ISP Dr. Joaqun V.

Gonzlez
Contemporary Literature - 2013
Luca Fraiese

Paralysis in Dubliners
The major causes of his [Joyces] characters paralysis are transmitted by their family
life, Catholicism, economic situations, and their vulnerability to political forces.

James Joyce wrote his collection of short stories Dubliners at a time of stagnation in Ireland, his
homeland. This period of stagnation and paralysis was deeply connected with the Irish nationalist
movement, which sought cultural, political and economic independence from Great Britain. It was
believed that Britain hindered their development as a country, not allowing them to move forward and
thus paralyzing its inhabitants, its politics, its culture and its economic situation. Joyce was aware of the
fact that the English control over Ireland resulted in disempowering the country politically as well as
making its citizens psychologically paralyzed. Therefore, he tried to depict this paralyzed society in his
collection of short stories Dubliners: my intention was to write a chapter of the moral history of my
country and I chose Dublin for the scene because the city seemed to me the centre of paralysis (James
Joyce, Letters, II, 134).
Joyce introduces characters in his stories that seem to be physically, emotionally and sexually paralyzed.
However, he provides them with a moment of realization, an epiphany, to help them wake up, to give
them an opportunity to break away from the dullness of their lives. The theme of paralysis is present in all
the stories in Dubliners, but as the book progresses, the theme becomes more powerful and allencompassing. In the first three stages (childhood, adolescence and mature life) the paralysis is
individual. In the stories of public life, it becomes a collective paralysis which affects the social,
economic, religious and political spheres of life in Dublin. This essay purports to examine the paralyzing
elements in the stories The Sisters, Eveline, A Painful Case, Clay and The Dead.
The theme of paralysis is introduced in the very first story in the collection, The Sisters. In this story
there seems to be a connection between the inaction of the characters, especially the narrator and Flynn,
and death and religion. Father Flynn has become spiritually paralytic. He has failed in complying with his
responsibilities as a member of the church. The dropping of the chalice may represent the effect the rituals
of religion have on him; they have paralysed him. The fact that the theme of paralysis in this story is
related to religion may be due to the fact that Joyce blamed the Church for being a paralysing element in
Ireland, since he believed- it infected the country and kept it from moving forward. The theme of
paralysis in this story culminates in physical death: Father Flynn was also affected by paralyzing strokes,
which eventually lead him to death. The word paralysis is can be found in the story several times,
making the theme explicit and attributing this characteristic to the characters: but then I remembered that
it had died of paralysis and I felt that I too was smiling feebly, as if to absolve the simoniac of his sin;
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ISP Dr. Joaqun V. Gonzlez

Contemporary Literature - 2013
Luca Fraiese

in the dark of my room I imagined that I saw again the heavy grey face of the paralytic (Joyce, 1968);
every night as I gazed up at the window I said softly to myself the word paralysis (Joyce, 1968).
The boy, the narrator, can also be seen as affected by paralysis. At first, he seems very much attached to
Fr. Flynn, but soon the readers learn that there is something odd about this relationship. The boy distances
himself from the dead Father, which could be regarded as an act of fear, as the source of his paralysis. The
inability of the boy to verbalize his feelings about the death of Father Flynn may also illustrate his state of
paralysis.
The element of paralysis in the story of Eveline can be regarded in three different XXX: Eveline
appears throughout the story literary paralyzed, in a static position, either sitting down or standing, but
not moving; she does not move metaphorically either, she seems to be stuck in life, unable to move
forward; and she is also linguistically paralyzed, since she is unable to express her feelings and thoughts.
The former form of paralysis is depicted in the descriptions present in the story. At the very beginning,
Eveline is at her house, pondering whether to leave for Buenos Aires or stay and keep the promise she
made to her mother: she sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue (Joyce, 1968). The
day progresses and Eveline remains in the same position, unable to move: her time was running out, but
she continued to sit by the window (Joyce, 1968). She finally decides to leave, and meets Frank at the
station. However, her state of paralysis does not let her move further, she stays there, at the train station,
and does not leave for Buenos Aires: she stood among the swaying crowd in the station at the North
Wall. Eveline is unable to make decisions. She has the opportunity to set off to Argentina and start a new
life there, to escape the dullness of her life, and she rejects it. She has all the tools to carry out her
decision and yet when she is about to break free she remains paralysed. Eveline also fails to express her
feelings. Communication seems to be problematic for her, since she is unable to verbalize her feelings
towards Frank, her father, and express her discomfort with the life she leads: she set her white face to
him, passive, like a helpless animal.
The main character in the story Clay, Maria, is also unable to move forward in her life. Unlike Eveline,
she has no important, life-changing decisions to make. As a matter of fact, the routine of her life appears
to be quite tedious and she seems to be stuck in it. She spends most of her time working, and she seems to
have little time for enjoyment: Maria looked forward to her evening out. In this story the theme of
paralysis is also related to death. Her selection of clay in the Hallow Eve game represents the state of
Marias life: she is dead in life.
Mr Duffys life, from A Painful Case, is also predictable and unadventurous. This repetitiveness and
dullness in his life can also be regarded as a state of paralysis, of death in life: Mr. Duffy abhorred
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ISP Dr. Joaqun V. Gonzlez

