of the city center. >ntering his dar4 house, he calls to his wife 9da but is met by one of his fi#e children, his son om. 1hen om informs him that 9da is at church, Farrington orders om to light u" the house and "re"are dinner for him. &e then reali0es that the house fire has been left to burn out, which means his dinner will be long in coming. 1ith his anger at boiling "oint, Farrington begins to beat om, who "lainti#ely "romises to say a &ail Aary for Farrington if he sto"s. Analysis 1hile many characters in Dubliners desire something, face obstacles that frustrate them, and ultimately forfeit their desires in "aralysis, Farrington sees e#erything in the world as an obstacle to his comfort and ne#er relents in his #itriol. he tedium of wor4 irritates Farrington first, but so does e#erything he encounters in the story. he root of Farrington!s #iolent and e5"losi#e beha#ior is the circular e5"erience of routine and re"etition that defines his life. Farrington!s Cob is based on du"lication@he co"ies documents for a demanding boss. &is Cob, in other words, is to "roduce re"lications of other things, and the monotony of this Cob enrages him. Farrington en#isions release from such deadening acti#ity in the warmth and drin4 of "ublic houses, but his e5"eriences there only beget further routine. &e re"eats the story of the confrontation with Ar. 9lleyne to his friends, who then also re"eat it. Following the ;round= tradition in which each "erson in a grou" ta4es turns buying drin4s for all com"anions "resent, he continually s"ends money and consumes more alcohol. he "resence of 1eathers, who ta4es ad#antage of this system, ma4es Farrington reali0e how such tradition and re"etition literally rob him. &is anger mounts throughout the story. Farrington hurtles forward in the story without "ausing to thin4 about his actions or why he feels such discontent. 9s a result, his circular acti#ities become more and more brutal. 1hen he loses two arm wrestling matches to 1eathers, a ;mere boy,= he goes home only to beat his own boy. 1hat begins as mundane co"ying, the story hints, s"ins out of control into a cycle of brutal abuse. 1hile other characters in the collection ac4nowledge their routine li#es, struggle, then acce"t their fate "assi#ely, Farrington is unaware and unrelenting. he title, ;Counter"arts,= refers to a co"y or du"licate of a legal "a"er, the stuff of Farrington!s career, but also to things that are similar or eDual to each other. Farrington li#es a life of counter"arts, to dangerous ends. &is "awning of

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his watch may symbolically release him from the shac4les of schedules and time demands, but the frustrations of wor4 only ta4e on new and more e5treme forms at the "ub and at home. For Farrington, life re"eats itselfE wor4 is li4e the "ub is li4e home. 9s ;Counter"arts= illustrates, this bleeding between different areas of life ine#itably e5ists. 1hen maddening routine and re"etition form the bac4bone of e5"erience, "assi#ity may result, but so too might #olatile frustration. he abuse that other stories in Dubliners allude to becomes e5"licit in ;Counter"arts,= and the consistent emotional theme of anger under"ins e#ery e#ent in the story. Joyce uses adCecti#es li4e hea!y, ark, and irty to describe Farrington@he is Duite literally worn out by frustration and anger. $ot e#en the des"erate ser#itude and "iety of his son touch him, signaling that s"irituality fails to sa#e and "rotect. Farrington is unable to reali0e that his own actions are far worse than the moc4ing cruelty of his boss. Joyce refers to Farrington both by his name and as ;the man= throughout the story. *n one sentence he is the familiar character of Farrington that the reader follows throughout the story, yet in another he is ;the man= on the street, on the train, in an office. Farrington, in a sense, acts as an e5changeable or general ty"e, both a s"ecific man and e#eryman. Joyce!s fluid way of addressing him thus ser#es to wea#e Farrington into the Dublin streetsca"e and suggest that his brutality is nothing unusual.

Clay
Su''ary Aaria, a maid at a 'rotestant charity that houses troubled women, "roudly re#iews her "re"aration for &alloween festi#ities at her wor4"lace. Running through the e#ening!s schedule, she also loo4s forward to her celebrations for later in the night with the family of a friend, Joe Donnelly. Aaria nursed Joe and his brother, 9l"hy, when they were young, and both of them hel"ed Aaria get her "resent Cob. hough Aaria was at first uncomfortable with the 'rotestant association of the charity, she has grown to acce"t it and is warmly lo#ed by the staff and residents. he time for festi#ities arri#es, and Aaria distributes the seasonal s"iced bread, called barmbrac4, and tea. ?ne of the women raises a toast to Aaria.

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9fterwards, Aaria "re"ares for her Courney to Joe!s home, admiring her a""earance in the mirror before lea#ing her room. ?n her way to Joe!s, Aaria does some sho""ing. Ao#ing through the crowded streets, she #isits two sho"s to buy ca4es for the children and a s"ecial "lum ca4e for Joe and his wife. /he boards a crowded tram and sits ne5t to a ;colonel-loo4ing gentleman= who 4indly ma4es room for her. hey chat casually during the ride, and at Aaria!s sto" they cordially say goodbye to each other. 9t Joe!s home, the Donnellys ha""ily greet Aaria. /he distributes the sweets to the children, but when she goes to "resent to "lum ca4e to Joe and his wife, she cannot find the "ac4age. Aaria des"erately loo4s e#erywhere, with no success. he Donnellys suggest that she "robably left it on the tram, which ma4es Aaria thin4 about the man, and she scolds herself for getting distracted by his "resence and for ruining her own sur"rise gift. Joe consoles Aaria by telling her stories about his office and offering nuts and wine. he con#ersation turns to the "ast, and Aaria tries to say good things about 9l"hy. he brothers ha#e had a falling out, though Joe has named his eldest son after 9l"hy. Joe grows defensi#e, and his wife attem"ts to di#ert the matter by starting a round of traditional &alloween games. wo girls from the house ne5t door hel" the children to arrange a table of saucers filled with different obCects and lead a blindfolded Aaria o#er to them. Aaria touches the saucer with a mound of wet clay on it, which in games of this sort re"resents early death. Joe!s wife re"ro#es the #isiting girls, as though clay should not be an o"tion gi#en its bad omen. Aaria reaches again and touches a "rayer boo4, forecasting a "ious life in a con#ent. he festi#ities continue ha""ily until Joe as4s Aaria to sing for the family. 1ith Ars. Donnelly at the "iano, Aaria timidly sings ;* Dreamt that * Dwelt,= a "o"ular o"era aria written by an *rish nineteenth-century com"oser. Aaria sings the first stan0a twice, but no one "oints out her mista4e. Joe is #isibly mo#ed to tears and, to co#er u" his reaction, as4s his wife where the cor4screw is. Analysis %nli4e the female "rotagonists in earlier stories, Aaria does not confront decisions and situations with large conseDuences, but rather those whose conseDuences seem small or e#en none5istent. $othing much seems to ha""en in this story, and its inaction stands out e#en more since it follows the #iolent ;Counter"arts= in the collection. Aaria illustrates the Duiet life of a single maid, whose s"otless re"utation as ;a #eritable "eace-ma4er= attests to her "lacid lifestyle. he e5citement with which the Donnelly family greets her shows that outside of wor4 she is eDually lo#ed. Aaria is a small, gentle woman whose continuous laughter brings the ti" of her nose to touch her chin@as though she loses herself in her Coy. &owe#er, the e#ents in ;Clay,= though Duiet, are far from innocuous. >#en Aaria, with her serene life, harbors unha""iness and frustration, and instead of being e5em"t from the tedium of routine, she is in fact entrenched in it. Aaria has such little conflict and so few #aried e5"eriences that the smallest details of daily li#ing ha#e become the focus of her energies, and these details deaden her life. For Aaria, e#erything demands organi0ation and "recision. /he fastidiously su"er#ises the distribution of food "ortions at the charity, she "rides herself on her neat and tidy body, and she re"eatedly di#ides u" the minutes she will schedule for tra#eling and sho""ing for the e#ening at Joe!s. Aaria intends for her attention to minute details to create order and clarity in her life, but such rigidity actually encourages frustration and emotional reactions that are out of "ro"ortion to the situation at hand. 1hen she reali0es that she has mis"laced the "lum ca4e, she is so furious with herself and her carelessness that she almost cries. %nli4e >#eline, who feels numb to the loss of her lo#er and a "otential new life, Aaria feels acute emotions o#er e#ents that are far more tri#ial. ;Clay= demonstrates that Aaria!s res"onses are Cust as restraining as >#eline!s. Aaria most li4ely focuses intently on life!s small details in order to a#oid greater "ains. Joe e5hibits the same beha#iorE &e co#ers u" his mysterious, tearful reaction to Aaria!s song by as4ing his wife to show him where an ordinary household item is. 'reoccu"ation with such tri#ial matters hel"s to re"ress the more difficult as"ects of life. he reader ne#er 4nows what mo#es Joe, nor what Aaria might feel on dee"er le#els. he title ;Clay= draws attention to Aaria!s fateful selection of clay in the &alloween game and a""lies that symbolism of early death to the story as a whole. Rather than im"lying a literal death, the clay casts Aaria!s

