Dubliners

Modernism, in the fine arts, a break with the past and the concurrent search for new forms
of expression. Modernism fostered a period of experimentation in the arts from the late
19th to the mid-20th century, particularly in the years following World War I.

 James Joyce was an Irish novelist, short story writer, poet, teacher, and literary critic. He
contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most
influential and important writers of the 20th century. Joyce is best known for Ulysses (1922), a
landmark work in which the episodes of Homer's Odyssey are paralleled in a variety of literary
styles, most famously stream of consciousness. Other well-known works are the short-story
collection Dubliners (1914), and the novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916)
and Finnegans Wake (1939). His other writings include three books of poetry, a play, his
published letters and occasional journalism.
Joyce was born in Dublin into a middle-class family. A brilliant student, he briefly attended the
Christian Brothers-run O'Connell School before excelling at the Jesuit
schools Clongowes and Belvedere, despite the chaotic family life imposed by his father's
unpredictable finances. He went on to attend University College Dublin.

Dubliners
Dubliners consists of fifteen short stories.
The stories are arranged in four groups that correspond to four “phases” of life:
 childhood;
 adolescence;
 maturity;
 public life.
A significant theme in all the stories is the feeling of paralysis that many of the
characters experience as a result of being tied (legati) to antiquated and limited
cultural and social traditions.
The last story, “The Dead”, can be considered Joyce’s first masterpiece. It stands
out (si distingue) from other fourteen stories because however similar in theme it
is denser.

Narrative technique
The omniscient narrator and the single point of view are rejected: each story is
told from the perspective of a character (dalla prospettiva del personaggio). The
linguistic register is varied, since the language used suits (si adatta) the age, the
social class and the role of the characters.

The use of epiphany

The description in each story is realistic and concise with abundance of external
details, even the most unpleasant.
The use of realism is mixed with symbolism (details
have a deeper meaning). Understanding the ephiphany
in each story is often the key to the story itself.
The Joyce’s theory of the epiphany suggests the search for something existing
 under the surface of things and events. The episode described is apparently
unimportant but essential to the life of the characters.

A pervasive theme: paralysis

The paralysis of Dublin which Joyce wanted to portrait is both physical and moral
linked to (legata alla) religion, politics and culture.
Joyce’s Dubliners accept their condition because they are not aware of it (non
sono consapevoli) or because they lack the courage (gli manca il coraggio) to
break the chains that bind them (di rompere le catene che li legano).
But there is not paralysis alone but also its revelation to its victims. The coming to
awareness (la presa di coscienza) marks the climax (segna il culmine) of these
stories. The main theme is the failure to find a way out (via di uscita) of paralysis.
None of characters succeeds (riesce): they live as exiles at home, unable to cut
the bonds (in grado di tagliare i legami) that tie them (che li legano) to their own
world.

Themes: Insularity, Ambition,  Drunkenness, The Intersection of Life and Death, The

Desire for Escape, The Prison of Routine

Genre:
In Dubliners, Joyce primarily works within the genre of realist fiction. Realism
emerged in French, Russian, and British literature of the 19th century. Although
individual writers espoused their own ideas about what realism was, their work
shared a broad aim: to depict the “real” world without romanticizing or idealizing it.
Realist fiction achieved this by shunning elements of fantasy and the supernatural as
well as by avoiding artificial storytelling conventions that had been passed down
from, for example, the romances of the Middle Ages. Because nineteenth-century
literary realism attempted to portray the world as it really was, it tended to represent
quotidian, everyday activities rather than sweeping adventures and heroic feats. In
connection to this, realist fiction also avoided focusing on the ruling class and its
small world of wealth and privilege. Instead, writers associated with realism typically
emphasized the issues affecting the middle class, which was expanding rapidly over
the course of the nineteenth century and early twentieth century due to the rise of
industrial capitalism.

Symbols:
Windows
Windows in Dubliners consistently evoke the anticipation of events or encounters that
are about to happen. For example, the narrator in “The Sisters” looks into a window
each night, waiting for signs of Father Flynn’s death, and the narrator in “Araby”
watches from his parlor window for the appearance of Mangan’s sister. The
suspense for these young boys centers in that space separating the interior life from
the exterior life. Windows also mark the threshold between domestic space and the
outside world, and through them the characters in Dubliners observe their own lives
as well as the lives of others. Both Eveline and Gabriel turn to windows when they
reflect on their own situations, both of which center on the relationship between the
individual and the individual’s place in a larger context.
The Sisters
In "The Sisters," a young boy learns of the death of Father Flynn, a priest he has befriended.
Neighbors comment on the priest's odd behavior, but the boy is both grieved and curious in
response to Father Flynn's death. He and his aunt visit Father Flynn's sisters who now wonder
what they will do without the responsibility of caring for their brother.

