Introduction to: James Joyce, Dubliners, ed. Margot Norris. (A Norton Critical Edition, 2006). PDF

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A NORTON CRITICAL EDITION James Joyce DUBLINERS AUTHORITATIVE TEXT CONTEXTS CRITICISM Edited by MARGOT NORRIS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE Text Edited by HANS WALTER GABLER WITH WALTER HETTCHE W. W. N O R T O N & C O M P A N Y · New York · London Contents Preface ix I n t r o d u c t i o n ,...

Description

A NORTON

CRITICAL

EDITION

James Joyce

DUBLINERS

AUTHORITATIVE TEXT CONTEXTS CRITICISM

Edited by

MARGOT NORRIS UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA,

IRVINE

Text Edited by

HANS WALTER GABLER WITH

WALTER HETTCHE

W. W. N O R T O N & C O M P A N Y · New York · London

Contents Preface

ix

I n t r o d u c t i o n , by H a n s W a l t e r Gabler

xv

Symbols a n d Sigla

xliii

The Text of Dubliners

ι

T h e Sisters

3

An Encounter

11

Araby

20

Eveline

26

After the R a c e

32

T w o Gallants

38

T h e Boarding H o u s e

49

A Little C l o u d

57

Counterparts

70

Clay

82

A Painful C a s e

89

Ivy Day in the C o m m i t t e e Room

99

A Mother

116

Grace

128

T h e Dead

151

Contexts A C u r i o u s History

197

From

200

G a s from a B u r n e r

M a u n s e l & C o . Advertisement for Dubliners

203

" T h e Sisters": " O u r W e e k l y Story: T h e Sisters," The Irish Homestead 4

204

A n Encounter"

208

Map Photograph of the Pigeon House Fort Advertisement for Union Jack

and T y p i c a l C o v e r of Pluck

209 210

"Araby": Map

211

vi

CONTENTS

Words to the Song from the Araby Bazaar

212

Back of the ' A r a b y " Catalogue

213

Caroline Norton, " T h e Arab's Farewell to His Steed"

213

"Eveline": ' O u r Weekly Story: E v e l i n e , " The Irish Homestead

215

T h e Twelve Promises of Jesus to Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque for T h o s e Devoted to Flis Sacred Heart Words and M u s i c to " T h e L a s s that loves a Sailor"

219 219

"After the Race": "The Motor Derby: Interview with the F r e n c h C h a m p i o n , " The Irish Times

222

Photograph of the G o r d o n Bennett Race

225

"Two Gallants":

226

Map "The Boarding House": Words to " I ' m an imp on m i s c h i e f bent"

227

"A Little C l o u d " :

229

Map Advertisement for Corless's Restaurant

230

L o r d Byron, " O n the D e a t h of a Y o u n g L a d y "

230

"Counterparts": Map

232

Photograph of T h e S c o t c h H o u s e

233

"Clay":

234

Map Photograph of T r a m s at the Base of Nelson's Pillar

235

Words and M u s i c to " I dreamt that I dwelt in Marble H a l l s "

235

"A Painful C a s e " : Map

238

Photograph of Sydney Parade Station

239

"Ivy Day in the Committee R o o m " : Portrait of C h a r l e s Stewart P a m e l l

240

"A Mother": Announcement of August 1904 C o n c e r t and Review from Freeman's Journal

241

"Grace": Leo X I I I , "Ars Photographien

(1867) and " O n

Photography," trans Η . Τ Henry ( 1 9 0 2 ) Pope L e o X I I I Being Photographed

242 242

CONTENTS

vii

Photograph of St. Francis Xavier C h u r c h

243

T h e Parable of the Unjust Steward

243

" T h e Dead": Map

245

Floor Plans for 15 U s h e r s Island

246

Words to "Arrayed for the Bridal"

247

Words to " T h e Lass of A u g h r i m "

247

Photograph of the G r e s h a m Hotel

249

Criticism David G . Wright

·

Interactive Stories in Dubliners

Heyward E h r l i c h

·

"Araby" in Context: T h e "Splendid

253

Bazaar," Irish Orientalism, and James C l a r e n c e Mangan Margot Norris

·

T h e Perils of " E v e l i n e "

James Fairhall

·

Big-Power Politics and C o l o n i a l E c o n o m i c s :

