|
Dublinersby James Joyce |
|
| Home > Dubliners > Notes by Bob Williams > Counterparts |
|
CounterpartsAn Outline CommentaryBob Williams - © 1999Joyce used family and family lore in most of his work. In this story he paid off an old enemy of his father, Henry Alleyne. He gave this name to the obnoxious North Irish employer of Farrington. John Joyce described Alleyne as the man who had stripped the Chapelizod distillery of its assets and forced upon John a substantial loss. The truth was somewhat different but it was what the son believed that mattered. Farrington himself and Tom were based on William Murray, a domestic tyrant, and his seven-year-old son Hubert (Bertie).Tindall links the bad father of 'Counterparts' to the bad mother (Maria as nursemaid to the young brothers, Joe and Alphy) of 'Clay.' Mr Alleyne, a northern Irishman, is an abusive and bad- tempered employer. He calls Farrington to his office and rails at him (Farrington is frequently "he"and sometimes just "the man" in this story.) Although he accepts the abuse he is inwardly in a rage. He sneaks out for a drink. He has prepared for this by having a shepherd's plaid cap in his pocket. (Shepherds plaid garments occur elsewhere in Joyce: cf. Finnegans Wake: 396, 17- 18, "sheopards plods drowsers." It adds to the interest of this link that Farrington resembles Earwicker. Joyce describes Farrington in this manner: "He had a hanging face, dark wine-coloured, with fair eyebrows and moustache: his eyes bulged forward slightly and the whites of them were dirty.Ó) It would appear that none of Farrington's class could go bareheaded in public without exciting comment. When he returns he can tell by her perfume that Miss Delacour ("of Jewish appearance,"a description that recalls Little Chandler's meditation on opulent Jewesses in 'A Little Cloud.') has entered the office. During his absence Mr Alleyne has called for him again. He takes the Delacour papers to him and hopes that Alleyne will not notice two missing letters. His mind is on the unfairness of life and on his thirst. He botches his copy. He wakes from his abstraction to find himself the object of Mr Alleyn's wrath over the missing letters. Mr Alleyne berates him furiously before the other workers and Miss Delacour. Farrington utters an unfortunate witticism at Mr Alleyne's expense and Mr Alleyne demands an apology. It is given but we are spared the scene. Joyce interrupts the story (row of dots) and takes it up again as "he" stands in a doorway opposite the office. He decides that he cannot borrow so he takes his watch-chain to a pawnshop. He holds out for, and gets, six shillings instead of a crown. As he goes to meet his friends, he rehearses, with more advantage to himself, his insult of Mr Alleyne. O'Halloran and Paddy Leonard hear him out and O'Halloran tells a similar story of his own but O'Halloran's retort was not so witty. It "was after the manner of the liberal shepherds of the eclogues." This intrusion of the authorial voice is sudden, obvious and unique. Nosey Flynn is already of the party, which is now joined by Higgins from the Farrington's office. Higgins retells Farrington's insult with flourishes. Who has what to drink and who pays for each round is carefully noted. Flynn and Higgins lack money to keep up with the others and leave as the rest go to the Scotch House to continue their drinking. Here they meet Weathers, a Tivoli acrobat and an Englishman. He is included in the round that Farrington is buying and he upsets Farrington by calling for an expensive drink. He stands his round, however, and arranges to meet them later at another pub. At this pub he orders, to Farrington's relief for it is again his round, an inexpensive drink. This is now an important consideration for money is getting low. A young man and two young women enter. (This configuration of two women and a man is frequent in Dubliners. Cf. 'After the Race' and 'Two Gallants.') They are theatrical folk and Weathers knows them. Farrington pays rapt attention to one of the women and is very impressed by what he perceives as her stylish combination of peacock blue dress and bright yellow gloves. He curses his lack of money, especially that which he spent on Weather's expensive drink, because it prevents him from pursuing this woman. She speaks two words and the accent is English and she leaves. Farrington surfaces from his anger to find the others talking of feats of strength. In the interest of national honor, his friends pit him against Weathers in arm wrestling. (It is here that we learn that Weathers is English.) Weathers defeats him twice. Farrington is dangerously angry and O'Halloran buys a round of drinks to smooth things over. There is another interruption. This time it is a blank line. The "man" waits for his tram. He has risked his position at the office, he has pawned his watch-chain and spent the results uselessly on drink for he has failed to get drunk. He has two pennies left - the same ones, perhaps, as the boy in 'Araby' or perhaps these are the two pennies that Buck Mulligan did not pay the milk woman in Ulysses. He had no money to support an approach to the woman in the pub and he was defeated in a show of strength by a younger man, an Englishman. His heart is swollen with fury. He loathes the idea of home and, when he enters it, he calls for his wife. One of his sons, whom he cannot immediately identify correctly, tells him that she is at chapel. Farrington demands his dinner and the son will fix it but the fire is out. Farrington is out of control, takes a cane and beats his son who offers to say a Hail Mary for him if the man will not beat him. Counterparts: Characters (*mentioned)
|
|