Deconstructive Analysis of Dubliners, Term Paper Example

Dubliner is a collected works containing short stories that were written by James Joyce. The short stories are a major boost to today’s play writers as well as essay writers. The first publication of the collection of the stories was first done in the year 1914. The stories were meant for the middle class of the Irish people in Dublin. Joyce’s stories were published at the time when nationalism of the Irish was leaning t its peak (Jeri & Johnson, 2000). At that time identity of the nationalists was at rage and also in its peak as well as with cultural backgrounds and history. This led to several influences been converged at Ireland. Joyce’s idea was mainly for epiphany was about experiences of a certain character and self understanding (Bowen & Zach 1974).

Actors of Dubliners

Several characters that are found in the Joyce’s Dubliners later appeared acting as minor actors in the famous novel of Ulysses which was liked and admired by many people all over the world. Stories found in the Dubliners today are a source of encouragement to many play writers. Child protagonists narrate the stories very well. The stories have passion for the lives of the older generation and their concerns. That was because Dubliners is in a collection of young generation, adult and the most mature generation.

The tale of the ‘The dead’

In the collection of Joyce’s Dubliners, the dead is final story but the longest and the most liked for its sweetness while reading. Gabriel Conrol finds himself in the center of the story. This is at the night when sisters of the Morkan were preparing for the annual dinner which was been celebrated annually, Gabriel surprises himself for discovering that he never understood much about the past experiences of his beloved wife

How and when- he discovers this by just making a joke hen he arrived at the party. The joke not towards his wife but towards the prediction of the maid’s marriage but in the process he is seriously and funky poked by his wife by bringing an old conversation that concerned about wearing of clothes hen the weather is very bad. This leads Gabriel to find himself in a pathetic situation but to show that he is a strong gentleman, he overcompensated some of his statements that he had dedicated to miss Ivors who was a citizen of the Irish origin (Jeri & Johnson, 2000). The two were dancing together at that evening.

Gabriels conventions led to Miss Ivor escaping away from the celebration before serving of dinner. Gabriel had talked issues that praised Irish nationals at the same time considered to hearing the past story on experiences of his wife. He never noted that his wife was standing far away from the staircases when he was talking all that. He got surprised at the last minute when he noticed her deep in thought. This was so amazing; he couldn’t believe it was her. What could he do next, just to stare on her as a real stranger? But Gabriel gains courage goes to her and envisages her as a real model in his illumination of distant heavy music.

Mrs. Gabriel was later so much diverted to a mood of sexual attention towards him but later becomes unresponsive when Gabriel confronted her to a private room. Gabriel notices that her wife had heard the song sung by D’arcy. Gabriel presses on his wife Gretta to openly tell him the reason she was that much affected by the Arcy’s song. Gretta agreed to tell her husband the whole story from her childhood when she fell in love with Michael Furey, a boy of her close age mate at the time when she was staying at her grandmother’s home. Later afterwards she was send away to Dublin and this led to distraction from her beloved boyfriend (Bowen & Zach 1974). Michael was so in deep with her such that regardless been very sick and bedridden he walked a long distance while raining to Gretta’s home whereby he climbed to the window and wished her all the best in her future. In one week’s period, Michael passed away. Michael’s death in the story of ‘the dead’ is like the death of Evelines mother’s death in the story of Eveline. Deaths of the two characters in these symbolize how they brought much effect to the lives of the main characters: that is Gabriel and Eveline. Gabriel was not aware of his wife’s past experiences and when he came to understand to notice, his life was not the same again. There is an indication in Gabriel’s mind that he believed his wife loved someone who was dead more than she loved him. In Evelines case, she realizes that she has to keep the promise of a dead mother rather than that of her boyfriend Frank.

Most of readers claim James Joyce wanted to prove to the world about the power of love (Bowen & Zach, 1974). The love in two dimensions-towards the parent and love towards the boy-girl relationships. The confession of Gabriel’s wife took him to another world of imagining about himself as well as of his wife, does he really feel insecure? This is what many readers ask themselves. Gabriel is also left imagining more about the living and the dead.