T h e Gordon Bennett C u p Race and "After the R a c e " Fritz S e n n

· ·

309 Farrington the Scrivener: A Story of Dame

Street Roberta Jackson

317 ·

T h e O p e n Closet in Dubliners:

James

Duff>'s Painful C a s e V i n c e n t J. C h e n g Selected

299

" T h e Boarding H o u s e " Seen as a T a l e of

Misdirection Morris Beja

261 283

·

Bibliography

E m p i r e and Patriarchy in " T h e D e a d "

327 342 367

Introduction by Hans Walter Gabler A History

of Curiosities,

1904-19

J4f

I n the first days of J u l y 1 9 0 4 , probably on the 2 n d or o n the 4 t h , the I r i s h m y s t i c , p o e t a n d painter, a n d close friend of W . B . Y e a t s , G e o r g e R u s s e l l (otherwise " A E " ) wrote to J a m e s Joyce i n v i t i n g h i m to s u b m i t a s h o r t story to The Irish

Homestead—the

w e e k l y , self-

styled " O r g a n o f A g r i c u l t u r a l a n d I n d u s t r i a l D e v e l o p m e n t i n Irel a n d . " R u s s e l l asked

for s o m e t h i n g " s i m p l e , r u r a l ? , l i v e m a k i n g ? ,

p a t h o s ? . . . not to s h o c k the readers" Letters,

I I , 4 3 ) . 1 T h e letter w a s

timely. D e s p i t e h i s poverty, the twentytwo year old J o y c e w a s i n a n expansive, c o n f i d e n t m o o d . H i s b u r g e o n i n g r o m a n c e w i t h N o r a B a r n a c l e w a s e n t e r i n g its fourth buoyant week, a n d h e h a d b e g u n to c i r c u l a t e a m o n g his friends a n d a d m i r e r s the ( i n c o m p l e t e ) m a n u s c r i p t of h i s a u t o b i o g r a p h i c a l novel Stephen

Hero,

on w h i c h he con-

t i n u e d to w o r k energetically. 2 R u s s e l l i n c l u d e d w i t h h i s letter the c u r r e n t i s s u e of the Homestead

a n d advised: " L o o k at the story i n

this p a p e r . " T h a t Joyce did so, a n d w i t h important c o n s e q u e n c e s for the d e v e l o p m e n t — t h e n

in embryo—of

his oeuvre,

has

thus

far

slipped past t h e net of J o y c e a n s c h o l a r s h i p a n d biography. T h a t part o f The Irish

Homestead

for w h i c h R u s s e l l s o l i c i t e d a

c o n t r i b u t i o n w a s a section entitled " O u r W e e k l y Story." I n the s u m mer of 1 9 0 4 , h o w e v e r , there w a s a troubling dearth of copy. T h e t

T h i s s e c t i o n , as b a s e d o n fresh a n d o r i g i n a l r e s e a r c h in D u b l i n , w a s p r e p a r e d in c o l l a b o r a t i o n w i t h J o h n O ' H a n l o n a n d D a n i s R o s e . I a m m o s t grateful for t h e i r h e l p a n d a d v i c e . — F o r " A C u r i o u s H i s t o r y , ' ' as r e c o u n t e d by J a m e s J o y c e h i m s e l f , see pp. 1 9 7 - 2 0 0 .

1. T h o u g h this l e t t e r is u n d a t e d , f r o m c i r c u m s t a n t i a l e v i d e n c e a n d from t h e c h r o n o l o g y o f s u b s e q u e n t e v e n t s w e c a n be r e a s o n a b l y c e r t a i n that R u s s e l l m u s t have w r i t t e n it o n , or very s h o r t l y after, S a t u r d a y 2 J u l y 1 9 0 4 . 2. H i s s i s t e r M a y l u g g e d the b u l k y m a n u s c r i p t a r o u n d to C o n s t a n t i n e C u r r a n ( t h e n l i v i n g i n C u m b e r l a n d p l a c e , N o r t h C i r c u l a r r o a d , not too far f r o m J o y c e ' s father's h o u s e i n C a b r a ) on J u n e 2 3 (Letters, I , 5 5 ) . A f t e r C u r r a n h a d r e a d a n d r e t u r n e d it, J o y c e g a v e it to G e o r g e R u s s e l l to r e a d . A c c o r d i n g to R i c h a r d E l l m a n n {James Joyce, 1 6 3 ) a n d c o n v e n t i o n a l w i s d o m , it w a s R u s s e l l ' s r e a d i n g o f Stephen Hero w h i c h i n s p i r e d h i m to w r i t e to J o y c e a s k i n g for a story for t h e Homestead. B u t it is s u r e l y m u c h m o r e l i k e l y — g i v e n the tight c h r o n o l o g y a n d g i v e n the fact t h a t o n a n e a r l i e r o c c a s i o n R u s s e l l h a d r e s p o n d e d u n f a v o u r a b l y to t h e p o e m s of Chamber Music—that J o y c e l e n t h i m the m a n u s c r i p t o n l y after R u s s e l l h a d a p p r o a c h e d h i m . F u r t h e r m o r e , as w e s h a l l see, R u s s e l l h a d a m o r e p r a c t i c a l r e a s o n for writing.

