Literary Analysis

Literary Analysis

This was by far my least favorite paper of all of them simply because "The Dubliners" is incredibly hard to understand when you don't have enough time to read back through it like I had previously to understand the other stories. "The Dead" and "The Sister's" are two different stories. "The Dead" is the longest story in "The Dubliners" and the most difficult to understand because of the many different themes running through it. While "The Sisters" is much shorter than the latter, with an easier storyline.

Eyes & Vision in Dubliners

Dubliner by James Joyce is full of epiphanies that characters experience about the lives they live. All of the stories in Dubliners share the common themes of realization, and awareness. As the stories progress “The Sisters” and “the Dead” show the real way of life in Dublin in the early 20th century. These stories were not only showing the truth in the characters lives, but the true problems of Dublin in the 20th century. These themes are echoed throughout both “The Sisters” and “The Dead” and result in the main characters becoming more aware of their mortality and surroundings.

Awareness in “The Sister’s” becomes the main focus of the story as the boy begins to realize the truth behind his life. Before the priest dies the boy admires him as a father; but come to learn that he is not a respected as he thinks. After the priest passes on the people around him begin to talk. “-It’s bad for children, said old Cotter, because their minds are so impressionable. When children see things like that, you know it has an effect…-” (3) This shows the disgruntled attitude that most people in the story hold towards the priest. As the story goes on we learn that the boy was in the running for becoming a man of clergy not unlike the priest, even though Cotter still thought less of Father Flynn. “-The old chap had taught him a great deal, mind you; and they say he had a great wish for him-” (2) The boy was supposed to be a legacy for the position the priest held. But as we all do when people close to us die; you get hit hard with the true reality of what goes on around you, like the boy did.