Clay A Microcosm for Ireland - Literature Essay Samples

James Joyces Clay is a remarkable explication of Irish folklore and the societal issues that plague turn-of-the-century Dublin. Following Maria on the night of Halloween, the story combines imagery and symbolism throughout. In S. A. Cowans article Celtic Folklore in Clay: Maria and the Irish Washerwoman, the central character is portrayed not as witch, as many critics have assumed, but rather a combination of three Celtic spirits: the banshee, the bean-nighe, and the glaistig (214). Though Cowan agrees with critics that Maria possesses witch-like qualities, he asserts that the main character in Clay more closely resembles these three spirits. Cowan points out that Maria is a very, very small person indeed that wears tiny dress boots' and that Joyces description of her mirrors the Scottish definition of a banshee as having the appearance of a small child; at others as a small or very little woman' (214). Cowan cites that Irish tradition regards the bean-nighe as a washerwomanHer a ppearance is regarded as a warning of death and that this comparison to Maria in Clay is apparent in her employment (214). Finally, Cowan defines the Scottish glaistig like the bansheehas a peculiarly dolorous tone of voice' and cites Marias tiny quavering voice' to support the claim (214). In the conclusion of the article, Cowan reveals perhaps the most important element of the article: Maria is an archetypal and mythical figure of the Poor Old Woman-Ireland herself-ironically singing a prophetic and dolorous song of her own death (215). The article concludes with the idea that Joe symbolically rejects Ireland when he rejects Marias request to reconcile with his brother Alphy. Though Cowans work is brilliantly insightful and well thought out, the author neglects to delve into the heart of Clay. Maria as a personification of Ireland is perhaps the most significant topic Cowan brings to light in relation to Joyces over-all attitude towards turn-of-the-century Dublin, yet the arti cle barely scratches the surface of the metaphor that is Maria. James Joyce uses Clay as a microcosm of Ireland, both through the representation of Maria and the characterization of Joe. Cowan claims that Marias size and employment are a reference to Celtic spirits, and while this point is valid, Marias physicality and place of work can be better explained by her resemblance to Ireland. As Cowan points out, the mythical references to Maria in Clay as a spiritual and otherworldly character seem to allude to Irelands folkloric background. Cowan comments on Marias size and employment in reference to Celtic spirits. The article mentions that On the tram her toes barely touch the floor and that Marias stature parallels the Scottish banshee, known for its tiny size, and the washerwoman implication is related to the bean nighe spirit (214). However, Joyces description of Marias minute body and her immodest reflection that In spite of its years she found it a nice tidy little body (Joyce 101) could imply a weak or frail frame, as opposed to implications of spiritual likeness. This description of Maria, when considering her personification of Ireland, could represent the weak or frail state of the country. Joyce often writes of the spiritual paralysis of the citizens of Dublin, indicating a weakness of moral and ethical values within its society. Joyce also often analyzes the frailty of religion in Ireland, and notes that many of its inhabitants are immobilized in their faith. Joyces criticism of the paralytic nature of Dubliners could be represented by Marias small physique. Throughout the story, indications of Marias career are prevalent and if Clay is a microcosm of Ireland, and Maria represents Ireland itself, her occupation is more indicative of Joyces proposed paralysis of the country than any spiritual parallelism found in the story. Cowan dismisses Marias employment references as evidence that Marias character is parallel to the spiritual glaistigs, amate ur laundresses, washing the family linen' and the bean-nighe, the washing-woman, whose legend has been immortalized by Fiona MacLeodin his gruesome