XV

INTRODUCTION

issues of M a y 2 1 , M a y 2 8 , a n d J u n e 4 c o n t a i n e d n o story at a l l , the s e c t i o n in the i s s u e s of J u n e 11, 18, a n d 2 5 w a s t a k e n u p by a threepart novelette by L o u i s e K e n n y , a n d the i s s u e s of J u l y 9 a n d 16 again had no story. It follows that the sole i s s u e to w h i c h R u s s e l l c o u l d have b e e n r e f e r r i n g w a s that o f J u l y 2 , i n w h i c h i s s u e there w a s i n d e e d a story: a short p i e c e w r i t t e n by B e r k e l e y C a m p b e l l entitled ' T h e O l d W a t c h m a n . " It is a

first-person

n a r r a t i v e i n w h i c h the nar-

rator, a twelve-year old boy, r e c o u n t s the c i r c u m s t a n c e s of the death of a n old m a n he h a d b e f r i e n d e d w h o h a d fallen o n h a r d t i m e s . I f this s o u n d s f a m i l i a r , t h e n it s h o u l d ; for it w o u l d a p p e a r that Joyce not only r e a d the story: h e r e w r o t e it. H a d h e c a l l e d his o w n story " T h e O l d P r i e s t , " w h i c h , b u t for its s u b t l e r c o m p l e x i t i e s o f m e a n i n g he m i g h t have d o n e , t h e n that w o u l d have a d v e r t i s e d the fact. E v e n so, he p u t into " T h e S i s t e r s " c l u e s to the s o u r c e o f h i s artifice. I n C a m p b e l l ' s s t o r y — w h i c h o f c o u r s e h a d the date of the i s s u e (July 2 ) j u s t above the t i t l e — t h e o l d w a t c h m a n ( w h o it t r a n s p i r e s is t h e s o n of a former D e a n o f S t P a t r i c k ' s C a t h e d r a l ) is sixty-five years o f age; in the Homestead

v e r s i o n o f " T h e S i s t e r s , " the c a r d fixed to the door

of the h o u s e w h e r e the o l d p r i e s t d i e d reads: " J u l y 2 n d , 1 8 9 — T h e Rev. J a m e s F l y n n (formerly of S t . Ita's C h u r c h ) , aged 6 5 years. R.I.P."3 B y the 15th of J u l y , J o y c e h a d finished w r i t i n g " T h e S i s t e r s " a n d , i n d e e d , h a v i n g a l r e a d y p r o g r e s s e d b e y o n d the i d e a o f o n e story, h a d f o r m u l a t e d a n a m b i t i o u s p l a n . I n a letter to C o n s t a n t i n e C u r r a n h e a n n o u n c e d : " I a m w r i t i n g a series o f e p i c l e t s — t e n — f o r a paper. I have w r i t t e n o n e . I c a l l the series Dubliners

to betray t h e s o u l o f t h a t

h e m i p l e g i a or p a r a l y s i s w h i c h m a n y c o n s i d e r a c i t y . " 4 H . F . N o r m a n , the editor of The Irish

Homestead,

a c c e p t e d " T h e S i s t e r s " for p u b l i -

c a t i o n o n J u l y 2 3 , m a k i n g o n e c h a n g e only: " I a m c h a n g i n g the n a m e 3. T h e r e a r e o t h e r , l e s s e r e c h o e s . C a m p b e l l ' s boy u s u a l l y s p o k e to t h e o l d w a t c h m a n ( h e h a d pleurisy) while h e was huddled over his

fire-basket.

