The memory is the central element in both Brian Friel’s play Dancing at Lughnasa and James Joyce’s story ‘Eveline,’ which focus on the given theme. The former story is based on the memory and perspective of a character named Michael, and the latter is based on Eveline. The play’s plot revolves around Michael remembering his childhood and people who surrounded him at that time. The story’s plot is about Eveline, who wants to leave her home, but reconsiders her decision in order to fulfill her promise to her mother, who passed away, to take care of and look after her home. Therefore, the play uses memory descriptively, whereas the story utilizes it as pivotal decision-making influencer.
It is important to note that although memory plays a critical role in both storylines, the play uses it in a descriptive manner, whereas the James Joyce’s story utilizes it as a direct influence on the main character. In the case of Brian Friel’s play, Michael looks back at his past and relives the moments, where he describes the struggles of his family. For example, he states: “When I cast my mind back to that summer of 1936, different kinds of memories offer themselves to me” (Fried, 1998, p. 4).
In other words, the main character establishes from early on that the bulk of the information will be a recollection of his memory about his childhood. In addition, there are key elements of modernism, where the notions, such as narrative authority and cycles of life, are used. They make the storyline divergent from the classical or traditional ways of writing, where the majority of the text is not occupied by a character’s memory.
James Joyce’s story ‘Eveline’ utilizes the theme of memory not only in a descriptive manner, but also as a direct influencer of the main character’s present state. For the majority of the plot, Eveline’s memory justifies and sways her decision-making process towards leaving her home in order to eliminate unnecessary troubles and problems from her life. For example, it is stated: “her father used often to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick; but usually little Keogh used to keep nix and call out when he saw her father coming” (Joyce, 1904, par. 2).
In other words, she was concerned about her abusive father, which substantiated the fact that she had to leave her home in order to find peace and fulfillment. The author writes: “even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father’s violence” (Joyce, 1904, par. 5). Therefore, she did not want to become a target of violence and abuse, because her brothers used to be the primary victims of the beatings.
Thus, the characters deal with their own memories in different ways, where Michael merely recalls his past, and Eveline justifies her current decisions. The impact on their lives is also divergent since Michael’s present state is not influenced by these memories. In the case of Eveline, her remembrance of her promise to her mother makes her abandon her dreams of leaving home. It is stated: “she knew the air Strange that it should come that very night to remind her of the promise to her mother, her promise to keep the home together as long as she could” (Joyce, 1904, par. 8).
It was accompanied by the organ triggering this particular memory, which makes her doubt the decision to leave home with Frank. Therefore, at the dock, the main character finally decides to stay with her father instead of leaving him in order to keep her promise. The memory impacts her life in a profound manner, which make the theme of memory a pivotal point within the storyline.
In conclusion, the impact of the given element on Michael is less evident, since it seems to be a simple recollection of his past. However, it is possible to state that the memory gave him clarity of his past, which allowed him to reflect on the current state. It is clear that he developed in such a way due to the influences of his childhood, where he had no male role models. The potential ones were either degrading and delusional uncle and unreliable father. However, Eveline’s memory directly changed her life, where she exhibited a full adherence to her promise.
The theme of paralysis is a central element of ‘The Sisters’ and ‘An Encounter,’ which are one of the short storied written by James Joyce. These are typical and outstanding representations of modernist literature, where the plot itself is not dynamic, and the accentuation is made on impression, mood, and characters. Both stories explore the theme of paralysis, which is especially evident in regards to the Catholic Church and religion. It is implied that the given institution halts the progress and makes life redundantly cyclical.
The first story utilizes symbolisms in a modernistic style to convey the message regarding the notion of paralysis. The narrator states: “every night as I gazed up at the window I said softly to myself the word paralysis” (Joyce, 1914a, par. 1). In other words, the author establishes the concept early on in order to introduce the reader to the term. The story presents the idea in two both micro and macro scale, where the former is represented by James Flynn and boy, and the latter by Catholic Church and Ireland. In a more direct term, the paralysis referred to the priest’s heart stroke, which left him paralyzed. However, the given concept goes deeper, which describes the state of society during James Joyce’s times. It also can be applied to the modern world, where some spheres of life still show no signs of progress.
At the micro scale, the priest’s death brought some form of freedom to the boy. He states: “I felt even annoyed at discovering in myself a sensation of freedom as if I had been freed from something by his death” (Joyce, 1914a, par 6). In other words, there was a sense of liberation, because the given individual was putting a pressure on him. At the macro scale, it is a representation of James Joyce’s attitude toward the Catholic Church, which was the source of paralysis in people’s lives. It made Ireland constrained within the boundaries set by the church, which made the nation redundantly cyclical, where no significant progress is made.
In the case of ‘An Encounter,’ James Joyce cleverly utilizes a modernist approach in storytelling and utilizes paralysis as a subtle element. The story revolves around an outrageous encounter of a potential child molester, which is not directly stated, but implied through various hints provided by the author. The theme of paralysis is less evident in the given story, but it is present in the fact that the boy was stuck in having conversation with the man. Although, it is not explicitly stated that this stranger is twisted, the boy states: “I disliked the words in his mouth and I wondered why he shivered once or twice as if he feared something or felt a sudden chill” (Joyce, 1914b, par. 19).
Evidently, the children are not equipped with adult’s knowledge, which makes them partially oblivious to the man’s intentions. The paralysis is manifested in the fact that the main character is forced to converse with this person about the subjects that do not interest him, but interest the man exceedingly.
The notion of paralysis or unappealing stasis is present in the encounter of the man and boys. It is stated: “after a long while his monologue paused. He stood up slowly, saying that he had to leave us for a minute or so, a few minutes, and, without changing the direction of my gaze, I saw him walking slowly away from us towards the near end of the field” (Joyce, 1914b, par. 21). This section presents the fact that there were several uncomfortable pauses within the conversation, and it is also implied that the stranger engaged in highly inappropriate acts.
In conclusion, the concept of paralysis is well-explored within the specified short stories, where it has an implication in both micro and macro scales. In the case of the former, the priest’s death and long conversational pauses with the man demonstrate the notion to the readers. At macro scale, the paralysis refers to the lack of progress, which was partially or fully halted by the Catholic Church.
Reference List
Fried, B. (1998) Dancing at Lughnasa: a play. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Joyce, J. (1904) Eveline. Dublin: Irish Homestead.
Joyce, J. (1914a) The Sisters. Dublin: Irish Homestead.
Joyce, J. (1914b) An Encounter. Dublin: Irish Homestead.