Category: Dubliners

Introduction: Unveiling Joyce’s Dublin

‘Dubliners’ is a collection of fifteen stories written by James Joyce. All the stories together create a depiction of Irish people living in Dublin, set at the beginning of the 20th century. This was the era of Irish nationalism and of a search for independence from Great Britain. The English had control over Ireland that resulted in impeding the development of the country and disempowering Ireland politically. This led to paralyzing the Irish inhabitants as well as their politics and culture. In a letter to Grand Richards, Joyce stated his purpose of choosing the paralyzed society of Dublin: “My intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my country and I chose Dublin for the scene because that city seemed to me the centre of paralysis” (Selected Letters 83). The characters in the stories are either emotionally, physically, or sexually paralyzed. Nevertheless, Joyce provides them with life-changing moments, and with moments of self-understanding, which enable the characters to escape from the tediousness of their lives. This paper will discuss the elements of paralysis in Joyce’s Dubliners. In order to examine these elements, I will first discuss the theme paralysis in general to illustrate possible causes of paralysis in Ireland, then I will focus on two stories from the collection, namely ‘The Sisters’ and ‘Eveline’, and analyze the events that led to the paralyses of the characters.

Joyce’s Exploration of Paralysis in Irish Society

For the purpose of understanding the meaning of paralysis, it is necessary to discuss Joyce’s reasons for thinking that Dublin represented the core of paralysis in Ireland before analysing the stories. Joyce wrote these stories when the Irish were under the rule of Great Britain, they were controlled by the British and had no independence. The collection was meant to show the people living in Dublin that there was something they were missing because they did not even notice they had fallen into a paralytic state. Throughout the stories, the protagonists have an epiphany which was Joyce’s way of helping the Dubliners realize this paralysis, and of showing them how to snap out of it. This was one of Joyce’s main reasons for writing about the paralytic state of Dublin. According to Joyce, as is stated in his essay ‘Ireland – Island of Saints and Sages’, the Dubliners were not able to move forward because they were kept from making any progress. The point therefore was to show the people that if they did not change anything they would be paralysed forever and there would be no future for them. In a letter to Richards, Joyce states that his intention was not to write just a novel about his country, but a satire which will help to liberate Ireland (Delany, 257). Joyce also highlights the importance of believing in oneself in order to become aware of the paralytic state. As is argued in Paul Delany’s ‘Joyce’s Political Development and the Aesthetic of Dubliners’, Joyce believed that the people of Dublin would lead the Irish to realize their inadequacies (Delany, 257).

Character Analysis: A Mirror to Dublin’s Paralysis

The theme of paralysis in ‘Dubliners’ is apparent from the beginning of the collection and that is the story called ‘The Sisters’. The very first line “There was no hope for him this time” (Dubliners, 1) indicates that there has been hope for Father Flynn, but now it is too late, and this can also be related to the Catholic Church. Joyce attempts to express that there is no hope for the Church, in the same manner as for Flynn, and points out that the Dubliners are paralysed in the way they live, and they should realize how easily their lives became a part of a vicious circle. Living in this circle cannot be terminated unless the people strike out on their own and change their lives somehow. Then Joyce gets straight to the idea of paralysis in the line “Every night as I gazed up at the window I said softly the word paralysis” (Dubliners, 1), which hints to the fact that it was Joyce’s intention to work with this idea of paralysis, and that it is going to appear throughout the whole collection. The story continues on to describe the boy’s and Flynn’s state of paralysis. Father Flynn experienced paralysing strokes which resulted in death. Whereas the boy is paralysed because of the influence that the priest had on him. At first, it seems that he had a good relationship with Father Flynn, but later he pulls away from the dead priest. This may be considered as a sign of fear, and therefore as a source of his paralysis. In addition, his state of paralysis may also be illustrated by his inability to express his feelings about the priest’s death.