Araby
In "Araby," a boy suffers from an all-consuming crush on a neighborhood girl. He is afraid to talk
to her, but thinks about her constantly. When she speaks to him, she asks if he is going to a
bazaar called Araby, and the boy promises to bring back a gift. After a series of delays, he gets
to the bazaar as it is closing and can find nothing to buy. He realizes that impressing the girl is a
hopeless cause.

The Dead
In "The Dead," Gabriel Conroy attends his aunts' annual Christmas ball with his wife. He has an
awkward conversation with the housemaid in an attempt to be friendly and a harsh disagreement
with one of the guests, who questions his patriotism. These events make him nervous about a
speech he is to give after dinner, but the speech goes well. Later, when he and his wife are in
their hotel room, he discovers his wife had a sweetheart who died before she met Gabriel. This
story and the other events of the evening lead Gabriel to question his own mortality and sense of
worth.

Character

Narrator

The reserved and contemplative boy who deals with the death of his friend, Father Flynn.
The narrator avoids showing outward emotions to his family members, but he devotes his
thoughts to the priest’s memory. Others in the story see the narrator’s relationship with the
priest as inappropriate and exploitative, and the narrator himself seems unsure of what the
priest meant to him.

Father Flynn

The priest who dies in “The Sisters.” Father Flynn’s ambiguous presence in the story as a
potential child molester initiates a book-long critique of religious leaders, consistently
portraying them as incompetent.
Old Cotter

The family friend in “The Sisters” who informs the narrator of Father Flynn’s death. Old
Cotter voices concern about the priest’s intentions with the narrator, but he avoids making
any direct statements.

“An Encounter”

Narrator

The young boy who endures an awkward conversation with a perverted old man while
skipping school. Bored with the drudgery of lessons, the narrator dreams of escape. When
imaginary games fail to fulfill his yearning for adventure, he embarks on a real one with his
friend Mahony by skipping school and spending the day in Dublin, only to encounter fear.

Mahony

The narrator’s companion in “An Encounter.” When Mahony and the narrator rest in a field,
a strange old man approaches them. At one point Mahony runs aw ay after a cat, leaving
the narrator and the old man alone.

“Araby”

Narrator

The amorous boy who devotes himself to his neighbor Mangan’s sister. Images and
thoughts of the girl subsume the narrator’s days, but when he finally speaks to her it is brief
and awkward. When Mangan’s sister tells the narrator about a bazaar called Araby, the
narrator decides to go there and buy something for her. However, he arrives at the bazaar
too late and buys nothing. The narrator illustrates the joys and frustrations of young love.
His inability to pursue his desires angers him.
Read an in-depth analysis of the “Araby” narrator.

Mangan’s sister

The love interest in “Araby.” Mangan’s sister mentions the Araby bazaar to the narrator,
prompting him to travel there. She suggests the familiarity of Dublin, as well as the hope of
love and the exotic appeal of new places.

"Eveline"

Eveline

The protagonist of the story that shares her name. Eveline makes a bold and exciting
decision to elope to Argentina with her lover, Frank, but ultimately shrinks away from it,
excluding herself from love. Her constant review of the pros and cons of her decision
demonstrates her willingness to please everyone but herself, and her final resolve to stay in
Dublin with her family casts her as a woman trapped in domestic and familiar duties and
afraid to embrace the unpredictable.

Read an in-depth analysis of Eveline.

"After the Race"

Jimmy Doyle

The upwardly mobile protagonist of “After the Race.” Infatuated with the prestige of his
friends and giddy about his inclusion in such high-society circles, Jimmy conducts a life of
facile whims and excessive expenditure.

"Two Gallants"
Lenehan

One half of the pair of swindlers in “Two Gallants.” Lenehan exudes energy and exhaustion
at once. He excitedly partakes in the exploits of his friend Corley but also laments the
aimlessness of his hard living and lack of stability. Though he yearns to settle down, he
remains fixed to Corley’s side as the stereotypical sidekick.

Corley

The scheming friend of Lenehan in “Two Gallants.” Corley’s bulky, assertive physical
presence matches his grandiose bragging and incessant self-promotion. A police informant
and skilled in taking advantage of women, Corley provides one of the most critical and
unsympathetic portraits of betrayal in Dubliners when he dupes the housemaid into giving
him a gold coin.