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une#entful, detail-oriented life as a meta"horical early death. Clay also suggests the state of Aaria and her life u" to that moment. Bi4e the "aralytic Father Flynn from ; he /isters,= Aaria ho#ers in a state between li#ing and dying where engagement with her surroundings cannot mo#e beyond a su"erficial, material le#el. Bi4e Farrington in ;Counter"arts,= she fails to recogni0e the tedious routine of her days, as her re"etition of the song suggests. Aaria does not acti#ely sha"e her e5"erience in significant ways, but instead she allows it to sha"e her. he image of her face colla"sing into itself in laughter im"lies that Aaria in her blind ha""iness is moldable and soft, li4e clay. Aaria chooses the "rayer boo4 after the clay, which suggests she might find esca"e in the cloistered life of a con#ent. 1hether Aaria esca"es or not, some "art of her will die. /he will lose her #ibrancy to the dullness of routine, or she will lose the life she 4nows for one that is unfamiliar.

A Painful Case
.e looke o#n the slo"e an % at the base% in the sha o# of the #all of the Park% he sa# some human figures lying$ Those !enal an furti!e lo!es fille him #ith es"air$ .e gna#e the rectitu e of his life* he felt that he ha been outcast from life&s feast$ +(ee )m"ortant ,uotations Ex"laine Su''ary 9 "redictable, unad#enturous ban4 cashier, Ar. Duffy li#es an e5istence of "rudence and organi0ation. &e 4ee"s a tidy house, eats at the same restaurants, and ma4es the same daily commute. ?ccasionally, Ar. Duffy allows himself an e#ening out at the o"era or a concert, and on one of these e#enings he engages in a con#ersation with another audience member, Ars. /inico, a stri4ing woman who sits with her young daughter. /ubseDuent

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encounters ensue at other concerts, and on the third occasion Ar. Duffy sets u" a time and day to meet "ur"osely with her. ,ecause Ars. /inico is married and her husband, a ca"tain of a merchant shi", is constantly away from home, Ar. Duffy feels slightly uncomfortable with the clandestine nature of the relationshi". $e#ertheless, they continue to meet, always at her home. heir discussions re#ol#e around their similar intellectual interests, including boo4s, "olitical theories, and music, and with each meeting they draw more closely together. /uch sharing gradually softens Ar. Duffy!s hard character. &owe#er, during one of their meetings, Ars. /inico ta4es Ar. Duffy!s hand and "laces it on her chee4, which dee"ly bothers Ar. Duffy. &e feels Ars. /inico has misinter"reted his acts of com"anionshi" as se5ual ad#ances. *n res"onse, he cuts off the relationshi", first by sto""ing his #isits and then by arranging a final meeting at a ca4e sho" in Dublin, deliberately not at Ars. /inico!s home. hey agree to end the relationshi", but Ars. /inico!s emotional "resence at this meeting suggests she is less willing to say goodbye than is Ar. Duffy. Four years "ass. ?ne e#ening, during his usual dinner in town, Ar. Duffy reads a news"a"er article that sur"rises him enough to halt his eating and hurry home. here, he reads the article, entitled ;9 'ainful Case,= once more. he article recounts the death of Ars. /inico, who was hit by a train at a station in Dublin the "re#ious e#ening. 1itness accounts and the coroner!s inDuest deem that the death was caused by shoc4 or heart failure, and not inCuries from the train itself. he article also e5"lains that Ars. /inico was a drin4er and had become increasingly detached from her husband o#er the "ast two years. he article concludes with the statement that no one is res"onsible for her death. he news of Ars. /inico!s death at first angers but later saddens Ar. Duffy. 'erha"s sus"ecting suicide or wea4ness in character, he feels disgusted by her death and by his connection to her life. Disturbed, he lea#es his home to #isit a local "ub, where he drin4s and remembers his relationshi" with her. &is anger begins to subside, and by the time he lea#es to wal4 home, he feels dee" remorse, mainly for ending the relationshi" and losing the "otential for com"anionshi" it offered. %"on seeing a "air of lo#ers in the "ar4 by his home, Ar. Duffy reali0es that he ga#e u" the only lo#e he!d e5"erienced in life. &e feels utterly alone. Analysis ,ecause Ar. Duffy cannot tolerate un"redictability, his relationshi" with Ars. /inico is a disru"tion to his orderly life that he 4nows he must eliminate, but which he ultimately fails to control. Ars. /inico awa4ens welcome new emotions in Ar. Duffy, but when she ma4es an intimate gesture he reacts with sur"rise and rigidity. hough all along he s"o4e of the im"ossibility of sharing one!s self and the ine#itability of loneliness, Ars. /inico!s gesture suggests that another truth e5ists, and this truth frightens Ar. Duffy. 9cce"ting Ars. /inico!s offered truth, which o"ens the "ossibility for lo#e and dee" feeling, would mean changing his life entirely, which Ar. Duffy cannot do. &e resumes his solitary life with some relief. 1hen Ar. Duffy reads of Ars. /inico!s death four years later, he reacts with shoc4 and disgust, as he did when Ars. /inico touched his hand. Ars. /inico!s dramatic demise "oints to a de"th of feeling she "ossessed that Ar. Duffy will ne#er understand or share, and it "ro#ides Ar. Duffy with an e"i"hany as he wal4s home. &e reali0es that his concern with order and rectitude shut her out of his life, and that this concern e5cludes him from li#ing fully. Bi4e other characters in Dubliners who e5"erience e"i"hanies, Ar. Duffy is not ins"ired to begin a new "hase in his life, but instead he bitterly acce"ts his loneliness. ;9 'ainful Case= concludes where it begins, with Ar. Duffy alone. his narrati#e circle mimics the many routines that com"rise Ar. Duffy!s life and deny him true com"anionshi". he story o"ens with a detailed de"iction of Ar. Duffy!s unadorned home in a neighborhood he chose for its distance from the hustle and bustle of Dublin. Colors are limited and walls are bare in Ar. Duffy!s house, and disorder, s"ontaneity, and "assion are unwelcome. 9s such, Ar. Duffy!s house ser#es as a microcosm of his soul. &is regulatory im"ulses ma4e each day the same as the ne5t. /uch deadening re"etiti#eness ultimately brings Ar. Duffy death in lifeE the death of someone who once stirred his longings to be with others. *n life, Ars. /inico in#igorated Ar. Duffy!s routine and, through her intimacy, came close to warming his cold heart. ?nly in death, howe#er, does she succeed in re#ealing his cycle of solitude to him. he tragedy of this story is threefold. First, Ar. Duffy must face a dramatic death before he can rethin4 his lifestyle and outloo4. /econd, ac4nowledging the "roblems in his lifestyle ma4es him reali0e his

