Dubliners

paralysis in dublin

in the 4 short stories of dubliners 'the sisters ', 'eveline' , 'the boarding house'

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I disagreed with this aspect when I first read it in Cliffs Notes. I had seen the word "paralysis" used in so many discussions that I looked at it as the (c) answer on the fall midterm.

I originally saw it as being more a matter of complacency or apathy. People go about their lives and think that everything they encounter is normal - - - no matter how WE view it as readers!.

One day I decided to look at my point of view without the cynicism (my middle name). I FOUND a HUGE connection with Ireland at the turn of the last, the 20th, century. We are at the turn of the 21st century and I find the World I Live In . . . IS paralyzed. We are not apathetic and we are not complacent. These attitudes only occur in the idle rich or the comfortable middle class.

The middle class is being destroyed day by day, and find themselves competing with 5c per hour non-us workers.

We are too busy keeping our family in tact and text-minute ready that we can't spare a moment to fight the enormous power(s) over us.

The Ireland that Joyce grew up in mimics our era (in their terms, of course). The people were so used to being where they were, that they tacitly accepted it. It takes a concerted effort and planning to overcome this paralysis and in both eras, people don't have a voice, especially when 99% of the media is owned by "the other side". Descent is quashed or, today, sound bit!

I was wrong then. But I not only SEE it now, I LIVE it.

I totally get what you're talking about.

I don't see at all what you are talking about. We are hardly paralyzed the way Joyce's characters are. We may feel paralyzed right now, but most of us are trying to actively do something about our fate. Joyce makes the opposite point - most of his characters are doing nothing to achieve their dreams, which is a very different type of paralysis.

I want a help please help me