How Did James Joyce Use Of Foreshadowing In Counterparts

James Joyce’s “Counterparts”: An Analysis of Foreshadowing

In James Joyce’s “Counterparts,” Farrington, a troubled man stuck in a monotonous job as a text copier, attempts to mitigate his overwhelming stress, only to find himself further demeaned and frustrated. The prison of routine is presented as a major theme, and the plot consists of three main settings that create the comparable catalysts for Farrington’s building anger and torment. Throughout each part of the plot, Joyce’s narration clearly implicates future events, particularly within the office scene. Although the motifs and recurring elements in the office setting reinforce the theme, they are also used to foreshadow impending events and conflicts that unfold to tell Farrington’s grim tale.

First and foremost, Farrington’s dependency on alcohol to suppress his underlying anger and anxiety at the office foreshadows his night of drinking and failure to properly cope with his problems.

As the rising action develops, Joyce constantly eludes to Farrington’s instincts to reach for a drink when work begins to frustrate him. As Mr. Alleyne begins to pressure him to finish his work, Farrington is described to have a “sharp sensation of thirst” (1) and the need to “slake the thirst in his throat” (2) as he is beginning to copy the documents. Not only do these expressions demonstrate that this type of behavior is habitual for Farrington, but it also indicates his eventual night out drinking at bars. Furthermore, Joyce goes as far as blatantly telling readers that Farrington believes he “must have a good night’s drinking” (1). This further solidifies the foreshadowing of Farrington’s bar hopping escapade to drown out his sorrows. Due to this persisting instinct, it is clear that he fails to properly handle his stressful and repetitive job, will most likely resort to a night of drinking as he has in the past, which all in turn has created a basis for his uncontrollable

anger.
Stemming from his lack of coping mechanisms and reliance on alcohol, another recurring motif that surrounds the office scene and foreshadows subsequent events is Farrington’s overwhelming anger. While at the office, his anger builds as Mr. Alleyne berates him and his work becomes increasingly more stressful as the deadline approaches. Joyce describes Farrington’s initial reaction to Alleyne’s orders as a “spasm of rage” (1). Although he manages to repress his hatred toward his work and Mr. Alleyne, he eventually lets his emotions dictate his actions and talks back to his boss, almost losing his job in the process. Farrington’s “ruffian” (3) behavior is a sign of future outbursts that are caused by his animosity. From the start of the office scene, Farrington’s desire to escape his mundane life becomes apparent, and his underlying tone of frustration concerning his everyday experiences is an important indication that cycles of conflict similar to the events at the office will continue throughout the story.
With this in mind, a major origin of Farrington’s struggles in life consist of the constant demeaning and condescending behavior by all those who interact with him at work, making it yet another motif in the story that can be used to foreshadow forthcoming circumstances after the office scene. At the onset of the story, Farrington is called to Mr. Alleyne’s office, where the boss claims that he “might as well be talking to the wall” (1) and chastises the towering Irishman for not completing his work yet. Immediately this sets the tone for how Farrington is treated by his “counterparts”, and provides the reader with insight regarding future events and conflicts. Additionally, racial tensions exist between Mr. Alleyne and Farrington due to the latter man’s mockery of his boss’s accent. Adding even more fuel to the fire, Farrington’s mid day drink gives his colleagues another reason to justify his negligible importance at the office. Farrington continually tries to withhold his temper, but once he feels his dignity is diminishing, he attempts to regain it at any cost, making a cutting remark towards Mr. Alleyne for a brief feeling of superiority. As aforementioned, Farrington’s frustration suggests that all of the struggles he faces at his job are chronic, which includes the incessant disparaging attitudes of his coworkers. It only seems customary that Farrington’s flare-ups will continue as the plot progresses, and will be due in part to similar circumstances explained at the office. For these reasons, the deprecation of Farrington and his role in the workplace foreshadows future catalysts for his emotional and physical outbursts.
Without question, the motifs and details surrounding Farrington’s day at the office sufficiently uphold the theme of cyclical torment in the story, but these elements are rooted deeper within the plot and allow readers to foreshadow its structure and future developments. Every aspect of the story, whether it be the episodic plot, the themes and motifs surrounding dangerous repetition, or the narration that insinuates that Farrington’s misery will only continue, have cooperative relationships. As the title suggests, the main driving force of the story is the presence of similarity and relatedness. All facets of the story are interconnected and compliment each other, almost as if they are all “Counterparts.”