J o y c e ' s boy c o n v e r s e d w i t h the o l d

priest w h i l e , w r a p p e d u p i n h i s g r e a t c o a t , h e sat by h i s

fireside.

T h e o l d w a t c h m a n is not

n a m e d ; t h o u g h h i s r e p l a c e m e n t is: J a m e s . R e v e r b e r a t i o n s m a y be felt, too, e v e n b e y o n d "The

S i s t e r s . " T h e w a t c h m a n s p e n t h i s exile in A u s t r a l i a , w h i c h is a l s o w h e r e t h e s c h o o l -

f r i e n d o f E v e l i n e ' s f a t h e r w e n t (see e s p e c i a l l y t h e Irish

Homestead

version of " E v e l i n e , "

l i n e s 32—35). T h e w a t c h m a n ' s e a r l i e r D u b l i n p r o d i g a l i t y i n d r i n k i n g a n d g a m b l i n g , albeit c l i c h e , is not u n l i k e J i m m y ' s in t h e finale o f " A f t e r t h e R a c e . " L a s t l y , t h e E l e c t r i c T r a m w a y C o m p a n y ' s w a t c h m a n at h i s

fire-basket

w o u l d seem an avatar of G u m l e y , the corporation's

w a t c h m a n at h i s b r a z i e r i n " E u m a e u s " , t h e s i x t e e n t h e p i s o d e o f Ulysses

(and this episode

e s p e c i a l l y , o n e s h o u l d r e c a l l , h a s its roots i n t h e story " U l y s s e s " o r i g i n a l l y c o n t e m p l a t e d for 4.

Dubliners).

S e e Letters,

I, 5 5 , w h e r e " e p i c l e t s " is g i v e n as " e p i c l e t i . " T h i s

misreading—"Greekerthan

the G r e e k s " ( U 9 . 6 1 4 ) — h a s o v e r t h e y e a r s l e d to d e e p yet, a l a s , m i s g u i d e d c r i t i c a l e x e g e s i s (see, for e x a m p l e , E l l m a n n , op. c i t . , 1 6 3 ) . S k e p t i c a l at w h a t s e e m e d to h i m a n o b l i q u e w a y o f u s i n g G r e e k , W o l f h a r d S t e p p e s u r m i s e d t h a t t h e w o r d m i g h t s i m p l y be " e p i c l e t s " ( i . e . , 'little e p i c s ' , a n o r d i n a r y E n g l i s h d i m i n u t i v e ) . A r e a d i n g o f t h e o r i g i n a l i n U n i v e r s i t y C o l lege, D u b l i n , h a s p r o v e d h i m r i g h t . T h e l e t t e r , i n c i d e n t a l l y , is r a t h e r a m b i g u o u s l y 'The

dated

R a i n , F r i d a y . " A s there were s h o w e r s on j u s t about every F r i d a y d u r i n g that s u m m e r ,

the w e a t h e r a c c o u n t s a r e n o t t e r r i b l y h e l p f u l . T h e c r i c k e t r e p o r t s a r e m o r e e n l i g h t e n i n g : u n i q u e l y , o n the m o r n i n g o f F r i d a y , J u l y 1 5 , t h e r e w a s " t o r r e n t i a l r a i n " s u f f i c i e n t to p u t a stop to play.

xvii

INTRODUCTION

o f t h e P a r i s h q u o t e d in the obituary n o t i c e so as to m a k e the details o f t h e story m o r e r e m o t e . " s H e sent J o y c e a sovereign i n p a y m e n t . B y a c u r i o u s , s a d c o i n c i d e n c e , the story a p p e a r e d i n the i s s u e of 13 August

1904,

death.

