What does the story signify?

445 Words1 Page
bulb-icon

Recommended: Theme of loneliness in books

What does the story signify?

Joyce’s “A Painful Case” shows the clash between two diverse types of people; those who assume they cannot do any better for themselves, and those who desire to help them help themselves.

How does it signify?

Mr. James Duffy is a lonely man who is not incredibly fond of the Dublin suburbs. He lives in an old, dismal, threadbare house with a black iron bedstead, an iron washstand, some chairs, a coal-scuttle, a square table, and a fender and irons. Compared to a blissful home of the present day, one may suppose that someone presently died in Mr. Duffy’s house. One day, he was sitting at a Rotunda, next to a lady, Mrs. Sinica, and her spawn. That one meeting would be the launch of something fresh for the both of them. Mrs. Sinica would either meet Mr. Duffy at the park gate, or somewhere in town, or she’d bid him over to her house. Mr. Sinica encouraged his visitations, thinking that Mr. Duffy was after his daughter’s hand in holy matrimony. All of the instances he spent with her influenced his life, and he started to live somewhat different than previously. During one of the meetings, Mrs. Sinica got slightly frisky, and Mr. Duffy left and has no communiqué with her for a week. He eventually requested her to meet up with him at a cake shop where they strolled around for some hours conversing. A few days after the two arranged to sever their interaction, he obtained his music and books from Mrs. Sinica. Several years passed, and Mr. Duffy never heard from Mrs. Sinica again. He wrote more seldom than before, and kept away from the concerts for fear that he would see her. One late afternoon, as he was analyzing a newspaper editorial, he observed an article about the “DEATH OF A LADY AT SYNDEY PARADE” and forced himself to continue. Once he read the subsection, and realized that the deceased woman was his old companion, something arose in his stomach that didn’t seem familiar to him. He deemed strongly that she had not only degraded herself, but him as well. With this in mind, he came to a public-house for some hot punch, and entered the park gate and strolled under some emaciated trees, and desolate valleys, as the two had done four years earlier.

Show More
Related

  • Symbolism in Chapter 17 of Chopin’s The Awakening

    1177 Words  | 3 Pages

    “It was a large, beautiful room, rich and picturesque in the soft, dim light which the maid had turned low. She went and stood at an open window and looked out upon the deep tangle of the garden below. All the mystery and witchery of the night seemed to have gathered there amid the perfumes and the dusky and tortuous outlines of flowers and foliage. She was seeking herself and finding herself in just such sweet half-darkness which met her moods. But the voices were not soothing that came to her from the darkness and the sky above and the stars. They jeered and sounded mourning notes without promise, devoid even of hope. She turned back into the room and began to walk to and fro, down its whole length, without stopping, without resting. She carried in her hands a thin handkerchief, which she tore into ribbons, rolled into a ball, and flung from her. Once she stopped, and taking off her wedding ring, flung it upon the carpet. When she saw it lying there she stamped her heel upon it, striving to crush it. But her small boot heel did not make an indenture, not a mark upon the glittering circlet.

    Read More

  • Analysis Of Fun Home By Alison Bechdel

    1180 Words  | 3 Pages

    Her family life is depicted with contradictions of order and chaos, love and animosity, conventionality and avant-garde. Although the underlying story of her father’s dark secret was troubling, it lends itself to a better understanding of the family dynamics and what was normal for her family. The author doesn’t seem to suggest that her father’s behavior was acceptable or even tolerable. However, the ending of this excerpt leaves the reader with an undeniable sense that the author felt a connection to her father even if it wasn’t one that was desirable. This is best understood with her reaction to his suicide when she states, “But his absence resonated retroactively, echoing back through all the time I knew him. Maybe it was the converse of the way amputees feel pain in a missing limb.” (pg. 399)

    Read More

  • fall on your knees

    1522 Words  | 4 Pages

    The childhood of Frances Piper consists of inadequate love, loss of innocence and lack of concern, ultimately leading to her disastrous life. As a six year old child, she encounters several traumatic events, explicitly the death of her loved ones and the loss of her innocence. Over the course of one week, there have been three deaths, two funerals and two burials in the Piper family. “Frances was crying so hard now that Mercedes got worried. ‘I want my Mumma to come ba-a-a-a-ack.’”( McDonald 174). As a young child, there is nothing more upsetting than losing a mother. A family is meant to comfort each other to fulfill the loss of a loved one; however, this is not the case in the Piper family. Mercedes, only a year older than Frances, tries to console her even though she herself is worried. The loss of motherly love and affection has a tremendous impact on her future since now her sole guardian, James, expresses no responsibility towards her. Instead, he molests Frances on the night of Kathleen’s funeral to lessen the grief of his lost daughter. As a result “These disturbing experiences plague Frances with overwhelming feelings of low self worth and guilt that haunt h...

