by Martin Reftorr

Created on: June 15, 2008   Last Updated: June 16, 2008

By uniquely stringing together separate but related short stories which are centered around life in Dublin , Ireland , James Joyce effectively makes critical statements concerning various characteristics of the city. Joyce particularly emphasizes his criticisms of the paralysis encompassed by life in Dublin , a culprit that he believes results from the generational and hereditary inability to change living habits.

In the first few stories, he focuses on tales of childhood, specifically stories that indicate a deficiency in the ability to decipher the truth from mere fantasy. The story, "An Encounter" epitomizes this idea: two elementary school-aged children believe that by ditching class and wandering off aimlessly they are embarking on a great adventure and can assume a dominant role over their surroundings. However, the truth of the situation dawns on them and instead reveals the dysfunction of some of Dublin 's characters. They realize the terror of being alone and experience one of Dublin 's problems consume them when a creepy, old pedophile deeply discomforts them, stealing their childhood innocence. As the boys are corrupted by the old man, this whole sequence indicates Joyce's belief that the faults of Dublin are transferred largely through generational inheritance. This disillusionment follows in "Araby", in which Joyce once again illustrates a youthful incapability to understand reality by depicting a young boy's desire to "buy a gift for [his friends older sister]", which he ultimately fails in doing. By including stories of childhood failure and misconceptions about the world, James Joyce portrays the Dublin lifestyle as one that disillusions children at a very early age, often in part due to similar failures retained by older generations.

In a similar manner, Dublin 's women live through unfair suppression because of hazardous habits that Joyce equalizes with the nature of the city. For example, "Eveline" depicts the harmful effect of family life on a young woman when problems such as famine, disease, and alcoholism (all of which Joyce associates with Dublin ) ravage the family unit. Specifically in this case, Joyce describes the ultimate paralysis which dominates Dublin females because the main character, Eveline, sees no happy alternative to her situation. Either way, Joyce hints, she will be exploited, rather as a forced prostitute by a sailor who feigns his love for her or as a victim of emotionally-painful beatings at the hands of her drunken

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