tale The Washer at the Ford (Cowan 214). Though justifiable, Marias job more significantly symbolizes Ireland. Joyce writes that she had become accustomed to the life of the laundry and when thinking of Joe, Maria remarks, the boys had got her that position in the Dublin by Lamplight laundry (100). Joyce himself wrote in a letter to his brother Stanislaus in November 1906 The phrase Dublin by Lamplight means that Dublin by lamplight is a wicked place full of wicked and lost women whom a kindly committee gathers together for the good work of washing my dirty shirts (Scholes 474). This stance on Marias place of employment and habitat is indicative of Joyces criticism of the countrys stagnant and paralytic society. Within almost all of his stories contained in Dubliners lies the undercurrent of Joyces disparagement for Ireland and many characters throughout the book are portrayed as immoral. The mere fact that Maria works as a laundress is suggestive of her representation of the country. If Maria is a personification of Ireland, than the character of Joe must be read as a depiction of Irelands inhabitants, particularly the citizens of Dublin. Cowan lightly broaches this idea, but fails to investigate with vigor. His article proposes that Joes refusal to heed Marias advice to be reconciled with Alphy[is] symbolically equivalent to a refusalon his part to respond the traditional Celtic spiritual influence (215). Furthermore, Cowan concedes, Joe would be rejecting Christian intercession as well (215). While compelling, this assertion of Joe as a symbolic reference to Irelands folklore neglects to uncover the true denotation of his character. Joe is in fact a representation of the immobilized Dubliner Joyce so emphatically portrays in his brilliant collection of short stories. The character traits Joe exhibits in Clay are demonstrative of the paralysis of spirit often seen in Dubliners. Maria thinks of Joe while shopping for the party and she hoped that Joe wouldnt come in drunk. He was so different when he took any drink (Joyce 100). When Maria finally arrives at the Donnelly home, Joe is already in spirits, though not the ones Cowan refers to. He asked would she [Maria] take a bottle of stout, and although Maria declined, Joe insisted (Joyce 104). He asked his wife to open some more stout, continuing to drink himself into a stupor. When Maria finishes singing, Joe is so moved by her words that he could not find what he was looking for and asks his wife to tell him where the corkscrew was (Joyce 106). All the mentions of alcohol reiterate Joyces distain for the numbing affects the substance has on the citizens of Ireland. Joe is a character driven by his want to be drunk, paralyzing his spirit.Another implication of Joe as the typical Dubliner is his stubborn and brash persona. Mar ia adamantly tries to reconcile Joe and Alphy, much to her dismay. Joe cried that God might strike him stone dead if ever he spoke a word to his brother again (Joyce 104). Here Joe illustrates his obstinacy when he refuses to reunite with his brother. And the mere harshness with which he refutes Marias request to make peace with his own flesh and blood is a manifestation of his cold-blooded nature. Both traits are indicative of Joes paralysis of spirit, thus emblematically portraying him as a sort of everyman in Dublin. Though Cowans article shed new light on the implications of Maria and Joe, the core of Clay was only briefly discussed, almost as if an afterthought. It is relevant and valid that the two characters are linked to Irish folklore, but it is the reality of their symbolism that is overlooked in the article. The story is a microcosm of Ireland, Maria signifying the country itself and Joe symbolizing its paralytic inhabitants. Works CitedCowan, S.A. Celtic Folklore i n Clay: Maria and the Irish Washerwoman. Studies in Short Fiction 6 (1969): 213-15.Joyce, James. Clay. Dubliners:Text, Criticism, and Notes. Ed. Robert Scholes and A. Walton Litz. New York: Penguin Group, 1996. 99-106.Scholes, Robert and A. Walton Litz, eds.Notes to the Stories. Dubliners:Text, Criticism, and Notes. New York: Penguin Group, 1996. 473-475.

