James Joyce: life and literary works

Art of Epiphanies Explored in James Joyce

Authors of ten use epiphanies in their stories to illustrate a change in or some kind of recognition by a character. These moments are like flashes of lightning in that they illuminate the character momentarily, allowing them (or us) to see the situation completely. Three stories demonstrating this use of epiphany are James Joyce's "The Dead,' "Araby," and "Counterparts." Each of these stories has a character on which Joyce sheds some light, so we can see them more fully. Gabriel sees his wife in a new light, which causes him to look at himself differently. The narrator in Araby sees the girl of his dreams in a different light, which causes him to look at life differently. Farrington forces us to see the underbelly of the lower class, forcing us to see an ugly side of humanity. In some cases, thee characters realize something about themselves, marking a drastic change in attitude. Epiphanies are always educational, shedding light on life itself.

In "The Dead," Gabriel's epiphany involves himself and his wife. When he sees Gretta's emotional reaction to Michael's death -- as if it just happened yesterday - he is seeing a different woman he calls his wife. He "imagines what she must have been then, in that time of her first girlish beauty" (Joyce the Dead 738) and cannot imagine her so in love with someone else. The powerful story of a man dying for her makes him "think how poor a part he, her husband, had played in her life" (738). Gretta was no longer arm candy for Gabriel; she was now a woman with a past that gripped her so much it carried her away. Furthermore, her past involves a dead man who Gretta seems to be carrying with her every day. Michael evokes more emotion from her than her living husband who is in the same bed with her. All of this forces Gabriel to look at himself. In a moment of clarity he sees "himself as a ludicrous figure . . . A nervous, well-meaning sentimentalist, orating to vulgarians and idealising his own clownish lusts" (737). The setting for this epiphany is perfect for Gabriel as he lays in a quiet, darkened room with snow falling outside in the graveyard.

In "Araby," the narrator is forced to see something he is not prepared for much like Gabriel is. He is forced to grow up and look at what defines reality and what defines dream. The dream he has of Mangan is far better than the reality of her. When he goes to Araby, he leaves a piece of his childhood innocence behind, never to know it again. His point-of-view is significant because he has live a somewhat sheltered life; he is a typical schoolboy living in a neighborhood where the houses had "grown sombre" (382. The boys play in the neighborhood streets until their skin "glowed" (382) and their "shouts echoed in the silent street" (382). Here we see a glimpse of Ireland that is not fantastic or glamorous. It is just the kind of setting a young boy needs to be consumed with a mysterious girl. When the narrator finally makes it to the bazaar, he is met with disappointment, which forces him to be honest and realize Mangan is simply a fantasy that will let him down as well. He also realizes he is a "creature driven and derided by vanity" (386). Like Gabriel, he realizes not all things are what they seem

In "Counterparts," the epiphany is painful because it involves us taking a look at a seedier aspect of life. Farrington realizes the dreadful routine in his life. For Farrington, there is no escape from any of the stresses in his life. At work the stress makes his body "ache to do something, to rush out and revel in violence" (58). He spends all of his money drinking and he cannot even win at arm wrestling without cheating. Home offers no respite from his mess of a life. In fact, it seems to agitate him even more, as he becomes frustrated with everything little thing that does not go his way. We see how miserable he truly is and how he is willing to spread that misery at the end of the story. His child, begging for mercy, vowing to say Hail Mary in exchange for no beating uncovers the true nature of this man. Bad living with no dream s can lead to this kind of futile existence.