Contemporary Literature - 2013
Luca Fraiese

anything which betokened physical or mental disorder, he had neither companions, nor friends, church
nor creed (Joyce, 1968). When he realizes that his thoughts and Mrs. Sinicos were getting entangled, he
puts an end to their relationship, since this would mean upsetting the normal order of his life. Thus, Mr.
Duffy returned to his even way of life. His room still bore witness of the orderliness of his mind (Joyce,
1968). When he learns about her death he experiences different emotions: at first, he is disgusted by the
news: the whole narrative of her death revolted him and it revolted him to think that he had ever spoken
to her of what he held sacred (Joyce, 1968). Then, he seems to wake up from his state of paralysis, and
he realises that she is dead, and that he is going to die eventually too. It dawns on him that he has been
an outcast from lifes feast.
Tedious routines are also an important paralysing factor in The Dead. The Morkans party is repeated
year after year, where Gabriel delivers a speech, Freddy arrives drunk and causes a scandal, they dance
the same dances and probably sing the same songs. This repetitiveness and predictable routine sets the
characters in a state of paralysis. These Dubliners seem to be unable to go through new experiences and
break from the dullness of their lives. They are living dead, physically alive but spiritually dead. Gabriels
relationship with his wife is also paralysed. Gabriel seems to be unable to connect with her. When he
learns about Grettas late lover he realises that he will never truly know his wife and that their relationship
has been based on lies. He is also paralysed in the sense that he is unable to act, there is nothing he can do
to compete with a dead person for his wifes love. He feels sad because another man once felt passionate
love for his wife, a feeling he has never experienced himself. Gabriel is also described as a man detached
from his Irish roots, who by the end of the story is able to connect with Ireland, to come to the conclusion
that the country is paralysed. The final scene shows another instance of paralysis: an image of the snow
general all over Ireland. Although there may be different interpretations of this quote, it may be
regarded as a metaphor for the paralysis that affected Ireland at the time.
Characters from all the stories examined above reveal a general state of paralysis, which coincides with a
period of stagnation in Ireland. This state of paralysis is caused, in most cases, by isolation, dullness and
inability to move forward in life or to express pent-up feelings. There is, however, a moment of
realization which helps these characters face their paralysis. Joyce, therefore, accomplishes his goal
successfully. He is able to depict a society which is stagnated politically, economically, socially and
culturally, and whose members are unable to break from the lifelessness of their everyday lives. Joyces
characters are physically, emotionally and sexually paralyzed. However, he gives his characters the
opportunity to break away from their state of paralysis, a moment of epiphany, to help them change the
course of their lives.

ISP Dr. Joaqun V. Gonzlez

Contemporary Literature - 2013
Luca Fraiese

Works consulted
Hannan, G. (n.d) Joyces Paralysis.

Irish Media Man. Retrieved May 25, 2013, from

http://irishmediaman.wordpress.com/2012/03/28/paralysis-in-james-joyces-dubliners-book-review/
Joyce, J. Dubliners. London: Penguin, 1968.
Michels, A. (n.d) Paralysis and Epiphany: How Joyce Could Save Dublin. Unpublished manuscript.
Valente, F. (n.d) Joyces Dubliners as Epiphanies. The Modern World. Retrieved May 24, 2013, from
http://www.themodernword.com/joyce/paper_valente.html