It can be seen from the above analysis that the theme of paralysis is accompanied by the theme of religion in the story ‘The Sisters’. Joyce thought that the church had too much control over the Dubliners and over Ireland in general. This is supported by the fact that the priest’s death somehow freed the boy: “I felt even annoyed at discovering in myself a sensation of freedom as if I had been freed from something by his death” (Dubliners 4); he does not feel trapped or paralysed anymore. The reason why Joyce felt that the church was one of the sources of paralysis in Irish society was that religion represented an important part of the country in those days. At that time, Ireland was also trying to break free from the control that Great Britain had over it. However, the connection that existed between Ireland and the Church impeded the chance of being free from the British. This may be backed up by a statement in Joyce’s essay ‘The soul of the country is weakened by centuries of useless struggle and broken treaties, and individual initiative is paralysed by the influence and admonitions of the church’ (‘Ireland’). This statement indicates that Joyce believed that Ireland, specifically every individual living in the country, was hindered by the Church. Being shackled by the rules and influence of the Church, the Irish people could not fulfil their potential. This idea is again supported by the fact that the boy’s paralysis is discontinued after the priest has died. Flynn’s death freed him, he has an epiphany, because he realizes the priest does not paralyse him anymore. Joyce attempted to make the readers have an epiphany while reading the story, and make them realize they are shackled or even paralysed by the Church in the same way as the boy was, but shows that they may also become free if they break the relationship with the Church off. Taking this into consideration, the boy symbolises the future generations that will be able to escape from paralysis and lead the Irish as well as the country to achieve great things.

Symbolism and Setting: Depicting Dublin’s Stagnation

An equally significant depiction of paralysis is to be found in the story called ‘Eveline’. The paralysis of the main protagonist – Eveline – may be divided into three different forms. Until she finally decides to escape, she remains in a static position throughout the story which is indicated by the very first line: “She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue’ (Dubliners, 24). After some time, her position is not any different: “Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window” (Dubliners, 27). These aspects may be regarded as physical paralysis. However, Eveline does not move metaphorically either, she is kept from moving forward, unable to fulfil her dreams because of her indecisiveness, and remains stuck in life, which represent a psychological form of paralysis. She is aware of the fact that the world around her changes, but she just cannot find any way of escape, just as the people living in Dublin can find no means of breaking out of the British rule. Furthermore, Eveline is paralysed verbally since she is not able to put her feelings and thoughts into words. She cannot express her feelings for her lover Frank, her father, and fails to verbalize dissatisfaction over her life. On the basis of all these arguments, it is obvious that psychological paralysis is prevailing in the story; however, at the end of the story when Eveline is watching Frank on the ship she cannot join him, and her mental paralysis results in real physical paralysis.

In order to find the causes of Eveline’s paralysis, it is necessary to analyse the events preceding the present state of her psyche and mentality. She lives a tedious life with her father, but she is given an opportunity to start a new life with her lover Frank in Buenos Ayres. Even though Eveline experienced her father’s violence towards her mother and does not want to end up in the same situation, she is fighting with the dilemma of whether to stay or run away throughout the whole story. This dilemma may be considered to be one of the causes of Eveline’s paralysis. She knows that leaving with Frank could change her life for the better, but on the other hand she gave a promise to her mother “to keep the home together as long as she could” (Dubliners, 27). Although her father treats her badly, Eveline sacrifices herself for the family trying to keep the promise. This creates the theme of duty and responsibility, which later leads to the theme of paralysis. Her duty to her father displaces her desire for a better life. The story continues, but Eveline has not made a decision yet. To justify her urge to stay with her father she recalls happy moments from their past. This represents Joyce’s attempt to criticise glorification of the past, because it hinders Eveline from pursuing her own happiness, and again it leaves her paralysed. Another possible reason for Eveline’s paralysis would be her sense of powerlessness raised by her father. He epitomises repressive force in her changeless life and orders Eveline about. Nevertheless, everything around her contributes to this paralysis, she is paralysed by the whole family, by the city, and also by the possible guilt she would feel if she escaped from her present life. Even though Eveline believes that leaving her father is a logical thing to do, she still remains paralysed. Joyce used this situation to illustrate the fact that a change is necessary for terminating any form of paralysis. He tried to show the people living in Ireland that unless they do something with their lives or actually make a change, they will forever remain paralysed. It is not enough to want something, Joyce highlights the necessity of acting upon their desires. At the end of the story, Eveline is described as a “helpless animal” (Dubliners, 28) which exemplifies the situation when paralysis weakens one’s strength and human capabilities. She is so paralysed that she cannot move nor react. Eveline is given the opportunity for escaping her miserable life, but her paralysis does not let her go.