"The Boarding House"

Mrs. Mooney

The proprietor and mother from “The Boarding House.” Separated from her husband and
the owner of a business, Mrs. Mooney firmly governs her own life, as well as her daughter
Polly’s. Her apparently successful plan to secure her daughter in a comfortable marriage
makes her a morally ambiguous character. She demands equal treatment for men and
women but also manipulates relationships to rid herself of her daughter.

Mr. Doran

The lover of Mrs. Mooney’s daughter Polly in “The Boarding House.” A successful clerk, Mr.
Doran fears his affair with the unpolished daughter will tarnish his reputation and bemoans
the restraints of marriage, but he resolves to marry her out of social necessity and fear.

"A Little Cloud"

Gallaher

Little Chandler’s old friend who visits Dublin in “A Little Cloud.” For Little Chandler, Gallaher
represents all that is enticing and desirable: success in England, a writing career, foreign
travel, and laid-back ease with women. His gruff manners and forthright behavior contrast
with Little Chandler’s delicacy.

Little Chandler

The unhappy and fastidious clerk who reunites with his friend Gallaher in “A Little Cloud.”
Little Chandler’s physical attributes match his name—he is small, fragile, and delicately
groomed. His tendency to suppress his poetic desires suggests that he also earns his title by
living quietly and without passion. He fleetingly rebels against his domestic life after hearing
about Gallaher’s exciting life, then shamefully re-embraces it.

Read an in-depth analysis of Little Chandler.

"Counterparts"

Farrington

The burly and aggressive copy clerk and protagonist in “Counterparts.” With his wine-red
face and fuming temper, Farrington moves through Dublin as a time bomb of rage.
Farrington’s job dooms him to unthinkingly repeat his actions, and he transfers his
frustrations from one experience to the next without discernment. His outlets in life are
drinking and fighting, a physical engagement with the world that typifies his lack of care and
thought. Farrington’s son is one victim of his rage.

Read an in-depth analysis of Farrington.

Mr. Alleyne
Farrington’s boss in “Counterparts.” Exasperated by Farrington’s poor work, Mr. Alleyne
yells at and insults Farrington until Farrington embarrasses him in front of the office staff. He
serves mainly to exacerbate Farrington’s frustrations and fuel his anger.

"Clay"

Maria

The quiet and prim maid and protagonist from “Clay” who goes to visit Joe Donnelly, the
man she nursed when he was a boy. Maria is precise and dedicated to detail. She moves
through most of the narrative with content satisfaction and laughter. Her happiness,
however, faces challenges in the smallest of events, and her disproportionate reactions to
small troubles suggest a remote detachment from life.

Joe Donnelly

The man Maria visits in “Clay.” Joe’s brief appearance in the story provides a backdrop for
Maria’s own concerns. Like her, he worries about mundane details, but he also hides a
deeper wound that the story does not articulate. Therefore, he serves as a sad figure of
unhappiness.

"A Painful Case"

Mr. Duffy

A solitary and obsessive man who eschews intimacy with Mrs. Sinico in “A Painful Case.”
Disdainful of excess and tightly self-regulated, Mr. Duffy lives according to mundane routine,
and when a relationship evolves beyond his comfort level, he squelches it. His remorse over
Mrs. Sinico’s death makes him realize that his pursuit of order and control has led only to
loneliness. He is one of the most tragic protagonists of Dubliners.

Mrs. Sinico
Mr. Duffy’s companion in “A Painful Case.” After being shunned by him, Mrs. Sinico
becomes an alcoholic and dies when she is hit by a train. She once grasped Mr. Duffy’s hand
and held it to her cheek, and this small, affectionate gesture led to the end of their
relationship.

"Ivy Day in the Committee Room"

Mat O’Connor

One of the political workers from “Ivy Day in the Committee Room.” Quiet and reserved,
O’Connor paces the men’s conversation by tempering conflict and praise about the dead
politician Parnell, but he shows little interest in his own political work.

Joe Hynes

Reads the poem about Parnell in “Ivy Day in the Committee Room.” Some of the men are
hesitant about his presence in the room because Hynes is critical of the candidate for whom
they work, but Hynes never wavers in his statements or views.

John Henchy

The equivocating political promoter from “Ivy Day in the Committee Room.” Henchy
suspects everyone of betrayal. He suspects his boss of shirking the men out of beer and
paychecks, and he suspects Hynes of informing the opposing candidate. However, he is the
most equivocal figure in the story and constantly changes his own views to suit the context.

