The theme of escape in James Joyce's Dubliners

This study focuses on the theme of escape in James Joyce's Dubliners. The thesis aims to explore why Joyce's characters feel discontented with their lives in the ten short stories in Dubliners selected for this thesis. Of the fifteen short stories included in Dubliners, ten are of special importance in that they illustrate the way Joyce deals with "the theme of escape" through the predicament of his troubled characters, while implicitly reflecting his own problems and conflicts. The ten short stories in Dubliners selected for this thesis are divided into three categories, each representing one of the main stages of human life. The thesis, then, in chapter one, studies three stories: "The Sisters", "An Encounter" and "Araby", in terms of the analyses Joyce's characters in "Juvenile". In chapter two, contains two stories: "Eveline" and "The Boarding House", in terms of the analyses the Adolscence characters. The chapter three, which deals with "Maturity", includes the analyses of five stories: "A Little Cloud", "Counterparts", "A Painful Case", "Clay" and "The Dead", to show that these stories reflect James Joyce's life in each story. The theme of escape, which binds together these ten stories, closely associated with the author's own experiences in his country Ireland and out Ireland too. Joyce spent most of his life outside his native country, in Trieste, Paris and Zurich. There were many factors that compelled him to leave Dublin and live the rest of his life abroad. Joyce left Ireland primarily for social, economic, religious and political reasons, and he lived in a state of self-imposed exile from 1904 until his death in 1941. Joyce's experiences find reflection in the plight of the characters in the stories selected for this study. For all their efforts to escape from Dublin or to break out of the restraints surrounding them, the characters in these stories are unable to change their fate for the better. Their Irish background as well as their failure to free themselves from the religious and social values and familial obligations prevents them from effecting any change or improvement in their lives. Having to do the same things and carry out the same routine every day, they feel bored and live as if they are paralyzed. In fact, these characters lack the courage necessary to make any notable change in their lives. Most of them dream of escaping from their monotonous lives, which they find unbearable. Some of these characters make an attempt to escape from their predicament, but they fail to do so. Ultimately, their attempt to break out of their confinement ends up with frustration as they bitterly find that they have no other choice but to turn back to their old way of life. The aim of this thesis is to shed light on a central theme in the works of James Joyce, and indicates an interesting connection between his life and his arts. Key Words: imagination, escape, predicament, disappointment, frustration, alienation