In such

the first a n n i v e r s a r y of Joyce's

mother's untimely

h u m b l e c i r c u m s t a n c e s , t h u s , did Dubliners

and

b e y o n d it J a m e s Joyce's p r o s e m a s t e r p i e c e s see t h e i r b e g i n n i n g i n print. On

the s u g g e s t i o n

of R u s s e l l , J o y c e adopted a p s e u d o n y m a n d

s i g n e d t h e n a m e ' S t e p h e n D a e d a l u s ' to " T h e S i s t e r s . " H e c o n t i n u e d t h i s p r a c t i c e w i t h the next four or, possibly, five stories, r e v e r t i n g to h i s o w n n a m e o n l y i n the s u m m e r o f 1 9 0 5 , w e l l i n t o his exile. Step h e n D a e d a l u s , o f c o u r s e , w a s the n a m e h e h a d given to the p r i n c i p a l c h a r a c t e r i n Stephen

Hero

a n d the n a m e w h i c h h e h a d r e c e n t l y

b e g u n to u s e i n s i g n i n g letters to h i s friends (see, for e x a m p l e ,

Letters,

I, 5 4 - 5 5 ) . A p a r t f r o m the first ( " T h e S i s t e r s " ) a n d the last ( " T h e D e a d " ) the Dubliners

stories w e r e n o t w r i t t e n i n the order o f t h e i r

u l t i m a t e a r r a n g e m e n t . T h e s e c o n d , " E v e l i n e , " a p p e a r e d i n The Homestead

Irish

o n S e p t e m b e r 10, a n d very l i k e l y w a s c o m p o s e d d u r i n g

t h e s e c o n d h a l f of J u l y a n d /or the first w e e k s o f A u g u s t . A t that t i m e , J o y c e h a d b e g u n to t h i n k p r o s p e c t i v e l y a b o u t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h N o r a , a n d t h e s e c o n s i d e r a t i o n s c e r t a i n l y i n s p i r e d , i f o b l i q u e l y , its t h e m e . " A f t e r the R a c e " w a s drafted w h i l e J o y c e r a c e d about D u b l i n t o u c h i n g friends a n d e n e m i e s alike for t h e w h e r e w i t h a l to get a w a y from I r e l a n d . T h e story w a s c o m p l e t e d o n 3 O c t o b e r 1 9 0 4 6 a n d h a n d e d i n to the Homestead

office the f o l l o w i n g day, j u s t f o u r days

p r i o r to Joyce's d e p a r t u r e w i t h N o r a f r o m t h e N o r t h W a l l d o c k s . 7 J a m e s J o y c e a l w a y s c o n s i d e r e d 8 O c t o b e r 1 9 0 4 as the date of his "first" m a r r i a g e to N o r a B a r n a c l e (the " s e c o n d " b e i n g 4 J u l y 1 9 3 1 ) . T h e J o y c e s , after b r i e f stays i n Z u r i c h a n d T r i e s t e , settled d o w n i n P o l a i n A u s t r i a . It w a s w h i l e at Z u r i c h , h o w e v e r , i n late O c t o b e r that he b e g a n h i s f o u r t h story. H e c a l l e d it " C h r i s t m a s E v e . " A m o n t h later, from P o l a , he r e p o r t e d to S t a n i s l a u s that h e h a d w r i t t e n " a b o u t h a l f " o f it (Letters,

I I , 7 1 ) . B y this h e p r e s u m a b l y m e a n t the frag-

m e n t a r y fair c o p y of four pages w h i c h h a s b e e n p r e s e r v e d . 8 I n s t e a d 5.

L e t t e r to J a m e s J o y c e o f 2 3 J u l y 1 9 0 4 , n o w at C o r n e l l .

6. J o y c e w r o t e f r o m S t . P e t e r ' s t e r r a c e to N o r a o n t h i s day: " I a m i n s u c h h i g h g o o d h u m o u r t h i s m o r n i n g t h a t I i n s i s t o n w r i t i n g to y o u . . . 1 got u p e a r l y t h i s m o r n i n g to f i n i s h a story I w a s w r i t i n g . W h e n I h a d w r i t t e n a p a g e I d e c i d e d I w o u l d w r i t e a letter to y o u i n s t e a d . Besides,

1 thought you disliked M o n d a y a n d a letter from m e might put you i n better

s p i r i t s " (Letters,

I I , 5 0 ) . E l l m a n n has dated this letter " A b o u t I S e p t e m b e r

1 9 0 4 . " T h i s is

certainly wrong. T h e possible c o n t e n d i n g M o n d a y s are A u g u s t 3 0 , S e p t e m b e r

5 , 12, 19

a n d 2 6 , a n d O c t o b e r 3. O n t h e first d a t e J o y c e w a s still at 6 0 S h e l b o u r n e r o a d ; o n the s e c o n d at h i s u n c l e ' s i n F a i r v i...