Scarica James Joyce: Dubliners, Ulysses + text analysis e più Appunti in PDF di Inglese solo su Docsity! James Joyce (1882-1941): Life: ►Was born in Dublin into a middle-class Catholic family; his father was a supporter of Charles Parnell (leader of the movement for the Home Rule for Ireland) but, after his death, he left the politic and social life (became the symbol of failure to his son’s eyes). Joyce attended a Jesuit school and then graduated in modern languages. ►Since Ireland was an obstacle for his artistic development, he started a self-imposed exile; he went to Paris, to Pola and then to Trieste, where he published (1914) “Dubliners” (=a collection of 15 short stories) and (1916) “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” (=an autobiographical novel). At the outbreak of WW1, he moved to Zurich (neutral) and finished his masterpiece “Ulysses”, published in Paris (1922); there he wrote also his last novel “Finnegans Wake” (1939). Then he returned to Zurich, where he died. ►Ireland: Joyce’s relationship with Ireland is complex: on one hand he rejected it, on the other hand he gives a perfect portrait of the early 20th century Dublin. Narrative: His normal and artistic life are connected: the self-imposed exile allowed him to find the unrestricted climate he needed and gives him the change to write about Ireland with objectivity and detachment. His novels show a shift from the particular to the universal, from the small narrative of “Dubliners” and “A Portrait” (lyrical style) to the large narrative of “Ulysses” (epic style). “Dubliners” (1914): ►It is a collection of 15 short stories and give a pitiless portrait of the Dubliners. The first 14 stories were written in 1905; the last story, “The Dead”, was finished in 1907 and the complete collection was published in 1914. “The Dead” is about a pedophile who meets 2 children on a bridge, but then decides walk away, because it is a too-dangerous situation. Paralysis: The central theme is paralysis (=mental paralysis, the feeling of taking a difficult decision that we are unable to do), which is considered the representative trait of people living in Ireland; it is described in 4 stages: childhood, youth, maturity and public life. Style: The style is complex: it is both realistic (perfect description of people, places and streets) and symbolic (symbolic elements give a new view of reality and lead Joyce to an epiphany=a moment when an ordinary situation acquires a new meaning and makes a person realise their condition – miserable). T he Dead - Dubliners : The Dead: It is both the climax to all the other stories in the Dubliners and the counterpoint to them: it is characterized by lyrical intensity (because of the narrator’s detached objectivity) and by a compassionate view of the people living in Dublin. It is also a story of paralysis, indecision and inability to do anything. It takes place on 25th December, when it is snowing (symbolically, the snow maps out the region of “the dead” and units the living and the dead). The central character of the story is Gabriel, who best represents all failed Dubliners (he knows he has failed → dramatic figure); he is also what Joyce felt he would have become if he had remained in Ireland. At the end, Gabriel abandons his frustrations and regrets and gets closer to the world of the spirit (the region of “the dead”). Summary: ►Party: The Dead begins with the party organized by the Morkan sisters fot Epiphany and to which they invite friend and relative. At this party participates also Gabriel Conroy (a nephew), an intelligent and successful intellectual, whose personality is unfulfilled: even if he would like to solve Ireland’s problems, and travel towards Europe, he prefers to continue his usual life. During the party, he feels accused of having done something he hasn’t; he does not feel at home (hostil environment) and tries to find an ally in his wife Gretta (she too seems detached).
