Dubliners

James Joyce is considered one of the most prominent writers in the history of Irish literature, often portrayed as a figurehead for the country’s gift of storytelling. Even people who haven’t read Joyce’s literary work know of it through the many tourism sites and events that take place worldwide in his name. Of particular note is the holiday known as “Bloomsday,” which takes place on June 16 in honor of Joyce and his fictional character Harold Bloom. Around the world, and particularly in Dublin (Harold Bloom’s home city), costumed actors and academic scholars offer portrayals and analyses of James Joyce’s work.

Ironically, Joyce derided his home country for its “backwards” social norms and close relationship with the Catholic Church. Originally from Rathgar, a residential neighborhood in greater Dublin, Joyce left Ireland in self-imposed exile in 1904. He returned sporadically, with his final visit in 1912, two years before the publication of Dubliners and a decade before the publication of his magnum opus, Ulysses. Both were written entirely from memory and contain subversive social criticism of his experiences there. Joyce lived out his life across Europe, eventually dying in Zurich, where he was laid to rest.

In spite of this emotional distance, Dublin proudly claims Joyce as its own. In 2019, controversy arose regarding a proposition to have Joyce’s remains moved from their burial place in Zurich back to Dublin. The divide stemmed from the widespread understanding that since Joyce had no desire to be buried in Dublin, the action of doing so would be to create a false narrative around the historical figure. Regardless of the reality of Joyce’s feelings and the way he lived his life, his relationship with Dublin has grown to mythic proportions which transcend the reality of the man. Dubliners is an example of his immortal connection with the city and the way he has been canonized within it.