On Human’s Mental Predicament In Eleven Kinds Of Loneliness And Dubliners: A Comparative Perspective

Richard Yates(1926-1992),an outstanding writer in the “Age of Anxiety” in America,is keen to describe the life of ordinary people in his first collection of short stories Eleven Kinds of Loneliness(1962).Throughout the collection,each of the stories exposes the mutations that exist in life to show the complexity of human nature in the face of life’s unspeakable sadness.Though The New York Times appraisingly compared it with Joyce’s Dubliners,this book still fails to attract the interest of readers and scholars.Contrasted with the abundant critical scholarship about Dubliners,the study of Eleven Kinds of Loneliness seems inadequate yet.This dissertation expounds the research status of these two works at home and abroad,makes a comparative study of them,explores their common points and differences,and briefly analyzes the uniqueness of Yates’ works and the reasons for their failure to catch attention.Focusing on a comparative study of short stories with similar themes selected from the two books,this paper explores the similarities and differences between the two authors on the topic of loneliness.In this analysis,four stories from each of the two short story collections are respectively chosen and comparatively analyzed,following the order from children to adults,and from women to men.Based on the research,it can be argued that loneliness is a common psychological state in both books,and everyone cannot escape the current deserted spiritual world,lacking benign interpersonal interaction and clear self-knowledge.Different social backgrounds largely influence the cause of this mental state.The Irish people were oppressed by the British colonialism and the Anglican religion,while the Americans lost themselves in a time of illusive prosperity.In Joyce’s works,more emphasis is placed on people’s epiphany in the state of mental paralysis,while Yates has a robust naturalistic tendency,believing that people cannot get rid of this doomed loneliness.Moreover,the helplessness of the characters reflects the author’s own experience.Based on close reading and comparative analysis of both authors’ works,this paper concludes that Yates presents readers with the most authentic version of America in the 1950 s and 1960 s.He writes the character’s repressive helplessness in a gentle and relentless tone,subtly reflecting the emotional ups and downs of people in real life,making reading process a cognitive activity.Thus,it can be argued that Eleven Kinds of Loneliness,is a heart-shaking work worthy of attention.