Conclusion: The Enduring Relevance of Joyce’s Dublin

The characters analysed above epitomise a general state of paralysis which the Irish people suffered from during the era of stagnation in Ireland. As this suggests, it is not only the city of Dublin which represents the core of paralysis, but it is the group of people who live in Dublin that are portrayed as the centre of the paralyzing difficulties. Joyce created a great portrayal of Irish society being afflicted by different forms of paralysis. He thought that one of the sources of paralysis in Dublin was the Church which he clearly demonstrated in ‘The Sisters’ through the relationship between the boy and Father Flynn. Joyce also pointed out that there were many other factors that made the Irish paralysed. In most cases, they were paralysed by the tediousness of their lives, their family, indecisiveness, failing to express their feelings, or mainly by their inability to move forward. However, the characters are given moments of epiphany, moments of realization in other words, about a truth that they are not able to fully understand because of their paralysis. These self-understandings work as means of escaping, and it is up to the characters to decide whether they break away from their own paralysis or continue living their lives without any change.

In James Joyce’s short story, “Eveline,” in the collection Dubliners, he introduces the story off with Eveline gazing miserably out the window, the distinct smell of dust causing her to reminisce about her youth when she was able to frolic and play in an empty field with other children before new houses were built. This memory sparked a profound sadness inside her, remembering that was when her mother was still breathing, and her father, still a father. Realizing that her friends and family were either dead or moved away made her comprehend how she too, is leaving her home.

Along with the illustration of what her childhood was like, there is a description of her worn and battered house, and the feelings it stirs inside her, as she never thought she would depart from what was formerly such a big part of her life. Eveline is faced with two alternatives that she can’t seem to get past. Stay home as an amenable daughter, or leave with her beloved, Frank. While deciphering between the two, she starts worrying about what other people would think of her if she were to leave. Instead of making her decisions based on what would be best for her and her mental health, she relies on the idea of what other people expect of her.

Eveline starts comparing her brothers and father, and how they differ in terms of granting her a sense of security, she implements this by describing the tiresome work her dad has her juggle, between working at a store and housekeeping, and although this is seen in a negative aspect she starts to second guess herself and comes up with compromises as to why staying home might not be so bad in the long run because after all, her father isn’t always abusive.

Frank, a sailor, asks Eveline to elope and start a new life with him in Buenos Aires. Eveline shows her hesitation by going back and forth on whether to stay or leave, and decides to write two letters for both her father and her brother, Harry. These notes caused yet another surge of memories of a more idyllic childhood, and promises once made to her mother to stay home. However, the sound of a street organ echoing through the town quickly alters the direction of her thoughts, sparking the memory of the night before her mother’s death. She remembers her mother’s pitiful life and decides she wants to change her course so that she doesn’t end up the same way. Because of this reflection, she concludes she must leave with Frank and embark on a new journey.

Like many other short stories in Dubliners, Eveline fantasies about the idea of escaping, but her dependency on routine takes over this idea, and instead of breaking free from this cycle of indecisiveness, she relies on prayer. While waiting to board the ship with Frank, she feels an aura of fear around her, overwhelmed with the decision that she is about to devote herself to. She again prays to God for guidance hoping it will reassure her in her decision. This proves to do the exact opposite, however, for she acts as if her determination to go with Frank has never existed, and while he boards and pleads with Eveline to come with him, she stays rooted in Dublin, both immobile and passionless.

“My intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my country, and I chose Dublin for the scene because that city seemed to me the centre of paralysis” James Joyce 1906. Joyce proves his point by making paralysis appear all throughout the novel by featuring a n inefficient government, corrupt church, emotionless people, and stagnant social life. On the first page, the young, nameless narrator gazes up at his window every night and softly repeats the word over and over again. The book ends in a vision of Ireland lying paralyzed under a deep covering of snow and is “general all over Ireland”. Therefore, it can be inferred that Joyce’s goal in writing The Dubliners is to underline the theme of paralysis in the country of Ireland and in the people it serves.

