James Joyce's Dubliners

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Dubliners

Between 1903 and 1907, James Joyce wrote a collection of stories in which he embodied into a book called Dubliners. Joyce wrote Dubliners amist the conditions in Ireland to reach Ireland citizens with a sense of nationalism. These stories depict many different aspects of Irish culture. Joyce uses many different themes to exhibit his message within these short stories. "Two Gallants," "In The Clouds," and "The Dead" express the theme of each character trying to escape the community through imagination and journey.

In "Two Gallants" the main characters use imagination to conduct a scheme in order to persuade a young woman to give Corley money. While Corley travels with the woman putting the plan into work, his friend, Lenehan, is forced to walk the streets of Dublin until it’s time to meet at the rendezvous. Corley tells her lies about his past to receive sympathy from the woman. He tells her that he is out of work. He also gives her her a false name to escape any connection the woman can make to him (43). While going to meet the girl, Lenehan proposes to catch a glance of the girl. The vivid description he gives of the girl gives a sense of him wanting to switch places with Corley. He talks about how her

"Rude health glowed in her face, on her fat red cheeks and in her unabashed blue eyes. Her features were blunt. She had broad nostrils, a straggling mouth which lay open in a contented leer, and two projecting front teeth" (49).

This is quite a description for someone he only sees for a matter of seconds. Lenehan’s imagination of how he wants the woman to look and the reality of her features, may have coinside with his description.

After Corley disappears into the train station with the woman, Lenehan begins his journey through Dublin’s streets. As Lenehan embarks on his journey, his imagination begins to take control of his thoughts. Lenehan is disappointed on how his life has gone so far. He wants to escape the life that he lives, possibly to better his life. When at supper, he has concerns about "Would he never get a good job? Would he never have a home of his own?" (52). This leads to his imagination becoming even deeper in thought.

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