| This essay examines the vocabulary and metaphors of militarism that run through Dubliners. The culture of aggression appears frequently in the childhood stories; children engage in war games and read the stories of military adventure. In "Araby," the story about romance, for instance, the boy protagonist is compared to a romantic knight, a warrior protecting the chalice of his beloved`s image. The dance in "The Dead" becomes the vehicle for a clash; the name for the kind of dances makes the military connection explicit. "Eveline" begins with "invade," a military word that is used in everyday life. The pervasive military metaphors and connotations show in particular the influence of British Empire on Irish consciousness. The soldiers who indicate the British domination seem to block the exit of Dubliners who dream of freedom. The station at the North Wall, where Eveline is about to leave for her new life, is filled with British soldiers. Failing to find even a temporary chance of escape from his Protestant boss, Farrington in "Counterparts" slouches home, symbolically enough, "in the shadow of a British Army barracks." Corley, whose military posture and connections shows his association with the British army, dupes and corrupts the servant girl who is indicative of Ireland, thus blocking the girl`s exit to the future. Bob Doran in "The Boarding House" wants to run away from the forced marriage but Polly`s soldier-like brother scares him into matrimony. The winner of the battles is always already decided. Jimmy Doyle in "After the Race" knows that he will be the heaviest loser and that Routh and England will emerge triumphant in the card game. Mrs. Mooney in "The Boarding House" is sure that she will win the battle with Doran. Mr. Power`s religious attempt to help Mr. Kernan reform in "Grace" is a battle which he is sure to win. His "power" derives from his employment in Dublin Castle, the seat of British rule in Ireland. Even though there is no actual battle in Dubliners, the preoccupation with weaponry and warfare stands out. That preoccupation seems probably due to the European war and the presence of British forces in Dublin. Thus, militarism was one of the few Irish stereotypes which evoked almost universal approbation in a bellicose era. Experiencing an everyday life of militarized culture, Dubliners internalized the language of war to such a degree that they often use it unawares. In highlighting that language, Joyce seems to criticize militarism, a factor of imperialism, by exposing its negative aspects in Dubliners. |
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