The significance of space in James Joyce's Dubliners

openIn James Joyce's works space plays a pivotal role as a narrative device. This dissertation focuses on the spatial description in 'Dubliners', a collection of fifteen short stories set in the city of Dublin. The representation of space, both private and public, does not merely describe the physical element. Instead, it reveals details about the characters' self perception and identity whose close connection to the urban environment puts them in a state of paralysis. Elements of stillness and circularity establish the urban setting as an enclosing space which characters attempt to escape but are ultimately unable to. Chapter one offers a brief overview of different theories and studies regarding the notion of space as a literary device. In particular, this chapter focuses on the definition of chronotope which describes a subject's relationship with the physical element from both a psychological and phenomenological stem point. Chapter two aims at contextualising literature of space within European and, more specifically, Irish Modernism focusing on how 19th century colonialism and urbanization have shaped the perception and representation of space within literary works. Chapter three pertains to the analysis of space in the Dubliners tales, focusing on the characters' experience of the urban background: the journeys they take across the city, their unique approach to both private and public spaces and how this gives away crucial details about the author's own view and perception of Dubli