To contextualize, Ireland was facing triple pressures of British colonization, Catholic Church, and Irish nationalism. Because the Irish were under the colonial rule of England, they could not attend the House of Lords and had very limited power in politics. In Joyce’s eyes, this call for change made Ireland not only politically powerless, but psychologically paralyzed. In return, the atmosphere of Ireland became full of despair.

The whole story of “Eveline” is based centered around Eveline’s dilemma on listening to her mother or going away with Frank. Her personality is getting the best of her, and she becomes paralyzed on how she should move on. Her mother always told her to keep the house together as long as she could; that meant putting up with and supporting her family. Her brothers are still young and her father is getting old; they need her! But, Frank is an outgoing, kind, caring sailor who could make her feel something she’s ever felt before: the love of a husband. Time ticks and the young protagonist cannot physically or emotionally move. She stands, frozen, at the plank leading to the ship that would take her away from her life in Dublin; she is left paralyzed on the dock. Forced by fear and circumstance, she has frozen in time.

In Clay, Maria is a tragic figure who lives a paralytic life unconsciously. Nothing seems to make her happy so she immerses herself in illusions. Her imagination tells her she is a very attractive and popular woman. This loop hole to finding her own happiness has somewhat satisfied her to the point where she starts to ignore her real life condition; she has no children and no husband. Although she can fantasize about love, she has yet to find herself a boyfriend due to her long time suppression of desire. This results in a loss of confidence and ability to attract men. Maria’s ego and emotions are paralyzed; she is stuck in clay which symbolized the death of all her emotions.

Maria and Eveline’s attitudes toward life are similar in many aspects. They both belong to the lower class of Dublin as store assistant and laundry washer. Eveline carries the responsibilities of taking care of her family at a young age while Maria gets up early every morning to wash dishes; they never have time to enjoy their lives. Although, they both seem to passively accept their conditions as they are never working for a change in their lives. Eveline waits for others to save her life, even though she has a desire to escape whereas Maria has not realized that she lives in a poor and plain life and always magnifies her position in society as respectful. For example, while on the way to Joe’s, Maria is planning what to buy and thinks to herself, “How much better would it be to be independent and have my own money in my pocket?” (15). This demonstrates that she never tries to create a better life for herself and just dreams what life would be like if she took those thoughts into fruition.

Both Eveline and Maria share a personality trait of a strong desire for love. Eveline is always busy working and has no time to consider her own needs until Frank appears. “He was lodging in a house on the main road where she used to visit. He was standing at the gate, his peaked cap pushed back on his head and his hair tumbled forward over face of bronze” (19). She clearly remembers the first time she meets Frank. That is the first time in her whole life that she can envision a future with someone. She wants to escape with him but barely knows what the foreignism will be like, away from her home country. To contrast, Maria doesn’t admit to any emotional secrets in her life. She has always tried to cover up and hide any personal desire toward men, not because she is disgusted by them, but because she is nervous to put herself out into the real world.

By using this theme of paralysis throughout his novel, Joyce illustrates that all people of Ireland are paralyzed, not only the ones who are dead and lying in their graves; even the people who walk Dublin’s streets, the Dubliners, are paralyzed. For example, in “The Dead”, it is not just those who lie frozen underneath the snow who are dead, but also those who live. “The snow falls upon the living and the dead.” This concludes that everyone, living and dead, experience some form of paralysis. And the only way to mobilize Ireland, is to do what Joyce did: take flight and never return.

Joyce believed about the Irish society and culture of Dublin being frozen in place for centuries by authoritative forces, the Roman Catholic Church and England itself. Emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental are just some of the various ways Joyce demonstrates paralysis throughout the novel.

Emma: Jane Austen

One of the novels that I have read and enjoyed in this module is Jane Austen’s, Emma. I found this novel quite confusing at first, as I was trying to discover if it was romance novel or not, which I am still unsure of.

I found this to be a secular novel, through the author being concerned with the world of human interaction in general. It is set in Highbury in England, and as it being such a high-class location, I noticed that it was the mannerisms of the middle-class citizenship that is the focus. I feel that this setting allows Austen to highlight the roles and expectations of each class in the society. She uses irony to ridicule the upper classes of her time and also paint a vivid picture for how the women of that class led their lives. Austen is putting across the message that it is the people in the community who make the rules.

