The Obscurities of the Individual :: Essays Papers

The Obscurities of the Individual In James Joyce’s Dubliners many themes arise in regards to the human basis of character. The author focuses on a critique of the situation in Ireland and on its society. This is adequately represented in the stories â€Å"A Little Cloud† and â€Å"The Dead† as well. With characters that suffuse themselves into the far back regimes of their minds, Joyce allows the reader to ‘feel’ the darkness that surrounds their lives. With efficient descriptions and simple storylines, every moment within the stories make the eventual understanding of the character' place in society that much more blatantly condemning. Each narration has its own identity, yet as the reader strings them along, one can construct a quaint picture of Dublin life at that time. There are many catalysts within every work that lead its main character to just theories, one of them is their lifestyles as a whole. The solitude that the characters dim their existence with makes their integration into social circles less complete. Whether this segregation is psychological, physical, or emotional, is irrelevant in the end. For the effects of this disparity is what eventually causes the rifts the characters create to consume their whole reality into the shadows of their perceptions. In â€Å"A Little Cloud†, Little Chandler allows his emotional insecurities to separate him from every circle he attends. He feels that he isn’t really a part of society and therefore, upon his friend’s arrival, the tie he acquires allows him to reconnect himself to a life that he had long since hadn’t felt a part of. His many dreams have never been succeeded and he realizes that he isn’t living the life he wants. He has always played it safe within his every decision, thus the clarity that flows into his meager existence when expecting his friend is what saves him from total obscurity. This is highlighted when he enters the luminosity of the bar feeling important and is faced with its many colors which lead him to believe that â€Å"the people were observing him curiously† (69). However, this point was already clear as he â€Å"felt himself superior to the people he passed† (68) while on his way to meet his friend. Chandler appoi nts Gallaher as his gateway to the dreams he still has. In â€Å"The Dead†, Gabriel finds that he has no real place within his relations because of his way of being.