"A Mother"

Mrs. Kearney
The commanding protagonist of “A Mother.” One of the four female protagonists in
Dubliners, Mrs. Kearney is ambitious but also haughty. She orchestrates her daughter’s
upbringing as an exemplary proponent of Irish culture and poise, but she has trouble dealing
with Dubliners of different backgrounds and any challenges to her authority.

Mr. Holohan

The befuddled secretary who organizes the musical concerts in “A Mother.” Mr. Holohan is
the subject of Mrs. Kearney’s abuse, and though he remains quiet throughout the story, he
is the only character who resists and counters her critiques.

"Grace"

Tom Kernan

The out-of-luck businessman of “Grace.” After a nasty, drunken fall, Kernan joins his friends
in an attempt to reform his life. He remains silent about his accident, never questioning the
men who were his companions that night. His accepting attitude leads him to go along with
his friends’ plan to attend a Catholic retreat, but he never makes an active decision.

Jack Power

Kernan’s friend in “Grace.” Power rescues Kernan after his accident and suggests the
Catholic retreat. Mr. Power’s dedication to Kernan appears shallow despite his efforts to
reform the man, as he is acutely aware of Kernan’s dwindling social status in comparison to
his own burgeoning career.

"The Dead"

Gabriel Conroy
The protagonist from “The Dead.” A university-educated teacher and writer, Gabriel
struggles with simple social situations and conversations, and straightforward questions
catch him off guard. He feels out of place due to his highbrow literary endeavors. His aunts,
Julia and Kate Morkan, turn to him to perform the traditionally male activities of carving the
goose and delivering a speech at their annual celebration. Gabriel represents a force of
control in the story, but his wife Gretta’s fond and sad recollections of a former devoted
lover make him realize he has little grasp on his life and that his marriage lacks true love.

Read an in-depth analysis of Gabriel Conroy.

Gretta Conroy

Gabriel’s wife in “The Dead.” Gretta plays a relatively minor role for most of the story, until
the conclusion where she is the focus of Gabriel’s thoughts and actions. She appears
mournful and distant when a special song is sung at the party, and she later plunges into
despair when she tells Gabriel the story of her childhood love, Michael Furey. Her pure
intentions and loyalty to this boy unnerve Gabriel and generate his despairing thoughts
about life and death.

Lily

The housemaid to the Morkan sisters who rebukes Gabriel in “The Dead.”

Molly Ivors

The nationalist woman who teases Gabriel during a dance in “The Dead.”

Julia Morkan
One of the aging sisters who throw an annual dance party in “The Dead.” Julia has a grey
and sullen appearance that combines with her remote, wandering behavior to make her a
figure sapped of life.

Kate Morkan

One of the aging sisters who throw an annual dance party in “The Dead.” Kate is vivacious
but constantly worries about her sister, Julia, and the happiness of the guests.

Michael Furey

Gretta Conroy’s childhood love in “The Dead” who died for her long ago.

Next section

Gabriel Conroy, “The Dead”

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Protagonist:

Narrator, “Araby”
The young narrator and protagonist of “Araby” is infatuated with his friend Mangan’s
older sister, and wants to buy her something at the visiting bazaar. In the beginning
of the story, the boy’s descriptions of his surroundings are filled with wonder and
magic, such as “The space of the sky above us was the color of ever-changing violet
and towards it the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanterns. The cold air stung
us and we played till our bodies glowed.” Filled with poetic sentiments about his
friend’s sister, such as “my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were
like fingers running upon the wires,” he asks his uncle for money to visit the bazaar.
His uncle promises to give him money when he returns from work, and for days the
narrator can think of nothing else. 

This simple goal, to buy a girl a gift at the bazaar, is complicated by his uncle’s
forgetfulness, an equally simple reality of life. His uncle, distracted by everyday
demands, neglects to return in time to give the boy the money, and the narrator is so
frustrated and disillusioned by this that the narration is stripped of all the previous joy
and wonder. On the way to the bazaar, he says, “After an intolerable delay the train
moved out of the station slowly. It crept onward among ruinous houses and over the
twinkling river.” By the time he gets to the bazaar, he doesn’t even remember why he
wanted to go in the first place. In the end, as he sees himself as “a creature driven
and derided by vanity,” he understands he is at a cruel impasse between desire and
restriction, between fantasy and the realities of Dublin life. His romantic fantasies,
which he once considered mature and adult, he now understands were not only vain
but futile in the face of his restricted circumstances. 
 