33

cul"abilityE Ars. /inico died of a bro4en heart that he caused. hird, and "erha"s most tragic, Ar. Duffy will not change the life he has created for himself. &e is "araly0ed, des"ite his re#elations and his guilt. Joyce!s choice of symbolic names in ;9 'ainful Case= articulates the story!s somber subCect of thwarted lo#e and loneliness. Duffyderi#es from the *rish word for dar4, suggesting the grim, solemn mood in which the story unfolds and Ar. Duffy li#es. he suburb in which Ar. Duffy resides, Cha"eli0od, ta4es its name from the French, Cha"el d!*seult. *seult is half of the famed set of lo#ers, ristan and *seult, whose doomed affair ran4s as one of the most iconic lo#e stories in literature and music. his name!s a""earance in the story as Ar. Duffy!s home neighborhood, which he "ur"osely chose in order to distance himself from Dublin!s hustle and bustle and which is the starting "oint for his daily routine, connects the unreDuited lo#e and death of Ars. /inico with Ar. Duffy!s restrained e5istence.

%vy &ay in the Co''ittee Roo'

Su''ary ?n *#y Day, a grou" of "olitical can#assers wor4ing for a mayoral candidate in the city council elections gather in the $ational 'arty committee room to warm u" from the cold, drin4 together, tal4 "olitics, and await their wage "ayment. *#y Day, ?ctober 6, commemorates the "olitician Charles /tuart 'arnell!s death in 18 (1, and 'arnell!s "resence "er#ades this story. Aat ?!Connor, one of the can#assers, sits and smo4es as ?ld Jac4, the "orter of the building, tends to a dwindling fire and tells ?!Connor about his son. ,oth men are em"loyed by Richard ierney, a "ub owner who is running for the office of Bord Aayor in the u"coming elections. 9nother man, Joe &ynes, Coins the two men, but he does not wor4 for ierney. &e is dee"ly critical of the candidate, sus"ecting him of being sym"athetic to the ,ritish e#en though he runs as a $ationalist, the "arty that su""orts an inde"endent *reland. 9nother can#asser, John &enchy, also Coins the grou". &e coolly ac4nowledges the "resence of &ynes

34

and re#iews the day!s cam"aigning efforts with ?!Connor before he too launches into a critiDue of the candidate, though for his tardiness in "aying em"loyees li4e himself rather than the candidate!s "olitical leanings. &ynes lea#es, and following his e5it &enchy e5"resses his sus"icions that &ynes is an informer for Colgan, the wor4ing-class candidate running against ierney. ?!Connor gently deflects the comment, but, encouraged by ?ld Jac4, &enchy continues with his cons"iracy theory that such informers "robably wor4 for the ,ritish. &e ma4es a connection between &ynes and the infamous &enry Charles /irr, an *rishman who, as an officer in the ,ritish 9rmy, hel"ed to su""ress *rish u"risings against the ,ritish in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. 9nother man, Father <eon, soon a""ears in the doorway loo4ing for someone who is not in the room, and scurries off to ierney!s "ub to find the man. &enchy and ?!Connor chat about the "riest, who has a re"utation for being a ;blac4 shee",= unattached to any church or institution. he men then turn the tal4 to drin4, and &enchy com"lains that ierney had "romised to send some stout to the room that has yet to arri#e. /oon thereafter, though, a boy a""ears bearing bottles from the "ub, and &enchy e5claims that ierney 4ee"s to his word. wo more can#assers named Crofton and Byons arri#e. &enchy turns the discussion bac4 to "olitics, ma4ing clear his su""ort of ierney!s catch-all a""roach of su""orting ;whate#er will benefit his country,= e#en the welcome of the >nglish 4ing, which, he argues, would boost the local economy. ?!Connor counterargues, noting that the $ational 'arty under 'arnell would ne#er "lace ca"ital o#er "olitical theory, a "oint that &enchy meets with a sim"le ;'arnell is dead.= Byons bac4s ?!Connor, as does Crofton, s"urring &enchy to laud 'arnell as well. 9t this moment, &ynes returns, and ?!Connor as4s him to read a "oem he wrote, entitled ; he Death of 'arnell.= he "oem celebrates 'arnell and "aints him as a man betrayed by treachery. 9ll of the men a""laud the recitation. Analysis ;*#y Day in the Committee Room= mourns the state of *rish "olitics and "eo"le!s inability to maintain consistent beliefs. he grou" of men gathering in the once-acti#e and "romising room of the $ational 'arty, which used to be 'arnell!s headDuarters, show little enthusiasm for the candidate they a""arently su""ort, but instead bic4er about tri#ial things. he ;Committee Room= in the title connects this scene of atro"hy to the betrayal of 'arnell. he Committee Room in Bondon was where *rish "oliticians chose not to su""ort 'arnell as a leader in December 18 (). his e#ent destroyed 'arnell!s career, and, this story suggests, the morale and ho"es of the ne5t generation as well. Het these men, "articularly &enchy, demonstrate wa#ering beliefs that show they too are guilty of betrayal. ;*#y Day in the Committee Room= re#eals how the "ast sha"es the "resent, but also how those li#ing in the "resent fail to correct or atone for "ast wrongs. he men in the story dwell on the "ast so much that almost no constructi#e action ta4es "lace. he story o"ens with ?ld Jac4 telling ?!Connor about his drun4en, disloyal son, which from a broader "ers"ecti#e suggests that the "olitical successors to 'arnell do Cust that to their "olitical ;father=E com"licate and disregard rather than su""ort. he commemorati#e title of the story highlights that on this s"ecial day, these men remain inacti#e. *#y Day honors 'arnell!s death and ta4es its name from the loyal Dubliners who, at 'arnell!s funeral, wore the i#y growing by his gra#e in their la"els. *n the story, both ?!Connor and &ynes wear i#y in memory of 'arnell, but they in#ol#e themsel#es only in "etty "olitics, if they in#ol#e themsel#es at all. &ynes turns u" in the room to critiDue ierney and "lant seeds of dissent, and ?!Connor shrugs off his Cob. &e can#asses@or, rather, fails to can#ass@for a candidate he seems to care little about, since he sits inside to a#oid "romoting in the inclement weather. ?!Connor also lights his cigarettes by burning the information cards he is meant to hand out, e#en when offered a match. &is dedication to su""orting ierney, the new $ationalist candidate, could not be any wea4er. he men in the committee room, the story suggests, are "araly0ed in a cycle of inacti#ity and eDui#ocation. &enchy, by far the worst offender, harshly critici0es ierney, whom he calls ; ric4y Dic4y,= and also su""orts him energetically. &enchy continually switches his allegiance. 9t one moment he bemoans ierney!s em"ty "romise to send beer, while in the ne5t moment he defends ierney!s sense of honor and recites his "romotional s"eech, in which he lauds ierney for being attached to no "olitical "arty. he a""earance of Father <eon indicates that this inability to de#ote oneself to a cause also a""lies to religion. Boo4ing li4e ;a "oor clergyman or a "oor actor,= this ambi#alent, ambiguous figure ho#ers on the threshold of the door, neither committing himself to the room nor

