Joycean Absences

The fact that James Joyce chooses to create permanent absence in the lives of his characters is significant to understanding the stories. In the stories of “The Sisters” and “Araby,” both young protagonists in the stories live with family members that are not their natural parents. By adding this element to the story, Joyce is able to create a permanent absence or a permanent void within the characters that they feel that they have to fill. In the case of the unnamed boy in “The Sisters,” he turns to Father Flynn as both a father figure and a mentor instead of his uncle. Thus, the boy goes through the story trying not to show how deeply affected by the loss of Father Flynn he is. Furthermore, the absence of the boy’s parents are highlighted even more with rigidness of the uncle’s reaction toward the priest’s death and childhood. As he says to Old Mr. Cotter toward the beginning of the story: “That’s my principle too. Let him box his corner. That’s what I’m always saying to that Rosicrucian there: take exercise. Why, when I was a nipper every morning of my life I had a cold bath, winter and summer (11). The uncle’s remarks about the boy’s situation shows that he cannot reasonably find sympathy for his friend’s loss from his uncle. His uncle completely disregards his feelings and further isolates him emotionally. Thus, Joyce utilizes the absence of parents to show a void within his characters.

Not only does Joyce use the absence of parents to show emotional disconnect in his characters, but he also uses symbolism throughout his work. For example, the fact that the protagonists’ names are absent in his texts significant. The two young boys that Joyce writes about in “The Sisters” and “Araby” go through the experiences of the loss of a loved one and failed expectations about love. Every reader can identity with these important and life-altering stages in one’s life. However, if the reader does not know the name of the character that they are becoming invested in, there is no real connection between the reader and the character. In addition, by not naming the protagonists, Joyce gives the reader the impression that maybe what the boys experience is not significant and there emotions do not matter. This attitude is similar to the attitude that the young boy’s uncle in “The Sisters” has about the boy’s loss of a friend where he does not sympathize or give condolences. Thus, the absence of the protagonists’ names in “The Sisters” and “Araby” further isolate the characters emotionally.