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Out of all the short stories that JJ has written in Dubliners it seems that ‘An Encounter’ is the one I’ve thought about the most. At least it’s probably the only short story that I’ve thought about more than just looking into the meaning of it.
From the perspective of the main character, these three boys make plans to ditch school and go on an adventure to a specific location. On the day that they set out, one of the boys doesn’t show up, essentially chickening out. So now it’s only the main character along with his friend who he secretly doesn’t give two shits about. Despite the missing friend, the boys try to make the most of their situation and head off on their adventure. Of course they never make it to that specific location, instead they get side tracked and to make matters worse come across some fucking pervert who flashes his dick at them. The message of the story being that you can try to escape your shitty reality but there’s shit everywhere and no place to escape to.
I feel like the story has placed an obstacle in my way. I imagine a time where I was highly optimistic about something, but as time flew by I became disappointed, then to add insult to injury a pervert waves his cock at me or I’m violated in one way or another. It feels like life just kicking you in the ribs when you’re down and that's fucking depressing.
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I read Dubliners a year ago and wasn't much impressed and actually rather bored. But the more I thought about it, over a time span of months, the more I realized how good those stories actually were. I then went back to the book and reread it and at the end of The Dead I just lay down in bed and cried until I fell asleep lol.
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>>8395222
Hmm maybe I should re-read it too
I was definitely bored with most of Dubliners, but some of the stories I really liked - A Little Cloud, After the Race, Eveline, Araby, and An Encounter is my top 5
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>>8395244
It was the same for me with Portrait. I suppose his books take some time to really sink in. Or maybe that's just me.
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>>8395222
>>8395244
>>8395251
They do fucking sink in and I think it has to do with the cold reality of the conflicts in the book. You read other stories and they're about dudes who are chilling and then shit happens to them and they are not so chill anymore. But you read stuff in the dubliners and you see the internal struggles that people face because of events that have already happened around them. And the scary thing about it all is that you can empathize with the people because you've felt small as they have before. Then that just sits in the back of your mind and grows on you.
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>>8395133
>as time flew by I became disappointed, then to add insult to injury a pervert waves his cock at me or I’m violated in one way or another
Welcome to life, kid. I remember when I was in your shoes, a while ago. Guess in whose shoes I'm now ;)
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>>8395311
how many people have you shown your dick to
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>>8395316
auto bump for JJ
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>>8395133
Wait, what? At what point in that story does the old guy get his dick out? I don't remember that at all.
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>>8395222
Same
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>just read "A Little Cloud"
Hoooooooly shit I'm never getting married.
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Grace was my favorite.
Counterparts and After the Race are great too.
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>>8395133
Why is Dubliners so deflationary, pessimistic and depressing when Portrait and Uysses are all about grandeur and affirming life?
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>>8397007
wtf i hate marriage now
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>>8397205
Joyce let go of his earthly tethers, entered the void. Emptied, and became wind
And that's not even including Nora
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>>8397205
I would not call Portrait grandeur or life-affirming.
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>>8399324
not as a whole, but certainly the end
Thread posts: 17
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