35

remo#ing himself from it. he "riest, unattached to any church and uncertain of where he stands, suggests the distrust that e5ists in any belief system, whether s"iritual or "olitical. he story, set in the wa4e of *rish "olitical colla"se, hints that uncertainty defines the times. &ynes!s "oetic recitation is the one moment of tribute in the story, and it stirs the men into Duiet reflection on their unremar4able contribution to "olitics. 9fter they a""laud &ynes, the men sit in silence, res"ect, and, "erha"s, guilt. &ynes!s words, howe#er grandiose, call for 'arnell!s s"irit to rise again in *reland, but the men of ;*#y Day in the Committee Room= reali0e at this moment that they are not the ones to lead the charge. *nstead, they will sit year after year, im"otently wearing their i#y. he story mourns the death of 'arnell, but it also mourns the death of firm "olitical o"inion in general.

A (other
They thought they ha only a girl to eal #ith an that% therefore% they coul ri e roughsho o!er her$ /ut she #oul sho# them their mistake$ They #oul n&t ha!e are to ha!e treate her like that if she ha been a man$ /ut she #oul see that her aughter got her rights0 she #oul n&t be foole $ +(ee )m"ortant ,uotations Ex"laine Su''ary 9s the assistant secretary to the Eire Abu, or ;*reland to Kictory,= /ociety, Ar. &olohan tries to organi0e a series of concerts showcasing local musicians. &e finally #isits Ars. <earney, whose eldest daughter <athleen has a re"utation in Dublin as a talented "ianist and e5em"lary s"ea4er of *rish. <athleen studies the "iano and French in a con#ent school li4e Ars. <earney did, and she recei#es tutoring in *rish at the insistence of her mother as well. Ars. <earney is not sur"rised when Ar. &olohan "ro"oses that <athleen "erform as an accom"anist in the series, and she ad#ises Ar. &olohan in drawing u" a contract to secure a "ayment of eight guineas for <athleen!s

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"erformance in the four concerts. :i#en Ar. &olohan!s ine5"erience in organi0ing such an e#ent, she also hel"s him to lay out the "rogram and com"lete other duties. 9fter her efforts, Ars. <earney is disturbed when the concerts turn out to be sub-"ar for her high standards. he first two concerts are "oorly attended, the audience members beha#e ;indecorously,= and many of the artists are mediocre. Ars. <earney com"lains to Ar. &olohan, but neither he nor the head secretary, Ar. Fit0"atric4, a""ear bothered by the turnout. $e#ertheless, the /ociety!s committee cancels the third concert in ho"es that doing so will boost attendance for the final one. his change in "lans infuriates Ars. <earney, who already has become aggra#ated by the men!s la5 attitudes and what she sees as loose manners. /he a""roaches Ar. &olohan and insists that such a change should not alter the contracted "ayment, but Ar. &olohan only refers her to Ar. Fit0"atric4, who also dodges her inDuiries. ?n the night of the final concert, Ars. <earney, accom"anied by her husband and <athleen, arri#es early at the "erformance hall to meet the men, but neither Ar. &olohan nor Ar. Fit0"atric4 has arri#ed. 9s the musicians gather and await curtain call, Ars. <earney "aces in the dressing room until finally she finds Ar. &olohan and, following him to a Duiet hallway, "ursues the issue of the contract. 9gain he insists that such matters are not his ;business= and that she must consult Ar. Fit0"atric4. >nraged, she returns to the dressing room, where the musicians wait for <athleen to Coin them so they can start the "erformance, for which the audience loudly clamors. Ars. <earney detains her daughter, and when Ar. &olohan arri#es to Duery the delay in "erformance, she announces that <athleen will not "erform unless "aid in full. Ar. &olohan de"arts in haste and returns with Ar. Fit0"atric4, who gi#es Ars. <earney half of the amount, e5"laining that the remainder will come at the intermission, after <athleen!s "erformance. <athleen "lays, during which time the artists and committee members critici0e Ars. <earney!s aggressi#e conduct. 9t the intermission, Ar. Fit0"atric4 and Ar. &olohan inform Ars. <earney that they will "ay her daughter the balance after the committee meeting ne5t wee4. ,ut Ars. <earney angrily bic4ers with Ar. &olohan and finally whis4s away her daughter, lea#ing the concert hall. Analysis *n ;9 Aother,= Ars. <earney!s "ractical but infle5ible a""roach to life, while it gets her what she wants most of the time, ultimately does nothing but increase her own anger. Ars. <earney dri#es herself to accom"lish whate#er tas4, challenge, or need is at hand, often without much show of emotion. /he marries her husband Cust to be married, not because of lo#e. *n her unyielding insistence that her daughter, <athleen, recei#e full "ayment for her "erformance, Ars. <earney "ursues her interests to such a degree that she undoes her own efforts to "erfect the concert, and herself. 1hen the organi0ers "ro#ide only half of the fee, Ars. <earney embarrasses her daughter and ruins her career by swee"ing her out of the concert hall and irritating e#eryone. Ars. <earney is not concerned with a trifling amount of money, she insists, but her rights and her res"ect. he story lea#es the reader guessing why Ars. <earney abandons her cause and lea#es the concert hall. *s she humiliatedL Does she reali0e that no one shares or sym"athi0es with her frustrationsL Bi4e ;an angry stone,= Ars. <earney will not soften to the circumstances and reconsider. Bi4e other characters in Dubliners,she will continue to li#e according to her own routine. hrough the fastidious character of Ars. <earney, ;9 Aother= subtly critiDues shallow concerns about social "rofile. Ars. <earney!s immense efforts to organi0e and "erfect are not moti#ated by an ambition to succeed, the story suggests, but by a concern with status and a""earance. /he crafts an education for <athleen of "iano, French, and *rish, which ma4es ob#ious the family!s interest in culture and nationalist efforts. he concert "ro#ides Ars. <earney with an ideal o""ortunity to let <athleen shine as a darling of *rish culture, but her frustrations with the la5 society members and her com"laints about the #enue and selection of artists indicate that Ars. <earney obsesses o#er details to ensure neither <athleen!s ha""y career nor a successful concert, but her own res"ected a""earance. 9s more things sully her ideal #ision, Ars. <earney ma4es snide obser#ations to herself and struggles to maintain her com"osure. 1hen she a""roaches Ar. Fit0"atric4 about the contract, she inwardly ridicules his accent, which she "ercei#es to be lower class, but she resists ma4ing nasty comments about it, which would ;not be ladyli4e.= *n the end, Ars. <earney!s attem"t to boost her social a""earance results only in her tarnishing it dramatically.

