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Essay / Research Paper Abstract
A 5 page paper looking at these two recurrent themes in James Joyce's intense and evocative collection of short stories. The paper shows how Joyce's characters experience a sudden burst of enlightenment about their situation, coupled with a frustrating awareness of their powerlessness to do anything about it. Particular stories analyzed are 'Araby,' 'Eveline,' and 'A Painful Case.' Bibliography lists one source.
Page Count:
5 pages (~225 words per page)
File: D0_Epipara.doc
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Unformatted sample text from the term paper:
is going on beneath the surface. But overall, in this work, Joyce depicts a city full of people, of all different ages and situations, who have in common an inability
to act honestly, act truthfully, or act with passion, due to the combined effects of their society and their own inner confusion. These are expressed in Dubliners through the dual
themes of epiphany and paralysis. By epiphany, Joyce means a sudden awakening or realization -- the sudden recognition that one is behaving exactly like ones father, for example, or that
one is majoring in the wrong field. Opposed to this, however, is paralysis -- the perceived inability to do anything about it. Joyce feels that these two warring elements are
responsible for much of the frustration and rage we feel in our daily lives. He is also convinced that these warring elements are present in all ages, in all
social classes, in all walks of life. For Joyce, there is never a halcyon period of innocence and joy, when life just seems free for the taking; children are not
carefree (as adults seem to think they are), nor does maturity have as many advantages as it would seem to a child. Throughout our lives, the effects of our religious
and cultural socialization make life difficult. This theme is evocatively demonstrated in Joyces story "Araby", which illustrates the desperate longing of a young boy for an unnamed girl. Although at
the beginning of the story our young narrator has never even spoken to the girl, he tells us that "Her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood"
(Joyce, 30). Impulsively, and hoping to impress her, he promises to buy her something at the fair. It is very late when he actually gets to the fair, and
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