Search for Meaning in James Joyce's Dubliners Throughout Dubliners James Joyce deliberately effaces the traditional markers of the short story: causality, closure, etc. In doing so, "the novel continually offers up texts which mark their own complexity by highlighting the very thing which traditional realism seeks to conceal: the artifice and insufficiency inherent in a writer's attempt to represent reality.(Seidel 31)" By refusing to take a reductive approach towards the world(s) he presents on the page - to offer up "meaning" or "ending" - Joyce moves the reader into complex and unsettling epistemological and ontological realms. Meaning is no longer unitary and prescriptive, the author will not reveal (read impose) what the story "means" at its close and therefore we can't definitively "know" anything about it. Instead, meaning, like modernism, engenders its own multiplicity in Joyce's works, diffuses into something necessarily plural: meanings. An ontological crisis is inextricable from this crisis of meaning and representation. In Joyce's stories the reader is displaced from her/his traditionally passive role as receptor of the knowledge an author seeks to impart, and "positioned as both reader and writer of text, in some ways playing as integral a part in constructing the work as the author does.(Benstock 17)" In the novel's opening story, "The Sisters," Joyce elevates this concern with writing "reality" from sub-theme to theme: the story is an extended meditation on textuality just as much as it is the story of a boy and a priest. By beginning with a metatext Joyce brilliantly opens up the entire collection for a different kind of reading, one based on noticing rather than overlooking literature's limitations. With... ... middle of paper ... ...eems not only "hard," as in difficult or complex, but viscerally painful to attempt to capture some meaning or truth about the real through the medium of words on a page. Works Cited: Benstock, Bernard. Critical Essays on James Joyce. G.K. Hall & Co. Boston, Massachusetts: 1985. Joyce, James. Dubliners. Washington Square Press. New York, New York: 1998. Seidel, Michael. James Joyce: A Short Introduction. Blackwell Publishers, Inc. Oxford, UK: 2002. Works Consulted: Fairhall, James. James Joyce and the Question of History. Cambridge University Press. New York, New York: 1993. Garrett, Peter K., ed. Twentieth Century Interpretations of Dubliners. Prentice-Hall, Inc. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: 1968. Torchiana, Donald T. Backgrounds for Joyce’s Dubliners. Allen & Unwin, Inc. Winchester, Massachusetts: 1986.
“Dubliners” by James Joyce was first published in 1914. It is a collection of short stories, which takes place in the same general area and time frame, moving from one individual’s story to the next. Boysen in “The Necropolis of Love: James Joyce’s Dubliners” discuses the way the citizens of Dublin are caught in this never ending misery because of the lack of love- mainly instituted by the “criminalization of sensual love” from the church- and the economic stress, and struggle to survive. Zack Brown goes through the individual short stories, pointing out their references to paralysis, as well as a few other themes in “Joyce’s Prophylactic Paralysis: Exposure in “Dubliners.”” “James Joyce’s usage of Diction in Representation of Irish Society in Dubliners” by Daronkolaee discuses the background knowledge of the culture and particular details of the city that enhance the understanding of the reader and enforce the ideas presented by Boysen and broken down by Brown. These analytical articles help support the idea that Joyce uses
Colombia emerged from the collapse of the Gran Colombia in 1830. Since then the country has struggled with internal threats, illicit drug production, and estranged relations with neighboring nations. In a country slightly less than twice the size of Texas and claiming over 46,000,000 citizens, Colombia faces many challenges in its efforts to resolve internal conflict, reduce narcotics operations, improve the environment, and repair relationships in the region.
Illegal drug trade in Colombia is the practice of producing and distributing narcotics domestically and around the world. As of 2012, Colombia was the world leading cocaine producer in the world (Neuman, 2012). Cocaine, marijuana and heroin along with other illegal drugs have become a big part of Colombians lifestyle and a major source of income for many people. Since the establishment of the War on Drugs in the late 20th century, European countries and United States have provided billions of dollars, logistics and military aid to the Colombia government to combat the illegal drug trade (Lilley, 2006). As of 1999, Plan Colombia has been one of the biggest movements towards Colombia’s biggest rebel group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). The movement was implemented as Colombia supplies 80% of cocaine to American citizens (Vellinga, 2000). The US Drug Enforcement Administration estimated that Colombia’s annual profit ranges between $5-7 billion from drugs smuggled into the United States.