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Ars. <earney "ercei#es herself as "art of a struggle between men and women, noting to herself when she begins to face difficulty with the contract that she would be treated differently if she were a man. his concern briefly "laces Ars. <earney in a sym"athetic light and leads the reader to Duestion Ars. <earney!s circumstances. Het while Ar. Fit0"atric4 and Ar. &olohan a""ear la0y and uninterested in the concert "roceedings, nothing in their actions suggests that they ta4e ad#antage of Ars. <earney. *n fact, they struggle to "ro#ide the demanded "ayment for <athleen. Bi4e Ars. Aooney in ; he ,oarding &ouse,= a female "rotagonist challenges the reader to consider her "light in a larger social conte5t. Ars. <earney wants to ensure her adeDuate rights, but she also must a""ear ladyli4e@for her, the combination is incom"atible.

Grace
Su''ary 9 man has fallen down a flight a stairs in a central Dublin "ub and is briefly unconscious. wo men and a "ub em"loyee carry the man u"stairs, and they, along with the manager and the crowd already assembled in the bar, try to figure out what ha""ened. he manager calls a "oliceman to the scene, but when the officer arri#es he offers little hel". 9 bystander succeeds in resuscitating the inCured man, who says his name is om <ernan. ,arely able to answer any Duestions, Ar. <ernan "re"ares to lea#e when a friend of his, Jac4 'ower, emerges from the crowd and escorts him to a carriage. During the ride home, Ar. <ernan shows Ar. 'ower that he inCured his tongue in the fall, and as such is unable to s"ea4 and e5"lain the accident. his e#ent reflects Ar. <ernan!s recent fortunesE he used to be an esteemed businessman but has recently hit a rough "atch. 9fter the carriage arri#es at the house and Ar. <ernan goes to bed, Ar. 'ower chats with the children and Ars. <ernan. &e mentally notes to himself the lower-class accents of the children, Cust as Ars. <ernan begins to lament her husband!s neglectful beha#ior. Ar. 'ower assures her that he will hel" Ar. <ernan to reform.

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he final and third section of ;:race= occurs at the Jesuit Church ser#ice and focuses on the words of the officiating "riest, Father 'urdon. Ar. Cunningham, Ar. <ernan, Ar. A!Coy, Ar. 'ower, and Ar. Fogarty sit near each other in the "ews, which are filled with men from all wal4s of Dublin life, including "awnbro4ers and news"a"er re"orters. From the red-lit "ul"it, Father 'urdon "reaches to them, he claims, as businessman to businessman, as the ;s"iritual accountant= to the congregation before him. he ser#ice, in turn, is a chance for rec4oning, and he as4s the men to tally u" their sins and com"are them to their clean or guilty consciences. ,oth those whose accounts balance and those whose show discre"ancies will be sa#ed by :od!s grace, as long as they stri#e to rectify their faults.9fter two nights, a grou" of Ar. <ernan!s friends #isit the house in order to con#ince Ar. <ernan to Coin them in a Catholic retreat, or cleansing ser#ice. he challenge lies in the fact that Ar. <ernan is a former 'rotestant who con#erted to Catholicism for his wife and has ne#er warmly acce"ted his new church. Ar. 'ower, Ar. Cunningham, and Ar. A!Coy s"end their #isit at first tal4ing about Ar. <ernan!s accident and his health, ta4ing time to com"lain about the ineffecti#e "oliceman at the bar. hen they gradually re#eal their "lans for the retreat and turn the discussion to religion. Ar. Fogarty, who runs a neighboring grocery, Coins the grou", and they all "raise the *rish "riesthood and nineteenth-century "o"es. Ar. <ernan follows along, contributes, and e#entually agrees to Coin the retreat, with one e5ce"tionE he refuses to light any candles as "art of the ser#ice, e5"laining that he does not belie#e in magic. Analysis *n ;:race,= a framewor4 of fall, con#ersion, and redem"tion re#eals the com"licated role of religion in Dubliners! li#es. he three se"arate sections of the narrati#e ser#e to undermine the "rocess of redem"tion. *n the first section, Ar. <ernan ser#es, Duite literally, as the ;fallen man.= &is disastrous accident at the "ub a""arently is "art of a downward s"iral he has been e5"eriencing and remains a mystery in the story. Ar. <ernan can remember only that he was with two men in the bar, but claims no other recollection of the e#ent. Ar. <ernan "robably hides the truth out of embarrassment, forcing the reader to "ull together the hints that suggest he was drun4 and abandoned by his com"anions. his "u00ling start to the story ma4es the steadfast efforts of Ar. <ernan!s friends to hel" him all the more strange. 1e don!t 4now what!s wrong with Ar. <ernan or why he needs hel". he story com"licates this seeming goodwill by re#ealing the unsu""orti#e tendencies of friends li4e Ar. 'ower, who inwardly grimaces about the lower-class u"bringing of the <ernan children. hat Ar. 'ower recoils from certain status signs suggests that his concern for others stems from his concern for his own re"utation. he second section of the narrati#e treats Ar. <ernan!s con#ersion, and Joyce undermines this "rocess by showing the men attem"ting to con#ince Ar. <ernan to Coin the retreat with inaccurate details about Catholic church history. he men discuss the su""osedly uns"otted history of the Jesuits, trying to boost Ar. <ernan!s #iew of the church, and deflect Ar. <ernan!s com"laint about "ro#incial "riests by claiming that ;MtNhe *rish "riesthood is honoured all the world o#er.= 1hen Ar. Fogarty arri#es, the men begin to discuss the illuminated career of the nineteenth-century 'o"e Beo O***, but they do so by misusing a #ariety of Batin terms. Ar. Cunningham, by far the most #erbose of the grou", attem"ts to recount the Church debate o#er "a"al infallibility, but he ma4es mista4es as well. he "oint of the scene is not the s"ecific errors, but the men!s reliance on big terms and names to ma4e themsel#es a""ear serious and "ious. 9s such, Ar. <ernan!s con#ersion is something of a sham. Ar. <ernan!s ;cleansing= in the final section of the narrati#e ne#er really occurs. &e arri#es at the church and listens to the "riest, but the story does not follow his rise from the fall. *nstead, the many contradictions in the ser#ice are highlighted, which ser#es to critiDue the church as a "lace of healing. Father 'urdon shares his name with the name of the street that is home to the red-light district, or "rostitution area, of Dublin, and his "ul"it shines with a red light as though he is a beacon of sin, not redem"tion. he "rogression in the story from fall to redem"tion, then, stalls and halts. ;:race= seems to as4 how far indeed is the distance between the bottom of the stairs in the "ub and the "ews in the church. he conclusion of the story assures the men that grace can sa#e them from sin, but the word grace has multi"le meanings. *t can refer to the Duality of "oise or "oliteness. *t can also refer to a granted delay or "ost"onement, such as a grace "eriod gi#en to a debtor who owes money. *t might sometimes refer to the unconditional fa#or of

