Self-Expressive Confession In James Joyce's Dubliners

Self-expressive confession by the various characters of James Joyce's Dubliners is an inevitable step toward the spiritual liberation. Different from religious confession, the confession in Dubliners is the self-expression for the characters to regain their lost social status, personality and self-respect. When the characters' psychology and exterior environment change, a "sudden spiritual manifestation " occurs to the characters after their going through fierce inner conflict, and reasonable introspection and awakening confession, the consequence of which may help to readjust their ideas and behaviors, reduce their psychological pressure and achieve spiritual liberation. According to Joyce, Dubliner is the world center of spiritual paralysis. Everybody, regardless of age and sex, is suffering from spiritual paralysis, so they all make confession. This thesis thinks that the characters' spiritual paralysis, "epiphany", psychological confession and action are four interactive steps to gain spiritual liberation. The confessional psychology and action of different characters of different ages are explored based on the confessional processes. The confession by teenagers in Dubliners shows that the little boy in "The Sisters" is forced to make vague confession on account of impoliteness to Father. Flynn and "Araby" makes vague confession because of inappropriate passion toward the neighbor's sister by which he expresses his vague love to her. The confession made by the youths in "Eveline" expresses Eveline's sacred obligation to look after aged parents and cherish friendship among friends; the confession by Doran and Polly in "The Boarding House" shows that they want to treat marriage seriously. The confession by Little Chandler, the adult character in "A Little Cloud" expresses that he wishes to give up his daydream to go and work abroad and take up the career of literary work. The confession by Gabriel in "The Dead" reflects that the character has a good soul to take care of other people. The confession by the aged person of Father Flynn indicates that Flynn doesn't want to give up religious doctrine. In a word, the confessions by different characters in Dubliners are the characters' self-expression to struggle for pure feelings, lofty personality and dignity as well as ideal state of life in order that the characters can obtain spiritual liberation and lofty sentiment.