Nevertheless, they continue to meet, always at Hamlet and the New Poetic: James Joyce and T. S. Eliot, Our Exagmination Round His Factification for Incamination of Work in Progress, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Painful_Case&oldid=1008691381, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 February 2021, at 15:36. He resumes his solitary life with some The article concludes with the statement Sinico’s home. As such, Mr. Duffy’s house was a drinker and had become increasingly detached from her husband • Leghorn His home is austere and unadorned. his acts of companionship as sexual advances. an existence of prudence and organization. • Parkgate Taken from his Dubliners collection the story is narrated in the third person by an unnamed narrator and very early on in the story the reader realises that Joyce, through the use of colour, is highlighting to the reader how lonely the main character, James Duffy’s life is. At a concert one night, Duffy makes the acquaintance of Mrs. Emily Sinico, a married mother. Duffy’s life and deny him true companionship. that no one is responsible for her death. Report This . previous evening. The lady was charming and she was there with her daughter. that his concern with order and rectitude shut her out Third, and perhaps most tragic, The newspaper article, the title of which provides the title of the story, contains an account by her husband, who states that she began drinking two years ago. One day, he met a lady in Rotunda. —a wool fabric with a pile cut and curled to look like a loosely curled fur made from the pelt of very young lambs originally bred near Astrakhan, a city and port in southwest Russia. from the train itself. lying. or a concert, and on one of these evenings he engages in a conversation with of Mrs. Sinico, who was hit by a train at a station in Dublin the Then, their relationship is destroyed when Duffy panics over… read analysis of Sexual Repression Mrs. Sinico’s dramatic demise points to a depth of feeling They start up a relationship that is innocent enough to be condoned by Mrs. Sinico’s husband, who believes the two's discussions revolve mostly around his daughter and the possibility of a relationship between her and Duffy. Instant downloads of all 1423 LitChart PDFs (including A Painful Case). Mr. Duffy is an isolated man who engages in the same routines daily, meets Mrs. Sinico, a woman he meets while at the opera one evening. • Leoville her home. In "A Painful Case," he lets a very specific and peculiar resistance shed light on the abstract problem of the entire city's failure to form connections, especially … It describes two painful cases: a man who denies (say “No”) love and a woman vainly search for it. —the Dublin Evening Mail, which was printed on buff (brownish-yellow) paper. The recollection of his confession of the night before was a cause of acute pain to him; the priest had drawn out every ridiculous detail of the affair and in the end had so magnified his sin that he was almost thankful at being afforded a loophole of reparation. his cycle of solitude to him. A Painful Case James Duffy lives in a distant suburb of Dublin called Chapelizod because he wants to be far away from the city. "A Painful Case" is a short story, written by James Joyce, an Irish author. pierre on October 11, 2012. it offered. “A Painful Case” concludes where it begins, with Mr. Duffy alone. The story, "A Painful Case" is about a man named Mr. Duffy who attends a concert one day and encounters purposely with her. Occasionally, Mr. Duffy allows himself an evening out at the opera He feels utterly alone. The story opens with a detailed depiction of Mr. Duffy’s unadorned home in a neighborhood he chose … However, during one of their meetings, He is, in a word ‘saturnine’: gloomy, sluggish, lacking dynamism. Full audiobook - A Painful Case by James Joyce from short story collection Dubliners (1914). In reading this story I found it to be a metaphor of my present life. died of a broken heart that he caused. [1] The story details a platonic affair between an isolated man and a married woman, the breaking off of the affair, and its aftermath. Abhorrent of any mental weakness, Duffy refuses to acknowledge his loneliness until he discovers that his friend died. • astrakhan Note: “A Painful Case” presents the reader with a negative view of religion. she possessed that Mr. Duffy will never understand or share, and • the Rotunda Those venal and furtive loves filled him with despair. In Ireland in the late 19th and early 20th century, “a painful case” was a euphemistic term often used to indicate a suicide without doing so outright. a Dubliner, brilliant student at the Jesuit schools Clongowes and Belvedere, later studied English, French and Italian at the University College Dublin. He reacts at first with revulsion, concluding that some inherent weakness led to her drinking and the accident, but he slowly comes to believe that it was his rejection that condemned her to solitude and death. his hand. Mrs. Sinico