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:od granted to humans that enables them to be sa#ed. 9ll of these meanings surface to some e5tent in this story and ser#e to "oint out how sim"le e#ents become infused with s"iritual significance, and not always to useful ends. Ar. <ernan himself embodies the word grace ironically, as he is literally a man who has no "oise. &is friends, howe#er, inter"ret this fall as indicating a lac4 of :od!s grace. he story concludes with Father 'urdon!s assurance that e#en the fallen man can be sa#ed with the hel" of :od!s grace, but the "riest uses the economic language of accounting to communicate his thoughts to the congregation of businessmen. Rec4oning with oneself, then, acts as a "eriod of grace, yet none of the men in the story come to terms with themsel#es. /earching for grace becomes yet another re"etiti#e cycle for these Dubliners.

The &ea
Yes% the ne#s"a"ers #ere right0 sno# #as general all o!er )relan $ )t #as falling on e!ery "art of the ark central "lain% on the treeless hills% falling softly u"on the /og of Allen an % farther #est#ar % softly falling into the ark mutinous (hannon #a!es$ )t #as falling% too% u"on e!ery "art of the lonely churchyar on the hill #here Michael Furey lay burie $ +(ee )m"ortant ,uotations Ex"laine Su''ary 9t the annual dance and dinner "arty held by <ate and Julia Aor4an and their young niece, Aary Jane Aor4an, the housemaid Bily frantically greets guests. /et at or Cust before the feast of the >"i"hany on January 6, which celebrates the manifestation of Christ!s di#inity to the Aagi, the "arty draws together a #ariety of relati#es and friends. <ate and Julia "articularly await the arri#al of their fa#orite ne"hew, :abriel Conroy, and his wife, :retta. 1hen they arri#e, :abriel attem"ts to chat with Bily as she ta4es his coat, but she sna"s in re"ly to his Duestion about her lo#e life. :abriel ends the uncomfortable e5change by gi#ing Bily a generous ti", but the e5"erience ma4es him an5ious. &e rela5es when he Coins his aunts and :retta, though :retta!s good-natured teasing about

40

his dedication to galoshes irritates him. hey discuss their decision to stay at a hotel that e#ening rather than ma4e the long tri" home. he arri#al of another guest, the always-drun4 Freddy Aalins, disru"ts the con#ersation. :abriel ma4es sure that Freddy is fit to Coin the "arty while the guests chat o#er drin4s in between ta4ing brea4s from the dancing. 9n older gentleman, Ar. ,rowne, flirts with some young girls, who dodge his ad#ances. :abriel steers a drun4en Freddy toward the drawing room to get hel" from Ar. ,rowne, who attem"ts to sober Freddy u". he "arty continues with a "iano "erformance by Aary Jane. Aore dancing follows, which finds :abriel "aired u" with Aiss *#ors, a fellow uni#ersity instructor. 9 fer#ent su""orter of *rish culture, Aiss *#ors embarrasses :abriel by labeling him a ;1est ,riton= for writing literary re#iews for a conser#ati#e news"a"er. :abriel dismisses the accusation, but Aiss *#ors "ushes the "oint by in#iting :abriel to #isit the 9ran *sles, where *rish is s"o4en, during the summer. 1hen :abriel declines, e5"laining that he has arranged a cycling tri" on the continent, Aiss *#ors corners him about his lac4 of interest in his own country. :abriel e5claims that he is sic4 of *reland. 9fter the dance, he flees to a corner and engages in a few more con#ersations, but he cannot forget the interlude with Aiss *#ors. Just before dinner, Julia sings a song for the guests. Aiss *#ors ma4es her e5it to the sur"rise of Aary Jane and :retta, and to the relief of :abriel. Finally, dinner is ready, and :abriel assumes his "lace at the head of the table to car#e the goose. 9fter much fussing, e#eryone eats, and finally :abriel deli#ers his s"eech, in which he "raises <ate, Julia, and Aary Jane for their hos"itality. Framing this Duality as an *rish strength, :abriel laments the "resent age in which such hos"itality is under#alued. $e#ertheless, he insists, "eo"le must not linger on the "ast and the dead, but li#e and reCoice in the "resent with the li#ing. he table brea4s into a loud a""lause for :abriel!s s"eech, and the entire "arty toasts their three hostesses. Bater, guests begin to lea#e, and :abriel recounts a story about his grandfather and his horse, which fore#er wal4ed in circles e#en when ta4en out of the mill where it wor4ed. 9fter finishing the anecdote, :abriel reali0es that :retta stands transfi5ed by the song that Ar. ,artell D!9rcy sings in the drawing room. 1hen the music sto"s and the rest of the "arty guests assemble before the door to lea#e, :retta remains detached and thoughtful. :abriel is enamored with and "reoccu"ied by his wife!s mysterious mood and recalls their courtshi" as they wal4 from the house and catch a cab into Dublin. 9t the hotel, :abriel grows irritated by :retta!s beha#ior. /he does not seem to share his romantic inclinations, and in fact bursts into tears. :retta confesses that she has been thin4ing of the song from the "arty because a former lo#er had sung it to her in her youth in :alway. :retta recounts the sad story of this boy, Aichael Furey, who died after waiting outside of her window in the cold. :retta later falls aslee", but :abriel remains awa4e, disturbed by :retta!s new information. &e curls u" on the bed, contem"lating his own mortality. /eeing the snow at the window, he en#isions it blan4eting the gra#eyard where Aichael Furey rests, as well as all of *reland. Analysis *n ; he Dead,= :abriel Conroy!s restrained beha#ior and his re"utation with his aunts as the ne"hew who ta4es care of e#erything mar4 him as a man of authority and caution, but two encounters with women at the "arty challenge his confidence. First, :abriel clumsily "ro#o4es a defensi#e statement from the o#erwor4ed Bily when he as4s her about her lo#e life. *nstead of a"ologi0ing or e5"laining what he meant, :abriel Duic4ly ends the con#ersation by gi#ing Bily a holiday ti". &e blames his "restigious education for his inability to relate to ser#ants li4e Bily, but his willingness to let money s"ea4 for him suggests that he relies on the comforts of his class to maintain distance. he encounter with Bily shows that :abriel, li4e his aunts, cannot tolerate a ;bac4 answer,= but he is unable to a#oid such challenges as the "arty continues. During his dance with Aiss *#ors, he faces a barrage of Duestions about his none5istent nationalist sym"athies, which he doesn!t 4now how to answer a""ro"riately. %nable to com"ose a full res"onse, :abriel blurts out that he is sic4 of his own country, sur"rising Aiss *#ors and himself with his unmeasured res"onse and his loss of control. :abriel!s unease culminates in his tense night with :retta, and his final encounter with her ultimately forces him to confront his stony #iew of the world. 1hen he sees :retta transfi5ed by the music at the end of the "arty,

