JAMES JOYCE - DUBLINERS

James Joyce's Dubliners

Joyce called his early stories epiphanies “the most delicate and evanescent of moments of truth or reality”. Dubliners is considered one of the definitive short story collections in world literature. Intended from the beginning to be read in relation to each other, the stories, written with “Scrupulous meanness”, reflect life in a colonial city at the beginning of the twentieth century during the last phase of Irish Nationalism. They have little in the way of plot or action, but instead show individuals trapped in situations of intellectual and moral paralysis. The stories explore the pathos of unfulfilled dreams, hopes and ambitions, usually with a sober sensitivity, but not without irony and humour. Joyce wrote to his publisher that he intended to give the Irish people “one good look at themselves in my nicely polished looking-glass.”

As well as studying the 15 short stories, this course will involve a critical reading of excerpts from other works by Joyce, including Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Ulysses. It will also introduce a critical understanding of the short story form.

Voraussetzungen / Organisatorisches 

A very good command of English is necessary, as Joyce is dense and difficult. In order to enrol, students must turn up for the first session; latecomers may be turned away. All participants must be able to demonstrate that they have read all 15 short stories and have understood the main themes covered by the time the semester begins.

We will be using Dubliners: James Joyce, Norton Critical Edition, ISBN-0-393-97851-6 (pbk), edited by Margot Norris, 2006. Please order this book for the class, as there is essential critical annotation and commentary that you will need (saving you time and money). Registration is by email to r.clark@em.uni-frankfurt.de, by 12.04.2020.