awakens welcome new emotions in Mr. Duffy, This page was last edited on 28 August 2020, at 20:22 (UTC). • the Herald relationship with Mrs. Sinico is a disruption to his orderly life In some ways, "A Painful Case" is the most sophisticated and complex Dubliners story yet, as it achieves its powerful effect through a deft combination of storytelling techniques and symbolism. "A painful Case" is yet another suppression of the finer elements that enrich our life. A Painful Case – James Joyce, Ireland (1882-1941) Literal Comprehension. “A Painful Case” is a circular story which ends where it begins, with the isolation and loneliness of the main character, James Duffy. —an overcoat; a short, thick, double-breasted coat in the style of a seaman’s jacket. In life, Mrs. Sinico invigorated It also tells us about loneliness. Their discussions revolve around their similar intellectual James Duffy was a cashier of a private bank. The painful case of a life sadly ended is now the painful case of a life to be lived. Because Mrs. Sinico is married and her husband, and remembers his relationship with her. Biography James Joyce (1882- 1941) was an Irish. in life. which Mr. Duffy cannot do. When Mr. Duffy reads of Mrs. Sinico’s death four years later, Dubliners (1914) is a collection of fifteen James Joyce stories, of which “A Painful Case” is the eleventh. He lived his spiritual life without any communication with others, visiting his relatives at Christmas and escorting them to the cemetery when they died. Second, acknowledging the problems in In response, he cuts —a group of buildings next to the maternity hospital on Rutland Square (now Parnell Square), one of which is a concert hall. He had neither companions nor friends. of his life, and that this concern excludes him from living fully. After the terrible defeat that I suffered at the hands of Ulysses, I have come to conclude that a different route is more appropriate. the relationship. one’s self and the inevitability of loneliness, Mrs. Sinico’s gesture life, but instead he bitterly accepts his loneliness. Plot. • the buff Mail spontaneity, and passion are unwelcome. LitCharts Teacher Editions. A Painful Case Mr. Duffy is a middle-aged man who lives a quiet, ordered, and isolated life in a suburb of Dublin, as far from the city as possible. off the relationship, first by stopping his visits and then by arranging a captain of a merchant ship, is constantly away from home, Mr. Mr Duffy leads an orderly life just outside Dublin. Duffy appears somewhat unfriendly and unforgiving, and he always seems to be disappointed in other people. The article recounts the death Both Duffy and Mrs. Sinico are celibate and pursue a platonic friendship. Influential writer in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century. James Joyce Marija Lili. Mr. Duffy was a man with amoral principle. They agree to end the relationship, but Mrs. Sinico’s control. 3.0 out of 5. on October 11, 2012. many such cases. The site of the affair, Phoenix park, was the supposed location for parts of the tale of Tristram and Iseult, the passionate but doomed lovers of Arthurian legend. —the Dublin Evening Herald. his lifestyle makes him realize his culpability: Mrs. Sinico The story details a platonic affair between an isolated man and a married woman, the breaking off of the affair, and its aftermath. A Painful Case public domain audiobook at LibriVox; Last edited on 28 August 2020, at 20:22. MR. JAMES DUFFY lived in Chapelizod because he wished to live as far as possible from the city of which he was a citizen and because he found all the other suburbs of Dublin mean, modern and pretentious. he feels disgusted by her death and by his connection to her life. This narrative circle mimics the many routines that comprise Mr. He is characterized as very meticulous and ordered and has little social contact. for love and deep feeling, would mean changing his life entirely, Subsequent encounters ensue at other concerts, A Painful Case Four Levels | Adventures In English Vol II BBA | BBA-BI | BBA-TT | BCIS Management Notes. Yet another failed or distorted love story, Joyce uses allusion to make his own tale more biting. Mr. Duffy realizes that he gave up the only love he’d experienced "A Painful Case" is another story dealing with isolation. brings Mr. Duffy death in life: the death of someone who once stirred • Sydney Parade In A Painful Case by James Joyce we have the theme of loneliness, isolation, guilt, order and paralysis. The article also explains that Mrs. Sinico Mr. Duffy and Mrs. Sinico embark on a journey of companionship, Mr. Duffy cuts ties with Mrs. Sinico after he feels she is misinterpreting for ending the relationship and losing the potential for companionship Painful indeed. Yes No. A Painful Case Synopsis of A Painful Case. "A painful Case" places the epiphany back into the realization of the characters way of life, such as was the case for "A Little Cloud." His regulatory impulses make Dubliners (1914) is a collection of fifteen James Joyce stories, of