41

:abriel yearns intensely to ha#e control of her strange feelings. hough :abriel remembers their romantic courtshi" and is o#ercome with attraction for :retta, this attraction is rooted not in lo#e but in his desire to control her. 9t the hotel, when :retta confesses to :abriel that she was thin4ing of her first lo#e, he becomes furious at her and himself, reali0ing that he has no claim on her and will ne#er be ;master.= 9fter :retta falls aslee", :abriel softens. $ow that he 4nows that another man "receded him in :retta!s life, he feels not Cealousy, but sadness that Aichael Furey once felt an aching lo#e that he himself has ne#er 4nown. Reflecting on his own controlled, "assionless life, he reali0es that life is short, and those who lea#e the world li4e Aichael Furey, with great "assion, in fact li#e more fully than "eo"le li4e himself. he holiday setting of >"i"hany em"hasi0es the "rofoundness of :abriel!s difficult awa4ening that concludes the story and the collection. :abriel e5"eriences an inward change that ma4es him e5amine his own life and human life in general. 1hile many characters in Dubliners suddenly sto" "ursuing what they desire without e5"lanation, this story offers more s"ecific articulation for :abriel!s actions. :abriel sees himself as a shadow of a "erson, flic4ering in a world in which the li#ing and the dead meet. hough in his s"eech at the dinner he insisted on the di#ision between the "ast of the dead and the "resent of the li#ing, :abriel now recogni0es, after hearing that Aichael Furey!s memory li#es on, that such di#ision is false. 9s he loo4s out of his hotel window, he sees the falling snow, and he imagines it co#ering Aichael Furey!s gra#e Cust as it co#ers those "eo"le still li#ing, as well as the entire country of *reland. he story lea#es o"en the "ossibility that :abriel might change his attitude and embrace life, e#en though his somber dwelling on the dar4ness of *reland closes Dubliners with morose acce"tance. &e will e#entually Coin the dead and will not be remembered. he Aor4ans! "arty consists of the 4ind of deadening routines that ma4e e5istence so lifeless in Dubliners. he e#ents of the "arty re"eat each yearE :abriel gi#es a s"eech, Freddy Aalins arri#es drun4, e#eryone dances the same memori0ed ste"s, e#eryone eats. Bi4e the horse that circles around and around the mill in :abriel!s anecdote, these Dubliners settle into an e5"ected routine at this "arty. /uch tedium fi5es the characters in a state of "aralysis. hey are unable to brea4 from the acti#ities that they 4now, so they li#e life without new e5"eriences, numb to the world. >#en the food on the table e#o4es death. he life-gi#ing substance a""ears at ;ri#al ends= of the table that is lined with "arallel rows of #arious dishes, di#ided in the middle by ;sentries= of fruit and watched from afar by ;three sDuads of bottles.= he military language transforms a table set for a communal feast into a battlefield, ree4ing with danger and death. ; he Dead= enca"sulates the themes de#elo"ed in the entire collection and ser#es as a balance to the first story, ; he /isters.= ,oth stories "iercingly e5"lore the intersection of life and death and cast a shadow o#er the other stories. Aore than any other story, howe#er, ; he Dead= sDuarely addresses the state of *reland in this res"ect. *n his s"eech, :abriel claims to lament the "resent age in which hos"itality li4e that of the Aor4an family is under#alued, but at the same time he insists that "eo"le must not linger on the "ast, but embrace the "resent. :abriel!s words betray him, and he ultimately encourages a tribute to the "ast, the "ast of hos"itality, that li#es on in the "resent "arty. &is later thoughts re#eal this attachment to the "ast when he en#isions snow as ;general all o#er *reland.= *n e#ery corner of the country, snow touches both the dead and the li#ing, uniting them in fro0en "aralysis. &owe#er, :abriel!s thoughts in the final lines of Dubliners suggest that the li#ing might in fact be able to free themsel#es and li#e unfettered by deadening routines and the "ast. >#en in January, snow is unusual in *reland and cannot last fore#er.