Narcoterrorism has a long past in the history of Colombia, focusing mainly on the market development of one drug: cocaine. Colombia, with its arid tropical climate and lush land, is an ideal place for the sowing and reaping of the coca plant whose extracts are synthesized into the powder cocaine drug. As Colombian cocaine production skyrocketed in the 1970’s and 1980’s thanks to booming demand for the product in Americas, drug kingpins in Colombia began to wield immense power in the country. ...
...es relationship is soaring through trade embargo. The reinforcement of the Colombian National Police force everywhere in Colombia is very secure. People in Colombia are fun loving people willing to teach anyone there culture. Thru trials and error learning from their past the image of Colombia changed for the good.
...RC and the government of Colombia have reached an agreement on two out of three important topics on the agenda for the peace talks, but there is still a third point about narcotics traffic that has yet to be resolved, although public figures seem to be optimistic. The FARC has asked the U.S. to get involved in these peace talks stating that “these decisions are coming from Washington anyways, so we would like to talk with the U.S. personally” although the U.S. government declines knowledge of these peace talks and refuses to participate. Public opinion about the FARC peace talks has not changed much though, because these peace talks have been established before, to no avail. Even during these peace talks, both the government and the FARC have stated that their activities will continue and the government is still using military means to prevent FARC actions as well.
McDermott, Jeremy. “US Targets Colombian Rebels as War against Terrorism Escalates.” Scottsman.com. February 10, 2002.
In Joyce’s stories “Eveline”, “Counterparts” and the “Dead”, the theme of escape and responsibility is represented by the characters desire to flee their lives. These stories symbolize Joyce’s interpretation of life in Ireland. With careful analysis it can be inferred that the miserable situations portrayed in these stories can be directly tied into how readers may view life in Ireland. Like the characters in Dubliners people desired a better life for themselves in and out of Ireland. The themes common to these stories show an appreciation to opportunity and success in the world. The themes of escape and responsibility present in a readers mind a looking glass for viewing life and society.
Fairhall, James. James Joyce and the Question of History. Cambridge University Press. New York, New York: 1993.
With the war on drugs still a big issue on the front, its paramilitary groups still trying to get a foot in its government, and its enormous gap between social classes, Colombia still has a long way to go before it becomes a stable country. Although with its struggle within its people still main their rich heritage and rich culture, and hope that one they can be known as a world power.
Since the early 1970’s, Colombia has been home to extremely violent and sophisticated drug trafficking organizations. At the center of the drug trafficking organizations are groups, which are referred to as “cartels”. One of the most infamous cartels, called the Medellin Cartel, was at forefront of the cocaine trade with the United States. Pablo Escobar, the man who was the head of the cartel, was considered to be one of the richest men in the world and one of the most wanted fugitives (LA Times). Due to his heightened status, Pablo Escobar was involved with in a “shootout”, which ultimately led to his death. Involved in this 1993 bloodbath were Colombian soldiers, Colombian government officials, and local law enforcement (LA Times). Due to the overwhelming amount of cocaine and other illegal drugs that are manufactured in Colombia, the Colombian government and military has worked diligently and tirelessly to achieve an economy that is not centered around illegal drugs. Although drug trafficking is still a huge issue in the country, military officials are dedicated to seizing and destroying cocaine laboratories whenever they are found (ABS-CBN). Recently, the Colombian Navy intercepted a vessel that was meant for Belgium -- the vessel was carrying 5.3 tons of drugs (Dialogo). By remaining steadfast in their practices, the Colombian military and government is able to help keep Colombian culture alive and well -- and keeping the residents of Colombian
Armed insurgencies and guerilla warfare have plagued the stability of Latin American governments throughout their paths towards democratic development. In recent discussions of the peace talks between the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the Colombian government, a controversial issue has been whether negotiating with the guerilla would bring political stability to the nation. On one hand, some argue that the inclusion of the FARC in political affairs would ultimately delegitimize the government’s authority by having them cede to terrorist demands. On the other hand, supporters of these efforts claim that the government’s efforts to stop the group have not alleviated the violent circumstances
In the fifteen Dubliners stories, city life, religion, friends and family bring hope to individuals discovering what it means to be human. Two stories stood out in James Joyce’s Dubliners. One story attempts to mislead readers as it is hard to follow and the other story is the most famous story in the book. In the stories “Clay” and “The Dead,” James Joyce uses escape themes to deal with the emotions of the characters, Maria and Gabriel living in the Dublin society. Both stories take place during the winter on Halloween and Christmas, which are the holiday seasons and the season of death.
Letters II and III. Letters of James Joyce. Edited by Richard Ellman. New York: Viking, 1966.
Peake, C.H. James Joyce: The Citizen and The Artist. Stanford: Stanford University Press, 1977. 56-109.