"Counterparts"

“The bell rand furiously and, when Miss Parker went to the tube a furious voice called out in a piercing North of Ireland accent: -Send Farrington here!”

These first few lines in the short story, “Counterparts” by James Joyce, defined the mood for the rest of the article. The repetition of the word “furious” demonstrates how the atmosphere is currently tense and that the reader is about to get into a tight situation. Since Farrington’s boss calls him in angry and “furious” it will cause Farrington to have an apparent anger about his character for the rest of the story. The author’s diction of the word “piercing” shows the intensity of the upcoming situation because of the harsh sounds in the word. This diction builds up the mood of the story throughout the text. Additionally, the inclination of the phrase “North of Ireland accent” demonstrates the author’s use of imagery. The author intended for the reader to pay special attention to the sentence so they could picture how the rest of the story would sound. This introductory imagery confirms a basis for the reader so they can picture the scene in their minds.
The first sentence also helps foreshadow upcoming events. Since the mood is already very tense, the reader can foreshadow that the character will also be very tense and that this pressure will cause something incredibly bad to happen. Mr. Farrington holds in his agitation and frustration by continuing to drink until he comes home and beats his little boy. Also, the appearance of a lady, Miss Parker, in the chaotic tension of the first sentence brings an air of innocence to the sentence. Since a woman in present, she helps soften the mood slightly and foreshadows that something unjust will happen to an innocent being. Mr. Farrington’s child in the story was pure and he was the innocence the first sentence was foreshadowing.
Therefore, James Joyce illustrates many important literary devices just in the first sentence. He does this so the reader can build up to the ending and use these clues to understand the characters and the plot in a more efficient manner.

"The Boarding House"

“She sang: ‘I’m a naughty girl. You needn’t sham: you know I am.”

These lines are a very important aspect of the short story, “The Boarding House,” by James Joyce. The author used these lines to characterize Polly Mooney as promiscuous and childish. She sings these lines from a famous song but the fact that she sings these specific lines shows that she is either incredibly oblivious to what she is saying or she is intentionally making it seem like she is open. The reader will understand immediately that she has been with many men and acts immature around others for attention.
It is also ironic that James Joyce chooses these lines from the song to show that Polly sings often. The irony of they lyrics and Polly’s behavior emphasizes to the reader her immorality and unfavorable actions. When the Joyce first introduces Polly as a character and the reader reads these lines, they will immediately foreshadow that something terrible will come from Polly’s unrestricted behavior.
Joyce wishes the reader to dislike Polly so eventually at first so throughout the story they can begin to sympathize with her and somehow relate to her. Most people tend to dislike others because of something they do which ends up relating to a part of themselves. Since Polly acts juvenile and dissolute, Joyce demonstrates the theme that we all act foolish sometimes but we only realize this when we have come of age. The reader can relate to Polly because they realize that they had once acted this way and are able to sympathize with her at the end because they can feel her pain.

"Two Gallants"

“One night, man,” he said, “I was going along Dame Street and I spotted a fine tart under Waterhouse’s clock and said good-night, you know. So we went for a walk round by the canal and she told me she was a slavey in a house in Baggot Street. I put my arm round her and squeezed her a bit that night. Then next Sunday, man, I met her by appointment. We went out to Donnybrook and I brought her into a field there. She told me she used to go with a dairyman…It was fine, man. Cigarettes every night she’d bring me and paying the tram out and back. And one night she brought me two bloody fine cigars- O, the real cheese, you know, that the old fellow used to smoke… I was afraid, man, she’d get in the family way. But she’s up to the dodge.”
“Maybe she thinks you’ll marry her,” said Lenehan.
“I told her I was out of a job,” said Corley. “I told her I was in Pim’s. She doesn’t know my name. I was too hairy to tell her that. But she thinks I’m a bit of class you know.”

The author’s tone in this segment helps show the characterization of the two main individuals and foreshadows how each character will act in a situation later in the story. James Joyce wants the readers to feel negatively towards the men since Corley speaks so disrespectfully about women and since he explains his actions to be unbecoming and inconsiderate. In this portion of the story, both men speak about women in a negative tone and both say vulgar statements. But since Corley thinks his actions can be justified he is automatically categorized as someone who will not show any sort of change in personality at the end of the story. However, Lenehan’s character is slightly more composed and modest compared to Corley; being more understanding and when he tries to relate to what the woman in question was thinking. This personality trait shows that Lenehan is more genuine that Corley and later in the story we find out that he is just the opposite of his companion.
When Lenehan is left by Corley to wander the streets for several hours, we learn a lot more about what is inside Lenehan’s mind and how he truly feels towards life. He explains how he has anxiety about finding true friends and how he wants to settle down. According to the quote, Corley expresses no desire to get married or to buy a house of his own but in the text we discover that Lenehan seems to hide his true feelings towards adulthood around his so called “friends.” This double personality when he is alone or with his friends makes Lenehan’s character very complex since the reader does not know which is personality can best define him. When the reader is on a more intimate level with Lenehan when Joyce reveals some of the questions he asks himself about friends or his future, the reader is more sympathetic towards Lenehan and wonders who this new personality is.
James Joyce also tells an allegory in “ The Two Gallants” which involves conformity and friendship. In the beginning of the story Lenehan walks with Corley discussing women, pretending to agree and be his friend. The author compares this to society and the social latter saying how sometimes unique individuals will try to fit in with others by clinging to a more likeable individual. Those who are trying to conform act very similar to the society based individual and they do not voice their own opinions or say any of their ideas. When Lenehan is alone and left with his own thoughts, he fantasizes about the “adventures Corley will be having” instead of having his own fun and adventures. This is typical behavior to someone who is trying to fit in with others who are not like them. Lenehan makes it clear he wants to get married and have a home of his own, but since Corley does not want to do this, Lenehan does not pursue his aspirations. Joyce tries to convey to the reader that a person’s true dreams can only be found when you are not surrounded by society’s influence. Corley is a symbolic character for our ugly conformed society and Lenehan is the individual who wants to question society’s motives and do things his way. Lenehan begins to panic slightly and becomes more anxious, this is because is he finally thinking in a nonconformist perspective. Unfortunately, when Lenehan rushes back to Corley, he also rushes back to his obedient life as a person who follows society’s every wish and whim. Although it was only for a brief while, Joyce wants the reader to question our society and daily lives just as Lenehan questioned his future.