The tale of Eveline

This is a story of a young lady who passes through many experiences. She experiences the death of her mother as well as his older brother called Earnest. She tries to imagine how life has treated her poorly to an extend of thinking about leaving home. But will she really make it. The other brother of hers is busy with church activities that concern decoration. The girl is so much full of fear that her father will punish if he came to realize that she had a keen interest on jobs that do concern sales. She too like Greta in the story of the dead falls in love with a young man called frank. Frank has promised her girlfriend that they will tour Buenos Aires (Bowen & Zach 1974). The girl was much anticipating for that time and she hoped Harry, her boyfriend will keep the promise. Eveline hears music on organ grinder been played outside and this takes her memories back to the time her mother passed away. Eveline had promised her mother that she will always protect the home with due respect (Jeri & Johnson, 2000). The situation is very confusing to her. The sad memories over calm her, but will she leave her home and go away with harry.

Love that hurts

When ones love someone and he gets hurt, painful feelings come across. Frank was hurt by Eveline decision to remain at her own home; Gabriel was hurt by his wife’s confession- ‘Michael loved me to an extend of been rained on his way to visit me I was in love with him since childhood’ A difficult situation indeed. Frank was ready prepared for the journey but after been let down by her girlfriend will be a very hurtful situation. Gabriel was hurt by hearing the confession of his beloved wife that before him, he loved someone else. Greta’s love was for her first love Michael while in the tale of Eveline, the love is towards memories of her beloved mother who had died a few days ago. The big question several readers of the Eveline tale ask themselves is that; did Eveline really love frank?, why do they ask this? Its because after she declined to accompany frank in their adventurous journey, she never showed any emotions at all. She knew the situation will be so painful to frank but why did she not show any feelings. In the tale of the dead the readers can confirm that Michael truly loved Gretta! Why? This is because at one point he is seeing travelling all the way to the home of Gretta while it was raining and at the same time very sick, he goes to an extend of climbing to the top of the window to as to talk with his love. Eveline finds herself in an indecisive situation been confused on which way to go. After Michael passed away, Greta had no otherwise other than just to accept the fact and go ahead with his life. Another aspect that leaves readers of the dead tale with suspense is whether truly Greta loved Gabriel? Why? Because after Greta listened to Arcy’s song, his mind went back to the memories of his long time love, Michael. This shows that her true love was not Gabriel but Michael. The situation put Gabriel in an awkward position because he started becoming unsecure of his wife. Maybe he himself asked many questions starting with whether his wife’s heart was really for him or somebody else who passed a long time ago.

Gabriel may also have wondered why in all those years he never understood the life of her wife. In the tale of Eveline, frank may also wonder why he requested Eveline for an adventurous journey a few days after passing away of her mother. The confusing issue is that in the story of Eveline we are not told any other man she had fallen in love with. This to some readers can create a feeling that Eveline loved frank but due to the promise she had whispered to her mother at the time she was dying, her conscience can’t allow. Also in the story of the dead, Greta may have not had any option other than getting married to someone else despite her love death.

These two tales on James Joyce, elaborate on the decisions one may be able make when finds himself in a confusing situation, Greta is pressured by his husband to say why he was so emotionally affected by Arcy’s song. She never knows whether to confess the truth or to ignore, but she takes courage and tells her whole truth about her past. At some point Gabriel was put in a pathetic situation whereby he never knew how to quote one of the poem from the poet of browning Robert. This was mainly because he never wanted to be seen as just pretending. Gabriel gave himself courage and the audience believed on him (Jeri & Johnson, 2000). Eveline is confused whether on whose promise to keep. She gains confidence and decides o keep the promise of her dead mother over the promise of her man in love.

Journeys

There is involvement of journeys in the two stories. Frank was to take Evelina to the Buenos Aires, for an adventurous tour while Greta was to be sent off away from Galway to Dublin at the time her love Michael visited him on the window of her house (Bowen & Zach 1974).

Emotional moments

The story of the dead and Evelina is full of emotional moments- Evelina tries to think of her mother’s death as well as that of her brother and feels sorry for herself and the life before her ahead. When Greta confesses her love for Michael, Gabriel is over calmed by an epiphany of artistic and emotions. Greta is also filled with emotions of Michael’s death. The tale of the ‘the dead’ and ‘Evelina’ sympathize so much on the feelings of love of the Irish nationality.

Works cited

Bowen, Zach, Musical Allusions found in the Works of James Joyce: Early Poetry Through Ulysses Albany: Suny Press publishers, 1974.

Jeri Johnson, “Composition and Publication History”, in James Joyce, Dubliners, Oxford University Press, 2000.