Vanity and Anguish

The four short stories we read in James Joyce’s Dubliners are collectively bound between covers of vanity and anguish.  His characters are tormented by their failings, and tortured by their longings for that love they go without.

Individually, these tragic tales hold subtle gems I found to be intriguing.  Page citations are in parentheses.

“Araby”’s Anthropomorphism and Alliteration:

(20)    Blind street
(20)    Houses gazed with brown, imperturbable faces
(21)    Houses grew sombre
(21)    Lamps lifted lanterns
(22)    Praises and prayers; pressed my palms
(26)    Driven and derided by vanity
(26)    Eyes burned with anguish and anger

“Eveline”’s Similarities to Wide Sargasso Sea:

(31)    This man would save her, give her life and love
(31)    “Come” he beckoned
(31)    He was drawing her into the sea and would drown her

“A Painful Case” of Vanity, Ridicule, and  Irony:

Mr Duffy won’t stoop to associate with lesser beings--

(91)    No friends, no church
(91)    Visits relations annually, escorts them to cemetery
(93)    He’s an art snob, egotistical, patronizing
(93)    Listens to his own voice
(93)    States he cannot give himself as he is his own
(93)    Exalted himself to angelic stature

He ridicules the only one who cared for him as--

(97)    Revolting; vulgar; fallen to vice
(97)    Degraded herself and him
(97)    A squalid, miserable and malodorous wretch
(97)    Unfit to live; no strength of purpose
(97)    A wreck; sunk so low

Ironically, he lived overlooking an empty distillery while she emptied bottles of distilled spirits

“The Dead” Decor and Conroy’s Condescension:

Keeping with tragic deaths in memory, music, stage, and song--

(161)    Wall decor features Romeo and Juliet, two murdered princes

Conroy behaves condescendingly to everyone--

(154)    Lily
(155)    All invited guests
(157)    Blacks
(161)    His niece
(167)    His aunts

He’s most agitated and speechless when condescended to by Miss Ivors (163-65)