    Read More

  • A True War Story Analysis

    1276 Words  | 3 Pages

    Rat’s friend, Curt Lemon, dies and Rat writes to Lemon’s sister honoring him but sadly the sister does not write back; ironically she ignores Rat because she perceives the story as disturbing and horrible. The reader would expect Lemon’s sister to respond honoring her brother or thanking Rat but ironically she does not respond making all of Rats efforts go in vain. This is sad and Immoral because the sister does not care and O’Brien writes, “...So incredibly sad and true; she never wrote back” (51).

    Read More

  • Epiphany in Astronomer’s Wife, When I consider how my light is spent and Everything That Rises Must

    1783 Words  | 4 Pages

    Before Mrs. Ames and the mother realize the restrictions of their old lives, their worlds have been full of disillusionment and ignorance. Mrs. Ames, for example, is oppressed by her husband’s silence and the search for love and tenderness from anyone, because she lives each day alone, ignored by her scornful husband. And, as a result of being left companionless, she does not mature, rather she longs for tenderness. In other words, Boyle explains her dysfunctional relationship with her husband, “The mystery and silence of her husband’s mind lay like a chiding finger of her lips. Her eyes were gray for the light had been extinguished in them” (57). That is, Mrs. Ames’ spirit remains oppressed by her husband who treats her as a child, and, in doing so, isolates her from his world.

    Read More

  • Character Analysis of Mrs. Mallard in The Story of an Hour

    1047 Words  | 3 Pages

    Mrs. Mallard’s repressed married life is a secret that she keeps to herself. She is not open and honest with her sister Josephine who has shown nothing but concern. This is clearly evident in the great care that her sister and husband’s friend Richard show to break the news of her husband’s tragic death as gently as they can. They think that she is so much in love with him that hearing the news of his death would aggravate her poor heart condition and lead to death. Little do they know that she did not love him dearly at all and in fact took the news in a very positive way, opening her arms to welcome a new life without her husband. This can be seen in the fact that when she storms into her room and her focus shifts drastically from that of her husband’s death to nature that is symbolic of new life and possibilities awaiting her. Her senses came to life; they come alive to the beauty in the nature. Her eyes could reach the vastness of the sky; she could smell the delicious breath of rain in the air; and ears became attentive to a song f...

    Read More

  • The Tell-Tale Heart Literary Analysis

    618 Words  | 2 Pages

    The story “The Tell-Tale Heart” by Edgar Allan Poe is a short horror story about the narrator going insane and ends up killing a old man. It first starts off by the narrator going into the old man’s house spying on him. At night, exactly at midnight the narrator goes into the old man's house and watches him sleep. The narrator has a deep hate for one of the old man’s eye, he states it by saying, “One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture-a pale eye, with a film over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold; and so by degrees- very gradually-I made up my mind to take the life of the old man and thus rid myself of the eye forever” (Poe, 355). One night while spying on the old man his thumb slipped on a tin, which frightened the old man. The narrator then stayed quiet for a long time, but then instantly killed the old man. He hid the body all around the house. A neighbor heard a scream during the night so they called the police, which arrived at the house. The narrator acted calmly and let the police in to search the house. Then the police wouldn’t leave the

    Read More

  • The Black Plague Historical Fiction

    1059 Words  | 3 Pages

    It was a village on a hill, all joyous and fun where there was a meadow full of blossomed flowers. The folks there walked with humble smiles and greeted everyone they passed. The smell of baked bread and ginger took over the market. At the playing grounds the children ran around, flipped and did tricks. Mama would sing and Alice would hum. Papa went to work but was always home just in time to grab John for dinner. But Alice’s friend by the port soon fell ill, almost like weeds of a garden that takes over, all around her went unwell. Grave yards soon became over populated and overwhelmed with corpse.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in “The Story of an Hour”

    662 Words  | 2 Pages

    The symbols and imagery used by Kate Chopin's in “The Story of an Hour” give the reader a sense of Mrs. Mallard’s new life appearing before her through her view of an “open window” (para. 4). Louise Mallard experiences what most individuals long for throughout their lives; freedom and happiness. By spending an hour in a “comfortable, roomy armchair” (para.4) in front of an open window, she undergoes a transformation that makes her understand the importance of her freedom. The author's use of Spring time imagery also creates a sense of renewal that captures the author's idea that Mrs. Mallard was set free after the news of her husband's death.

