Masculine Aggression by the Prevailing Circumstances in Dublin - Essay Example

Dubliners A closer look at the stories contained in Dubliners reveals that the narcissistic ego of the male figures has been disintegrated by several oppressive maneuvers such as colonialism and patriarchy hegemony. While trying to understand the impact of these forces on the ability of the male figures to serve as father-figures, the narrator seems to form different pictures of different men in the story, solely on the basis of the situation in which they live in Dublin. Joyce’s treatment of the father-child relationship It is noteworthy that Joyce’s perception of the father-child relationship starts to form early in the story when the narrator talks about Doyle’s father who is described as an advanced nationalist who had immense influence on his children’s upkeep. This is plausible in the fact that the father had managed to send Doyle to a school in a big Catholic college in England, and later to Dublin University to pursue a degree in Law. Despite failing badly in academics, Jimmy had also been sent to Cambridge to get a state of life there. The narrator makes the illusion that, even though the father was quite a remorse, he was also caring for his children’s future, and the need to give them a precise foundation from which they could face their future. In the course of this relationship, children such as Jimmy have learned to respect their father’s decisions, which they deem unquestionable. For instance, Jimmy is keen to ensure that his business venture with Segouin, which has been funded by his father, becomes a big success. In “A Little Cloud”, the narrator portrays the picture of a flawed father who has just begun to learn what the heart is and what it actually feels. Through Chandler’s relationship with his son, the audience gets the picture of a father with an awakened conscience, regardless of his flaws. Towards the end of the story, it is noteworthy how the father’s weak conscience comes into play when the father becomes helpless in soothing the crying baby. Instead, the narrator states that Chandler only manages to yell “Stop!” in the child’s face (Joyce 84). The baby becomes terrified and bursts into loud screams. The narrator remarks that even as the father tried to soothe the baby, it “sobbed more convulsively” (Joyce 84). It is only after the mother returns and soothes that baby that the child actually stops sobbing. This demonstrates that the father has become a frustrated and belittled man who has no positive influence or significant control over any aspect of the child. In the second scene of the story, asserting a direct link between Little Tommy Chandler and the narrator as father and husband would appear unfounded. However, it is also extreme to assume that the narrator wanted the reader to have no feelings of sympathy towards the protagonist. In fact, regardless of how one’s perception of the father may be after reading the first section, the narrator’s juxtaposition of the two friends later in the second section inches the reader towards sympathetic feeling for the protagonist. Different types of fathers witnessed in the Dublin of 1904 In a sharp contrast with the type of uncaring and unattached father seen in the character of Chandler, there is another sort of caring and attached fathers as seen through Gabriel and Jimmy’s father as seen in ‘After the Race’. For the case of Gabriel, he is a loving family man who brings some cheerful presence to the party as he performs his manly duties such as the carving of the goose. Gretta inspires a great deal of tendernesses and fondness in him, but he still feels like a master over her. These qualities do not make him sympathetic as a father, but rather, they make him an embodiment of a man whose inner life is struggling to keep pace with the world surrounding him. Generally, men are regarded as weak, irascible, venal, and violent. They are also arbitrary and quite demanding. It seems that the effect of promulgating patriarchy on the male characters and its effect on their perceptions of women have exacerbated the unbalanced power relation that ultimately breaks the bond between fathers and their children. Effects of the presence or absence of these fathers on their children To a great extent, the absence of men from their children’s lives has been demonstrated by the emotional detachment that the narrator presents through a depiction of the various kinds of fathers in the Dublin of 1904. Given that the position of gender seems to flow from an individual’s social status within the power hierarchy, the men in Dubliners appear feminized under the weight of colonialism and cannot serve as the conventional ‘father-figure’ to their children. For instance, Little Chandler’s appearance with small, white hands, mustache, and use of perfume suggests that his masculinity has become delicate and fragile. His absence from the child’s upbringing could have contributed to his emotional sensitivity that transforms him into a feminized and childish figure. When compared with Gallaher, it is clear that Little Chandler can only mull over what he could have achieved if he had not entered into the marriage. Looking around, he forms the opinion that he has been entrapped in the house together with the baby whose wailing is nearly piercing his eardrums (Joyce, 85). The father has become impotent for the long imprisonment at home. The narrator creates the suggestion that for one to succeed, they had to go away. This explains why Little Chandler will never become a Byron. This is re-affirmed when Chandler says in a self-assured tone that one “could do nothing in Dublin” (Joyce55). Without such kind of achievement and accomplishment, there is a little inspiration if any coming from the fathers to their children. Furthermore, lack of achievement means little or no responsibility, which in turn precipitates the rivalry between fathers and their children. For instance, Chandler refers to the baby several times as ‘it’ and only refers to the baby as ‘he’ when the mother is around. The tears of remorse evident in his eyes are a representative of his strong regret for the irretrievable achievement in life that has sowed the seeds of detachment from the family. When one looks at the case of Jimmy Doyle in “After the Race” it is clear that his father’s presence has only served to instill a sense of lawfulness and willing conformity to social customs. Accepting the father’s authority are the sole pre-conditions of the child’s place in the larger socio-economic order, coupled with a name and a speaking position. For instance, it is Jimmy’s ever-present father who compels him to pursue his future and achieve that which he has ever desired in life. Turning to “Counterparts”, it seems that children are the only ones from whom the dejected and humiliated Farrington can regain his masculine dignity, reaffirm his phallic power, and reincarnate his selfhood. Without such outlet, fathers like the frustrated Farrington could only escape from the bitter reality by indulging themselves in alcohol. The narrator suggests that Farrington has resorted to mimicking the brutality of his master, Mr. Alleyne, and in the process, ends up giving up own his own autonomy, not just as a husband, but also as a father. In conclusion, it is clear that the narrator has purposefully invoked gender stereotypes with an aim of demonstrating masculine aggression that has been necessitated by the prevailing circumstances in Dublin. Through the male figures presented in Dubliners, the reader gets to see the author’s subtle interrogation of gender construction, as well as the relationship between human desire and the external circumstances that influence it. The desire by the male figures in the stories to serve as family icons and heroes in their respective families has seen some of them strive to achieve the best for their children. On the other hand, there are those who view the current state of oppression as a major stumbling block to their success, leaving them in a state of agony and helplessness. In order to fill the gap, the narrator seems to invoke gender passivity as women seem to be closing the gap between fathers and their children. Works Cited Joyce, James. Dubliners. 1914. New York: Oxford, UP, 2000. Print Read More