Escape in Dubliners

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Escape in Dubliners

In the novel Dubliners, James Joyce uses fictional stories to portray the society of Ireland during the early 1900’s. This was a time in Ireland when the attitudes of the Irish were negative and the society was regressing, and Joyce used these characteristics to illustrate the faults of the Irish people. He is able to accomplish this through the use of many different literary themes, which are used to show the humanity of the Irish people. The theme of journeys of escape is evident in many stories and is closely related to the humanities theme of autonomy and responsibility. Through their everyday experiences, the characters have to deal with many situations that deal with their responsibilities to society and feelings of self sufficiency. These themes are especially evident in the stories "An Encounter" and "The Dead" as the characters in each desire for escape from their current lives and situations. The story "An Encounter" is about two school children who take a day off from class to escape their boring everyday lives and journey outside Dublin. "The Dead," the Dubliners longest story, consists of many different interactions between characters at a party. In these two stories the characters attempt to escape their responsibilities in life and journey away from the life that is holding them back.

The journeys in these stories represent the characters searching for something that will provide excitement and enjoyment in their life. In the beginning of "The Dead" a vast assortment of people are arriving at the annual Morkan’s dance. This dance is an event put on every year and all who are invited usually attend because everyone always has a very good time. During this time jobs were scarce and money was hard to come by so the people had difficult lives with the responsibility of providing the necessities for their families. The party gives the characters one night away from their every day lives to enjoy themselves and forget about all their responsibilities and troubles. The party provides this escape through a good meal, dancing, music, and simply a chance to interact with different people. This evening symbolizes that the Irish people did not have exciting social lives and probably spent most of their time and energy at work.

The boys in "An Encounter" search for excitement in a different aspect than the social one of "The Dead". The boys around the neighborhood simulate the days of the Wild West everyday after school to provide excitement and fun in their lives.

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