    Read More

  • James Joyce's Dubliners

    1443 Words  | 3 Pages

    James Joyce created a collection of short stories in Dubliners describing the time and place he grew up in. At the time it was written, Joyce intends to portray to the people of Dublin the problems with the Irish lifestyles. Many of these stories share a reoccurring theme of a character’s desire to escape his or her responsibilities in regards to his relationship with his, job, money situation, and social status; this theme is most prevalent in After the Race, Counterparts, and The Dead.

    Read More

  • Desire of Escape

    945 Words  | 2 Pages

    In Dubliners, James Joyce tells short stories of individuals struggling with life, in the city of Dublin. “It is a long road that has no turning” (Irish Proverb). Many individuals fight the battle and continue on the road. However, some give up and get left behind. Those who continue to fight the battle, often deal with constant struggle and suffering. A reoccurring theme, in which Joyce places strong emphasis on, is the constant struggle of fulfilling responsibilities. These responsibilities include; work, family and social expectations. Joyce writes about these themes because characters often feel trapped and yearn to escape from these responsibilities. In “The Little Cloud”, “Counterparts”, and “The Dead” characters are often trapped in unhappy living situations, often leading to a desire of escape from reality and daily responsibilities.

    Read More

  • Symbolism in The Story of an Hour

    369 Words  | 1 Pages

    Several symbols in Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour" create a feeling of comfort, wellness, and wonderfulness within the reader's mind. The first symbol I will speak of is the "comfortable chair" which she sinks into after the news of her husbands' death. Then, I will speak of the open window, which she sits in front of through which she sees many symbols of things that are good. Finally, I will speak of the description of Mrs. Mallard herself and her comfortable situation, which will tie together all the symbols that create the feelings of comfort and wellness in the reader.

    Read More

  • Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zola Neale Hurston

    1445 Words  | 3 Pages

    Janie was with a variety of men throughout her life but she only allowed three of them to wed her. She faced many negative opinions, judgments, and misfortune; however, she was still capable of moving forward despite it all. Janie was born into a world in which her looks made it easy for her, but also was her downfall. Many guys looked at Janie as just a beautiful woman—no more. None of them could connect with her on an intellectual level or valued what she really had to offer, except Tea Cake. Janie’s lack of maternal and paternal relationships with her parents left her seeking to be loved. Although, Nanny Crawford, Janie’s grandmother, did her best to raise her; Janie still had emptiness in her heart. Janie showed her disregard for her own happiness when she agreed to an arranged marriage to Logan Killicks, set-up by the grandmother. Nanny Crawford felt that love was...

    Read More

  • Mr. Duffy

    540 Words  | 2 Pages

    Throughout Mr. Duffy’s life he has never found a satisfactory choice with anything, which explains why he sticks to a simple, plain, and routine life. He also never gave much thought to his own feelings or wrote them down most likely to assert his decision of being alone, so he wouldn’t start to rethink his decisions. But when he met Mrs. Sinico, they’re intimate discussions slowly led him into breaking down that wall that kept out all people from getting close to him. He was starting to unconsciously enjoy the company of an intimate friendship, but he couldn’t let it last for long so he pushed her away. For the longest time he didn’t realize that he missed that company until he was informed of her suicide. As he walked around the city listening for her voice to come and comfort him in his moment of shame and sorrow he finally understood for the first time in his life that he didn’t want to be alone.

    Read More

  • James Joyce Influences

    1303 Words  | 3 Pages

    Joyce is a master of style, and readers can find a different one for each of his major works (Magill’s 1342). This excerpt from Magill’s is an excellent way to describe James Joyce’s writing because it is a true statement.Throughout many of his works he use many different themes to make his stories more interesting to the reader, and one of those is his use of institutions. Throughout Dubliners Joyce make many hints about views on religion, what he thinks about the world, and views about politics. These thoughts and views are found in three short stories found in Dubliners. The first story is “A Mother” which gives the reader a view of the musical world seen in Dublin (Magill’s 1343). I “A Mother” it talks about a man further named Mr. Holohan who is trying to organize a concert in Dublin which would feature a young well-...

    Read More

More about What does the story signify?

Open Document