James Joyce's Dubliners is a frank and fearless portrait of his hometown, offering his readers a glimpse of a "dear dirty Dublin" and his compatriots "a good look at them -themselves”. Joyce's collection of stories, virtually chronicling the maturation stages of a human life, depicts Dubliners as helpless individuals who often contemplate escape, but are chained to a crippled Dublin. Through "Araby", "Eveline" and "The Boarding House" and the individual psychological, spiritual and moral paralysis that their characters face, we discover that it is society and its social mores that imprison and shape Dubliners into this that they should be. . As the “chronological periods of human life” structure of Joyce's collection and the pattern of recurring paralysis suggest, this societal paralysis transcends and encompasses everything, deeming escape improbable. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get the original essay Joyce's "Araby" is one of his first short stories in the progression of Dubliners and logically begins with a younger protagonist. The young, unnamed narrator is filled with romantic aspirations for a girl he meets, destined to woo her with a splendid gift from the upcoming Arabian bazaar. But quickly we experience through the boy the definite restrictions imposed on him. First, we see that the bazaar is a rather garish representation of his dream. He overhears the conversation between some salesmen, who are ordinary English women, and the banal nature of their conversation reminds the boy that whatever the mess, he is still in Dublin. “While observing me, the young woman came to ask me if I wanted to buy something. The tone of his voice was not encouraging; she seemed to have spoken to me out of duty” (23). Furthermore, although the boy arrives too late to buy anything, he describes his stay as "useless" and only "to make [his] interest in her [the saleswoman's] wares seem more real" (23): he can't afford everything that's on offer. From his modest living conditions and the small amount of money given to him by his uncle, we know that their financial situation is strained. Like his poverty-stricken fellow citizens of Dublin, his aspirations come at the expense of his modest means. There are no resources, no opportunities for Dubliners to materialize their dreams, none that go beyond a pleasant mental fantasy. His desire to escape is even symbolized by the title “Araby”, representing an exotic and adventurous Arabia. However, the young narrator, prisoner of his society-imposed poverty, remains chained to his paralyzed Dublin. Likewise, chained in Dublin is the ill-fated “Eveline” character of the same name. At only nineteen years old, she takes on the responsibility of providing for her family, in the absence of her deceased mother, in an unfulfilling and demoralizing environment. On the other hand, she is engaged to a good and hopeful man who will take her to Buenos Ayres “where he had a house waiting for him” (26). As a result, she has every reason to leave, both for reasons and for an optimistic alternative, and constantly thinks about it: "Run away!" She must escape! Frank would save her. He would give her life, perhaps also love. But she wanted to live. Why would she be unhappy? She had the right to happiness” (26). As she leaves with her lover, she experiences a “nausea in her body” (28) and stops. "All the seas in the world swirled around her heart. He drew her in: he would drown her. She clung with both hands to the iron railing" (28). She is..