The History and Factors Leading to Copernican Revolution

As humans we will always be challenged in our daily lives. When we have a view on something we may have to fight to prove its validity. Some of us may be able to do it on our own but many of us will need a helping hand. Nicolaus Copernicus was this type of man. He developed a theory of a sun centered or heliocentric solar system that went against the current popular belief of an earth centered or geocentric solar system. It took many centuries for the world to accept his theory. Kepler, Galileo and Newton were strong proponents to the Copernican model and continued to advance his research where they later proved that a heliocentric solar system was a correct model. Although Copernicus’ views suffered great backlash, he became the prime†¦show more content†¦Tycho Brahe was able to calculate the most accurate measurements available to the naked eye of planetary motions. Even though they were the most accurate to date, he was still off by eight arc minutes. An arc minute is one sixtieth of a degree. Inspired by Brahe’s inaccurate measurements, mathematician Johannes Kepler of Germany tried to continue working with Brahe’s calculations but the 8 arc minute flaw encouraged him keep searching. Kepler was a strong believer in the Copernican model. He was not convinced though of the circular path. After much research Kepler proposed an elliptical orbit. Using Brahe’s extensive notes he was able to conclude that an elliptical orbit was in fact correct. Using this he was able to develop the Three Laws of Planetary motions: The first law states the orbit of every planet is an ellipse with the sun at one of its focal points; the second states that line joining the sun and a planet sweeps out at equal areas at every point on its orbit; and the third equates the time it takes a planet to orbit the sun and the distance from the sun to the planet. These three laws are still commonly used today. With the use of the telescope Galileo was able to provide pivotal evidence for the Copernican Revolution in the early 1600s. Galileo was the first person to use the telescope for astronomy. He was able discover that the sun rotated on an axis by observing the motion of sunspots. By this discovery he concluded that it was very probable thatShow MoreRelated Transitions of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment Periods1675 Words   |  7 PagesTransitions of the Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment Periods The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries were times of great emphasis on reason and questioning of faith. The scientists and philosophes of these eras discovered and taught new ideas that often contradicted what the church and former thinkers had taught and believed before them. 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Traditional Education Vs Progressive Education - 1719 Words

Education; Something that once appeared to be so simple as a child. Throughout the growth in knowledge and maturity, the rigors of higher education as well as an appreciation of the theories that have lead me, who has had the privilege of receiving education, to contest to my personal views of education. Over the course of eight weeks, the focus on juggling in the classroom as well as John Dewey s Experience Education has undoubtedly opened a new path in my learning process. The task of juggling in the classroom has further reinforced the ideology Dewey has written within his text. The duration of the first six chapters of his text have had a direct correlation to the theory of juggling in the classroom through manners that appear to†¦show more content†¦This is apparent in EPFE 201 through the observation of growth seen in every students ability to juggle.Juggling in the class is a tool that can be used to prove that any person can be taught something, but until they have the true passion to exceed it is simply not feasible. The world in which we find ourselves in today has the battle of forcing people to do things or deciding that people have the responsibility to do something and it is a self-made choice if they wish to or not. Traditional education would advise that all students learn in one set way while progressive gives a plethora of opportunities to learn in most comfortable ways for students. The experiences in life will always affect the future in one way or another. 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Outsiders Essay Example For Students

Outsiders Essay The Outsiders is a movie about teenagers who Are always facing conflicts aroundthemselves. The teens are represented in many different ways throughout themovie. There will be many questions asked like are these teens realisticallyportrayed, Are they like any other teen you know, and is it worth doing whatthese teens do throughout the movie? The teens are represented good and bad. They are represented good when they are hiding out at the church, there is afire in the church with a bunch of kids in there and on of the boys run in tosave the kids the other two jump in to help save them. The make the front coverof the newspaper. They risked their lives to save the kids and the one boy hadto get rushed to the hospital to get treated for serious burns. The teen wererepresented with the cloths that they wear, the Socs were all dressed up indress pants and polo shirts for the preppy look. The greasers were dresses up asif they didnt care what they look like, they had long greasy hair, blue jeansand a T-shirt. If I were the teen at the scene of the fire I dont think thatI would go into the church unless I knew someone in there and they really neededhelp. The teens were realistically portrayed when one of the guys from the Socswanted to talk to the Greaser in the blue mustang to talk to him about some ofhis problems. The one Greaser asked the other on what to do and he said nothinglegal, they went under the fence to watch a movie in the drive in theater. Theseteens are like the teens that we have in our city, because we have gangs in ourcity and there are bound to be against each other. There are teens who smoke andhave the tough guy attitude like some in our city. The gangs are the rich Socsverse the poor Greasers, they are always seeing to see who has more power. Thefinal brawl showed who had more power and the Greasers won. These issues areaccurate that they showed, it is in our every day live that we come across suchissues affecting our media. There are also many stereotypes out there that arein the movie and out in the real world.