„The singing voice, like the speaking voice, masks and betrays the unconscious through combinations of pitch and word. Why sing if not to communicate supplementary information that words alone cannot convey?”
Music and Literature have always been influencing each other and quite often music plays an important role in literature. Sometimes it contributes an entertaining or even humoristic factor, occasionally it pushes the action and at times it serves as a mirror of the culture to emphasize emotions and environment of the characters.
Joyce’s characters in Dubliners sing and perform when they can no longer speak about their frustrations or passions. Therefore the musical allusions always imply a clash between reality and imagination. What is desired in the song will almost certainly not happen. “In its attributes of direct emotional expressiveness, its allusiveness, its contact with the collective past through folk song and physical rhythm, and in its tremendous emotional range from the banal to the sublime, music offers resources that in certain ways can challenge or surpass spoken language.”
In Dubliners Joyce uses music in three distinct ways. Firstly, in a realistic manner to define the real world in which his character live in. Secondly to emphasize the importance of romance and form the background and the texture of their lives and thirdly for the revelation of character because his characters reveal themselves through music.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Introduction
- State of Research and Problematic Issues
- Joyce and Music
- Selected Songs
- Eveline: “The Lass that Loves a Sailor”
- Two Gallants: \"Silent, O Moyle!\"
- Boarding House: \"I'm a Naughty Girl\"
- Clay: \"I dreamt that a dwelt”
- The Dead: “The Lass of Aughrim”
- Conclusion
- Bibliography
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This paper examines the use of musical allusions in James Joyce's Dubliners. It explores how Joyce integrates music into his narrative, using it to provide insights into the characters, themes, and structure of the stories. The primary objective is to analyze the impact of music on the portrayal of the characters and the depiction of their emotional states. The paper explores how musical references contribute to the overall narrative and the exploration of themes such as love, loss, and the complexities of Irish society.
- The influence of music on Joyce's writing style and character development.
- The use of musical allusions to explore themes of desire, frustration, and the clash between reality and imagination.
- The interplay between realism and romanticism in the stories, as reflected through musical references.
- The evolving role of music across the different stories in Dubliners, highlighting its significance in both structural and thematic aspects.
- The connection between music and the unconscious mind, as explored through Joyce's work.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The introduction presents the central argument of the paper, highlighting the significance of music in Joyce's writing and how it contributes to the multifaceted nature of his stories. The chapter discusses the multifaceted use of music in Dubliners, exploring how it serves to depict the reality of the characters' lives, emphasize romantic themes, and reveal their inner world through song and performance. The paper also touches upon the structural and thematic significance of musical allusions throughout the collection.
The next chapter delves into the state of research on musical allusions in Joyce's work. It explores key figures like Matthew Hodgart and Mabel Worthington, who laid the groundwork for the identification of musical references. The chapter also discusses the challenges of interpreting these references, considering the diverse range of musical styles that Joyce incorporates into his writing and the complexity of his allusions.
The chapter "Joyce and Music" provides a general overview of Joyce's relationship with music and its influence on his writing. It highlights how Joyce integrated music into his work, both directly through references to specific songs and indirectly through the use of musical motifs and themes. The chapter explores the unique ways Joyce employed music, emphasizing its role in conveying emotion, enriching the narrative, and deepening the reader's understanding of the characters.
The chapter "Selected Songs" delves into a specific selection of stories from Dubliners, analyzing the role of music in each individual narrative. It examines the particular songs mentioned or alluded to, and how these references contribute to the understanding of the characters, their emotions, and the themes of the stories. The chapter explores how music acts as a window into the characters' inner lives, highlighting their hopes, fears, and aspirations.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
The main keywords and focus topics of the paper are: James Joyce, Dubliners, musical allusions, Irish folk music, music-hall songs, characterization, theme, narrative structure, realism, romanticism, unconscious, emotion, desire, frustration.
- Arbeit zitieren
- Elisa Berlin (Autor:in), 2007, The Use of Music in Joyce's Style, Characterization, Structure and Theme, München, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/91102