Mrs. Mooney, “The Boarding House”
After her husband drinks and gambles the family business into ruin, Mrs. Mooney
must secure a stable life for herself and her daughter Polly. She is adept at this,
swiftly arranging a separation and opening a boarding house, one of the few
professions open to women at the time. The boarding house is successful, and Mrs.
Mooney’s resilience and good judgment allow her and Polly to recover quickly from
her husband’s drunkenness and financial recklessness. In many ways, the trajectory
of Mrs. Mooney’s life makes her the quintessential Dublin woman. Throughout
Dubliners, alcoholic men leave their families’ lives in ruins, and the women are
forced to cobble together the best livelihood they can with limited opportunity and
second-class status.  

Nevertheless, Mrs. Mooney must make certain compromises to arrange a secure life
for herself and her daughter. A boarding house, because of the class and behavior of
its patrons, is considered a somewhat disreputable business to run. Furthermore,
Mrs. Mooney turns a blind eye to Polly’s promiscuity, hoping that she would
eventually seduce a man who could provide a profitable marriage. When Polly
begins an affair with Mr. Doran, a successful clerk, Mrs. Mooney uses shame and
social pressure to effectively manipulate them into a marriage that is advantageous
for Polly. Mrs. Mooney’s resourcefulness is admirable to a point, but her willingness
to exploit her customers’ personal lives and daughter’s sexuality make her in the end
a morally ambiguous character.

Mr. Duffy, “A Painful Case”

At the beginning of the story, all Mr. Duffy appears to want is a peaceful existence
with as little fuss or interference as possible. He is an intellectual, without
“companions nor friends, church nor creed,” and considers himself superior to the
rest of the Irish middle class. The trajectory of his mundane, insular life is changed
when he meets Mrs. Sinico, whom he finds attractive and intellectually engaging, but
even their first three meetings are entirely coincidental, requiring no courage or
proactivity from Mr. Duffy. Finally, Mr. Duffy intentionally arranges a fourth meeting,
which suggests that he was harboring a repressed, unexpressed desire for
companionship all along.

The two are intellectually and interpersonally compatible, and Mrs. Sinico’s
friendship briefly transforms the hardened Mr. Duffy. Mr. Duffy appears to welcome
these changes in terms of noticeable self-improvement, but the moment she touches
his cheek with the palm of her hand, broaching the boundary of physical intimacy
and threatening the rigid stability of his life, he breaks off the friendship without
hesitation. Years later, when Mrs. Sinico has descended into drunkenness and is hit
by a train, Mr. Duffy realizes that he is to blame. His rigid insularity had not only
“sentenced her to death,” but also doomed them both to pain and isolation.

Antagonist

Uncle, “Araby”
The narrator’s uncle in “Araby” is an interesting antagonist because he wanted and
promised to give the narrator the money he needed for the bazaar, and he only foils
his nephew’s plans by accident. Further, the story never explains why the narrator is
being raised by his aunt and uncle instead of his parents. The lack of clarity lurks in
the story’s periphery, as the reader may infer some tragedy or dramatic poverty that
they have kept secret from the narrator. The uncle, unlike many men in Dubliners, is
not withholding, or abusive, or drunk. He is a dutiful caretaker, but the demands of
life nevertheless get in the way and he neglects to return in time to give his nephew
the money for the bazaar, and this small offense suffuses all hope and magic from
the narrator’s worldview. In this way, the uncle’s forgetfulness represents the realities
of adulthood that will await the young narrator as he gets older, realities that are
perhaps even tied to the reasons he is being raised by an uncle in the first place. 

Father Flynn, “The Sisters”

Once Father Flynn dies, the young narrator only wants to process and understand
the meaning of their relationship. The priest’s role as an antagonist to this objective
is twofold: first, the memory of the priest haunts and confuses the narrator, and
secondly, the story hints in very vague terms that the priest may have been abusive.
While the narrator is in bed, the “heavy grey face of the paralytic” priest haunts him
and murmurs in the dark, wanting “to confess something.” Neither the boy nor the
reader knows what needs to be confessed, but the reader can assume it is sinful in
nature. Further, even though the priest taught the boy about history and religion,
lessons that he enjoyed and appreciated, the boy felt, to his surprise, that he “had
been freed from something by his death.” Whatever influence the priest had on the
boy, it was dark, confusing, and probably controlling. Though we never learn exactly
why, the reader can confidently agree with the men in the narrator’s life, that Father
Flynn’s impact was not appropriate for the boy.