The narrator of this novel is in an authoritative position. Despite the fact that Austen narrates their drama with a slight tone of sarcasm I still felt like I connected with the characters and actually cared what happened to them. I believe that there are shared beliefs between the narrator and the reader. Although Emma is in third person, the narrator constantly makes comments about feelings and insights into the characters. For me, I found this quite interesting as it is unusual for an author to alternate between first and third person, in a sense.

I strongly feel that the idea of style is significant upon reading this novel. It seems as though Austen wants to contain a world that is fixed and uses a subtle and complicated style. She seems as though she is someone who is above and beyond the story.

One thing that I did enjoy wile reading this was the anticipation and suspense of romantics in the novel. Toward the end of the novel we (the reader) already know who was engaged to each other, and the fact that the characters at the time did not know, added that little bit of suspense to it. This was one of the points that I picked up on in one of the first lectures straight away.

Hard Times: Charles Dickens

Another novel that I have read over the course of this module is Hard Times, by Charles Dickens. I found this a little hard to read overall in my opinion. As it was written back in 1854, Dickens describes the dull world of Coketown, an industrial city in the north of England, where factories emitted smoke for fun, and ash was spread across the land, depicting it of a bleak black colour. What I found even worse was the dreary occupants in it.

Throughout this novel, I noticed that Dickens likes to differentiate between bad and good people in the story. What I found interesting is that Dickens gives a hurtful end to them, for the most part. He describes the good characters as the workers, the domestics, the vagabonds, the entertainers. He defines the “bad” people as ignoble. Those who make fun out of other, simply to cure their boredom. Those who bully, and who are self-satisfied. One thing that stood out to me throughout my reading of this book is that the so called ‘bad’ people in this book, try so hard to get under the ‘good’ people’s skin’s, and to ruin their happiness.

A lot like the previous book I have read, Emma, this tells the story through the different classes in society, only in this novel it is clearly showing the lower class. For this lower class, they have to deal with daily struggles such as suppression, as well as betrayal from others. Once again, it is seen as a tragic life, with a bitter ending.

I believe that Dickens is creating the idea of realism in this novel. Realism, in the sense that it is the portrayal of life with fidelity. I feel that Dickens uses his writing skills to get down to the characters level, and has empathy for them, as if he is there with them. The narrator throughout has a personality, that gives sarcasm and irony from the writer. I believe that Dickens is trying hard to see the world from both ends, however it is pictured that he has sympathy for the lower class and is affectionate at what they have to endure on a daily basis.

Dubliners: James Joyce

Prior to my reading on Dubliners, by James Joyce, I had the basic knowledge of what these short stories entailed. I have great admiration for James Joyce and I thoroughly enjoyed reading some of the short stories as they were so intriguing yet so short, it seemed nearly unfair to me that they were not extended!

I feel as though James Joyce intended to write a chapter of the moral history in Dublin. Throughout many of them we see stories of childhood, adolescence, maturity and public life. I also found it exceptional that the stories were written in that order and written in a scrupulous meanness style.

One short story from Dubliners that stood out to me was Araby. Personally, this is my favourite short story from Joyce’s collection because I believe that in just a few pages, the narrator can be seen to change and develop among the story. This can be seen through the emotions of the characters.

We see this story from the point of view of the unnamed narrator. We follow the narrator on their journey to the bizarre, portrayed as an exotic place, yet somewhere close to home. For me, reading this I gathered the idea that it was taking the form of an epic heroes’ quest. I felt like it somewhat could be the same approach as many movie themes, where someone sets out on a journey, and encounters many different obstacles along the way. What I found enticing, was the imagination of the boy, whether he was hallucinating by seeing the girl come to him or not, and her persuasion to go on the journey. However, I admired Joyce’s use of storytelling in this sense, as it kept me wanting to find out more and more. I believe that the conclusion to this journey is quite anti-climactic, as the boy fails to buy the girl what he wants and feels pathetic inside.

