A Mosaic Of The Inevitable Disappointments And Delights Of...

A mosaic of the inevitable disappointments and delights of life, James Joyce’s Dubliners is a striking representation of the lives of not only those in early twentieth century Dublin, but also of each one of us. As these unhappy situations progress, it is apparent that each character is caught between contradiction after contradiction; these complex â€Å"ambiguities that reveal a text’s instability† are the key to understanding Dubliners (Meyer 2100). No painful situation is unalloyed: all of the characters experience a glimmer of hope among the misery and chaos. In the intersection of these contradictions, where characters like Mr. Duffy of â€Å"A Painful Case† and Gabriel of â€Å"The Dead† exist, Joyce presents the compelling paradox of pain and†¦show more content†¦Gabriel recognizes that his â€Å"part in [Gretta’s] life,† and thus their marriage, has been â€Å"poor,† a superficial placeholder for something more meaningful (Joyce 239). Though Joyce does not give enough details about Gretta to surmise her feelings- intentionally, of course- we can presume it is a similar one of wanting more. Simply put, the selfish nature of Gabriel highlights how genuine romantic love is not in fact real, but is an act each party endures for the minor benefits each one receives: it is inherently self-serving. In â€Å"A Painful Case,† a similar characterization of Mr. Duffy is found. He too is selfish, jaded, and unyielding in his rigid way of life. While Gabriel has found a long term companion to weather this loveless storm with, Mr. Duffy turns to an affair with the respected Mrs. Sinico. The best way to understand Mr. Duffy is how he frames love: he sees it as a burden, another opportunity to be disappointed. He too uses his counterpart in this relationship solely as an opportunity to feel self-important, as he hopes he has â€Å"[ascended] to an angelic state† in the eyes of Mrs. Sinico (Joyce 117). Given the fact that Mr. Duffy views each â€Å"bond as a bond to sorrow,† his dismissal of any real genuine connection past his own shallow benefit is