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Epiphany in dubliners


            THE EPIPHANY IN EACH STORY IS OBVIOUS TO THE READER BUT RARELY TO THE CHARACTER IN THE STORY ITSELF. DISCUSS WITH REFERENCE TO TWO OR THREE STORIES IN DUBLINERS.
             James Joyce adapted the word "epiphany" from the religious term referring to the revelation of Christ's divinity to Magi. Joyce's definition however refers to a sudden insight into ones self- .
             "an epiphany he meant a sudden spiritual manifestation, whether in the vulgarity of speech or of gesture or in a memorable phase of the mind itself. He believed that it was for the man of letters to record these epiphanies with extreme care, seeing that they themselves are the most delicate and evanescent of moments".
             For Joyce it means that any commonplace object or action could bring about a sudden revelation into the truth and a deep understanding of life. The chief theme, which runs throughout all the stories in Dubliners, is the paralysis, both physical and moral, linked to religion, politics and culture. Dublin is the heart of this paralysis and all citizens are victims. This series of epiphanies are not simply about paralysis but the revelation of paralysis to its victims. Most characters come to a knowledge, an awareness of their own condition and for a moment they are able to see with clarity what is the best way to make all their dreams and hopes come true. To say that the characters in Dubliners are unaware of the epiphany in their lives is a mistake just that their environment disabilitates them, preventing them from improving their lives. That' s why we have the impression of their inability to recognise the epiphany in their lives. They seem immobile and as a result most of the stories, end with defeat and a consequential frustration of the character.
             The opening sentence of the first story from Dubliners sets the scene for the rest of book "There was no hope for him this time. "The sisters" concerns the death of the eccentric priest Father Flynn and its impact on the boy he had befriended and to whom he had acted as a substitute father.


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