Grace and The Death Essay -- Literature, James Joyce

The characters of James Joyce’s Dubliners live in a world where they are psychologically stagnant despite the impact of social experiences in their lives. Each character’s development depends on their interactions with others as well as their individual decisions. From childhood to adulthood, the protagonists have encounters with family, friends, or colleagues that result in either negative or positive effects on their growth and awareness of their current state of unhappiness. The addition of relationships, or camaraderie, does not come into full effect until the latter half of the book, where the themes are expressed in darker tones and the writing style become more ambiguous. Joyce lightens the mood of the Dubliners with the portrayal of camaraderie in his final two stories, â€Å"Grace† and â€Å"The Dead† which give a realness and complexity to the problems of Dublin life. In most cases, camaraderie does not adhere well with the characters of the Dubliners because of their innate sense of independence or their distrust of the community. But by distancing themselves from family and friends, they are allowing themselves to suffer alone. Their inability to commit to relationships and to feel genuine compassion for others prevents them from experiencing the full benefit of camaraderie. The contribution of the masculine and family camaraderie renders an ironic, whimsical effect in â€Å"Grace† whereas â€Å"The Dead† ends with a bittersweet consequence for its protagonist. Joyce introduces the motif of the alcoholism throughout the Dubliners, not only as an emphasis on an Irish stereotype but to contribute a cause for an adult Dubliner’s corruption. He satirizes the Irish pub as a sort of assembly hall for this masculine camaraderie, though it ... ...s† that Joyce refers to. The endings of â€Å"Grace† and â€Å"The Dead† resonate intensely with the feelings of the soul by looking past the egotism and prejudice. The indefinite conclusion allows readers to focus on the capability of the protagonist to bring to completion his reformation. Bibliography Book Sources †¢ Joyce, James, Edna O'Brien, and Malachy McCourt. Dubliners. New York: Signet Classics, 2007. Internet Sources †¢ Ames, William. "Interpretation of Grace from Dubliners, by James Joyce." On Grace. The Poet's Forum. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. . †¢ "Penguin.com (usa)." Dubliners. Penguin Group USA. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. . †¢ Williams, Bob. "Dubliners." - by James Joyce. Web. 12 Mar. 2012. .