Wouldn’t it be nice if we could time travel? Then we could go back in time and live amongst literary giants, from Wordsworth and Austen to Shakespeare and Tolstoy. But, until such a technology is invented, we will have to substitute books and stories for the time machine. With Dubliners, we get a chance to travel a hundred years back, to the turn of the last century, right around the time when literature evolved from plots to thoughts, from the exterior world to our inner nature, from traditional writing to modernism.
This is my
first time reading James Joyce’s works and Modernist literature, apart from
just one of his short stories I read sometime back. In my experience, to
completely understand modernist writings and stories, one must take a step
back, understand the state of affairs in the world during those times and how
it shaped the author’s thinking. One must also take a step into the author’s
personal life and experiences, which undoubtedly influenced his/her style of
writing.
Now, back to Dubliners. Published in 1914, Dubliners is a collection of 15 short stories, all set in Ireland, during a time when the country was unsure of its national identity. Unlike most other short story collections, this one is not a mere random collection of stories. Rather, the stories in this book are connected by an underlying theme of paralysis, frustration, routine, stagnation, and death, and are deliberately arranged in a way that the age of the main character advances gradually through the book. These techniques further enhance the reading and illuminate the Joyce’s skills, not just as a writer, but also as a social thinker. Joyce has the unique ability to hide symbolism behind seemingly ordinary descriptions. Colours, street names, houses and rooms, characters’ names all contain some hidden meaning, most of which would be better understood after a deeper analysis of the stories.
The routineness of mundane activities and the cyclic motion of life feature predominantly in the protagonist’s lives, as do the undue importance given to social appearances and experiences of epiphanies. The tedious, repetitive work and monotonous, uneventful days are very relatable to us all today since most of us across the world have experienced living under a lockdown and being stuck at home for a sufficient period. But it is Joyce’s deep understanding of the human mind that takes Dubliners up a notch. We humans work in surprising ways, which can be seen clearly in the fact that, despite our despise for monotony, we rarely seem to be able to let go of the regular in exchange for the unknown and despite our desire for adventure, we are way too comfortable to accept even a small change in our routine. Joyce has beautifully captured all these nuances of human psychology and woven them intricately into his stories, which make them a treat to read.
For the initial few stories, I would suggest taking a little help from literary sites to provide you the political and social context of the stories. Slowly, as you continue reading, you will yourself begin to understand Joyce’s trademark characters and his distinct writing style on your own and be able to see what he wants to show you.
Cheers!
Happy Reading!