42

%'$ortant 3uotations Ex$laine 1. Hes, the news"a"ers were rightE snow was general all o#er *reland. *t was falling on e#ery "art of the dar4
central "lain, on the treeless hills, falling softly u"on the ,og of 9llen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dar4 mutinous /hannon wa#es. *t was falling, too, u"on e#ery "art of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Aichael Furey lay buried. @; he Dead=

2. &e loo4ed down the slo"e and, at the base, in the shadow of the wall of the 'ar4, he saw some human figures
lying. hose #enal and furti#e lo#es filled him with des"air. &e gnawed the rectitude of his lifeP he felt that he had been outcast from life!s feast. @;9 'ainful Case=

+. * watched my master!s face "ass from amiability to sternnessP he ho"ed * was not beginning to idle. * could not
call my wandering thoughts together. * had hardly any "atience with the serious wor4 of life which, now that it

43

stood between me and my desire, seemed to me child!s "lay, ugly monotonous child!s "lay. @;9raby=

2. &e remembered the boo4s of "oetry u"on his shel#es at home. &e had bought them in his bachelor days and
many an e#ening, as he sat in the little room of the hall, he had been tem"ted to ta4e one down from the boo4shelf and read out something to his wife. ,ut shyness always held him bac4P and so the boo4s had remained on their shel#es. @;9 Bittle Cloud=

-. hey thought they had only a girl to deal with and that, therefore, they could ride roughshod o#er her. ,ut she
would show them their mista4e. hey wouldn!t ha#e dared to ha#e treated her li4e that if she had been a man. ,ut she would see that her daughter got her rightsE she wouldn!t be fooled. @;9 Aother=

Stu y 3uestions 4 Essay To$ics

Stu y 3uestions

1. Joyce brings the reader!s attention to e#eryday obCects throughout his stories. Discuss some e5am"les and
e5"lain the significance of Joyce!s use of them in the collection.

2. *n the first three stories of Dubliners, Joyce uses first-"erson narration, though for the rest of the collection he
uses third-"erson. 1hat "ur"ose do the two narrati#e a""roaches ser#eL

+. Discuss the role of story titles in the collection. &ow does a gi#en title interact with its story and with the titles
of other storiesL 1hat is the significance of the collection!s titleL

3ui5 1. *n ;9raby= the narrator tra#els to where at the end of the storyL
798 9rabia 7,8 ,uenos 9ires 7C8 $owhere@he stays at home 7D8 9 ba0aar held in Dublin

2. 9ccording to the news"a"er article in the story, what causes Ars. /inico!s death in ;9 'ainful Case=L
798 ?ld age 7,8 /hoc4 or heart failure 7C8 Ar. Duffy!s "olitical theories 7D8 9 train accident

+. 1hich *rish national figure is celebrated in ;*#y Day in the Committee Room=L

44

798 James Joyce 7,8 ,ono 7C8 Charles /tuart 'arnell 7D8 Beo"old ,loom

2. 1hat does Aaria lose in ;Clay=L

798 &er train tic4et 7,8 9 "lum ca4e 7C8 9 bundle of clay for &alloween games 7D8 &er memory

-. 1ho narrates ;9n >ncounter=L

798 9 boy named Aangan 7,8 Father Flynn 7C8 9 strange, anonymous man 7D8 9n unnamed young boy

6. *n ;9 Bittle Cloud,= what does Bittle Chandler dream about becomingL

798 9 "oet 7,8 9 news"a"er re"orter in Bondon 7C8 9 legal co"ier 7D8 9 weather forecaster

3. *n ; he /isters,= what does Father Flynn hold in his handsL

798 /herry and biscuits 7,8 9 bouDuet of i#y 7C8 9 chalice 7D8 $othing

8. 1hat does the narrator li4en >#eline to when she free0es on the doc4s in ;>#eline=L
798 9 "araly0ed "riest 7,8 9 hel"less animal 7C8 9n angry creature 7D8 9 brown figure

(. 1here is Charles /Jgouin from in ;9fter the Race=L

798 Just outside of Dublin 7,8 >ngland 7C8 he west of *reland 7D8 France

1). 1hat does Corley "rocure from his date in ; wo :allants=L

798 9 gold coin

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7,8 9 har" 7C8 Fancy cigars 7D8 Food

11. 1hat does Aiss *#ors call :abriel when they dance together in ; he Dead=L
798 9 "oor dancer 7,8 9 loyal *rishman 7C8 9 1est ,riton 7D8 9 good writer

12. 1here does om <ernan fall in ;:race=L

798 9t church 7,8 From a carriage 7C8 From his bed 7D8 Down the stairs at a "ub

1+. 1hat ca"tures :retta!s attention while the other guests lea#e the Aor4an "arty in ; he Dead=L
798 &er husband 7,8 he snow 7C8 Freddy Aalins 7D8 9 song

12. 1ho is referred to as ; he Aadam= in ; he ,oarding &ouse=L

798 Ars. <earney 7,8 Ars. Aooney 7C8 <ate Aor4an 7D8 Aangan!s sister

1-. 1hat does Aaria do at the end of ;Clay= that ma4es Joe Donnelly cryL
798 /he sings a song 7,8 /he chooses the "late of clay in the game 7C8 /he tal4s about his brother 7D8 /he loses the cor4screw

16. 1hat does Farrington do when he returns home in ;Counter"arts=L

798 &e "re"ares dinner for his wife 7,8 &e "rays the ;&ail Aary= 7C8 &e beats his son 7D8 &e "uts out the fire

13. *n ;9 'ainful Case,= what does Ar. Duffy see in the "ar4 by his houseL
798 he ghost of Ars. /inico 7,8 9 news"a"er

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7C8 wo lo#ers 7D8 9 strange old man

18. *n ;9 Aother,= why does Ars. <earney storm out of the final concert with her daughter when it is only halfway
throughL 798 /he was offended by the nudity 7,8 he "iano was out of tune 7C8 he audience booed 7D8 he organi0ers refused to "ay the full fee they!d agreed on

1(. 1hy does Farrington!s boss yell at him at the beginning of ;Counter"arts=L
798 &e snea4ed out of the office to drin4 a beer 7,8 &e failed to com"lete a co"ying assignment 7C8 &e "awned his boss!s watch 7D8 &e insulted a client

2). 1hat does :abriel loo4 at outside of his hotel window in ; he Dead=L
798 /now 7,8 9 gra#eyard 7C8 Children "laying a game 7D8 raffic

21. 1hat does :abriel do in ; he Dead= that no one else does during the "arty mealL
798 >ats 7,8 Deli#ers a s"eech 7C8 :ets drun4 7D8 ells a story about his childhood

22. 1hat is one of the words that the boy of ; he /isters= thin4s of when he loo4s through Father Flynn!s
windowL 798 ,egorrah 7,8 Cor"se 7C8 Chalice 7D8 'aralysis

2+. 1hat sound in ;>#eline= suddenly ma4es >#eline determined to esca"e her domestic lifeL
798 9 shi" horn 7,8 he #oice of Fran4 7C8 9 street organ 7D8 he #oice of her father

22. &ow does Jimmy Doyle s"end all of his money with his friends in ;9fter the Race=L
798 ,etting on car racing

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7,8 'laying cards 7C8 9rm wrestling 7D8 reating his friends to drin4s

2-. *n ;9 Aother,= what does Ars. <earney insist her daughter learn, in addition to "ianoL
798 he *rish language 7,8 he street ma" of Dublin 7C8 Contract law 7D8 *rish dance

48