I enjoyed reading this as I used it as a contrast to other hero stories that I have read and could compare the endings. Rather than ending triumphantly, it does have the feel of an epic journey, but just from a much more ironic perspective. I feel Joyce uses his literary knowledge to create this epic story into much more. It left me with the question at the end, what the story really reflects about Joyce’s intent of how he views the world and society.

The Great Gatsby: F. Scott Fitzgerald

A thing that I learned in one of my EL101 lectures regarding this book, is the word zeitgeist. This word stuck to me as I don’t think there is a better word to describe the setting of The Great Gatsby. It is the spirit of time, the prevailing mentality of a particular period of time, especially as expressed in art or literature.

The story is set in the roaring 1920s America. I grew a love for the narrator Nick straight away. I’m not sure why to be honest, as he was seen as just living an average life having just come back from fighting the war. However, as we learn more about the characters, we see that there is a recurring theme of living a double life. It can be seen that each character has a different outlook display compared to their inner self. I also saw this book as a love story, and how far people will go for the people they love. I believe it is through the theme of love, that Gatsby announces arguably the most memorable line ‘Can’t change the past? Why, of course you can” (Fitzgearld, 2004). This, among many other lines throughout the text, caught my attention as it is something that I can relate to personally. Wishing I could go back in time and stay in that one place where you were happy and didn’t have any other issues.

I found that the recurring theme of the American dream stands out significantly throughout the book. The rich can be inconsiderate, both with their money and their attitudes, for that is the dream, apparently. One thing that I found very interesting is Fitzgerald’s use of highlighting the shocks of being an inconsiderate person at the time. We see that Daisy and Tom have it in their natural behaviour to be spiteful. They live nasty lives, careless for Myrtle, each other at times, and especially towards Gatsby. Fitzgerald has a discriminating ability for sharp evaluations of the economically advantaged and, like Jane Austin, has an ear for realistic, mocking dialogue. Through Nick’s narration, we see a world that so many Americans dream of. A life of endless parties, delicious food and beautiful clothes.

An underlying message that I gathered from this is that the dream is limited to many, and those who don’t achieve their goals and aspirations, live a life of misery.

Through my reading of the book, it seems as though ‘The American Dream’ lives on, despite individuals crashing and falling while not succeeding. There is the sense that god is not present.

The Colour Purple: Alice Walker

My first initial impression upon reading this book was gruesome and shivering to say the least. This book demonstrates the mistreatment of women, especially in the American south, in the 1930s.

Alice Walker narrates a story which attempts to notice a shared outline in problems pursuing civilizations across continents like emancipation of women, but she also gives us one shocking glimpse after another into the lives of women destroyed by the violence of rape and abuse, with the lives of these women seeking for meaning and looking for any ray of hope within misery.

This is an epistolary novel, seen through written letters, and Celie is the central character of these letters. We see her story being told through many letters written firstly to God, and then to her sister Nettie. As a harmed, uneducated woman, who was only ever shown love by Nettie, I found that the letters were very effective, mainly because Celie was limited to how she could express her emotions and feelings. It struck me at that a girl who was hurt and abused so much, both, could not be bitter and still have so much love in her heart. I believe that Celie is an exclusive voice that is sincere, honest and touching. It shows an intense picture of her life and develops as she herself matures to find that inner strength within her.

From my EL101 lecture, it was discussed that Celie can be seen as the colour purple itself. I didn’t think much of it at the time, however, the more I think of it, the more it makes sense to me. She doesn’t think that her existence has any worth, but she eventually comes to an understanding that, “I may be black. I may be ugly. But I’m here” (Walker, 1982). I found this line in particular, one of the few moments in the book that made me smile. It just speaks volumes and is so deep. The Colour Purple has complex characters and compound themes, but I believe that Walker has dealt with them in a simple, honest manner. The main themes of misogony, religion and uncritical faith, stand out for me in particular. It was not an easy book to read, neither plot nor writing were motivating. But I can say that I did find hope in the first, and even happiness in the last chapters.

Bibliography

1. Fitzgearld, F. S., 2004. The Great Gatsby. First ed. New York: Scribner.
2. Walker, A., 1982. The Colour Purple. First ed. New York: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.