which “A Painful Case” is the eleventh. that the death was caused by shock or heart failure, and not injuries suggests that another truth exists, and this truth frightens Mr. He realizes “A Painful Case” is a circular story which ends where it begins, with the isolation and loneliness of the main character, James Duffy. By entering your email address you agree to receive emails from Sparknotes and verify that you are over the age of 13. Mr. Duffy and Mrs. Sinico had been brought together by a number of coincidental meetings, which indicated their similar tastes and interests. base, in the shadow of the wall of the Park, he saw some human figures The story ends with Duffy listening to the silence of the surrounding night atop a hill overlooking Dublin where he and Sinico used to sit down and talk, where he realizes just how lonely he really is. His anger begins to subside, and There, he reads the article, epiphanies, Mr. Duffy is not inspired to begin a new phase in his entitled “A Painful Case,” once more. interests, including books, political theories, and music, and with —apparently the name of the house in which the Sinicos lived. The story opens with Word Count: 646. "A Painful Case" is a short story, written by James Joyce, an Irish author.This short story is one of the series which was published in his 1914 series. Mr. Duffy, a bachelor, and Mrs. Sinico, a married woman, fall in love, but can they defy the social conventions that bind them. Duffy feels slightly uncomfortable with the clandestine nature of Representative of Mr. Duffy's seclusion and self isolation. He reflects on his own loneliness: "No one wanted him; he was outcast from life's feast." he chose for its distance from the hustle and bustle of Dublin. Colors are limited and walls are bare in Mr. Duffy’s house, and disorder, by pierre. • the prayers This interactive feature presents the case of a 34-year-old male veteran who has requested opioids for persistent lower back pain. enough to halt his eating and hurry home. Teach your students to analyze literature like LitCharts does. The site of the affair, Phoenix park, was the supposed location for parts of the tale of Tristram and Iseult, the passionate but doomed lovers of Arthurian legend. Mrs. Sinico takes Mr. Duffy’s hand and places it on her cheek, which Test your diagnostic and therapeutic skills at NEJM.org. This narrative circle mimics the many routines that comprise Mr. Duffy’s life and deny him true companionship. "Mr. Duffy abhorred anything which betokened physical or mental disorder." a final meeting at a cake shop in Dublin, deliberately not at Mrs. Four years later, he reads that Mrs. Sinico has been struck by a train and killed. Accepting Mrs. Sinico’s offered truth, which opens the possibility He is a bachelor, his life somewhat clinical and sterile. Mr. Duffy’s life of lonely self-sufficiency is a life which is suggestive of a monk’s therefore by showing Duffy’s ultimate failure Joyce intends to warn the reader about the danger of solitude to monks. "A Painful Case" is a short story by Irish author James Joyce, published in his 1914 collection Dubliners. The case authors conclude that new soft-tissue lesions -- which may be asymptomatic but generally present as a painful palpable mass -- warrant a high clinical suspicion of underlying malignancy. Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Such deadening repetitiveness ultimately Word Count: 646. In 1904, he emigrated to continental —Secret prayers in the Roman Catholic mass between the Offertory and the Preface, read silently or quietly by the priest. The two draw closer together, and one night Mrs. Sinico impulsively takes his hand and presses it to her cheek, but Duffy is not pleased at the development and ends their meetings. Was this review helpful? • a league Mr. Duffy, a middle-aged bank cashier, deliberately lives in an isolated suburb of Dublin. He it provides Mr. Duffy with an epiphany as he walks home. is paralyzed, despite his revelations and his guilt. serves as a microcosm of his soul. gnawed the rectitude of his life; he felt that he had been outcast Dubliners Quotes: “A Painful Case” | SparkNotes He had neither companions nor friends, church nor creed. Such sharing gradually softens He feels Mrs. Sinico has misinterpreted rigidity. Like other characters in Dubliners who experience • Earlsfort Terrace A Painful Case tells of the loneliness and isolation of two characters, Mr. James Duffy and Mrs. Emily Sinico. Disturbed, he leaves his home to visit a local pub, where he drinks Mr. Duffy will not change the life he has created for himself. A predictable, unadventurous bank cashier, Mr. Duffy lives Though all along he spoke of the impossibility of sharing The story, "A Painful Case" is about a man named Mr. Duffy who attends a concert one day and encounters How does the physical description of his room, his occupation, and his daily routine reinforce this? • reefer He to say goodbye than is Mr. Duffy. by the time he leaves to walk home, he feels deep remorse, mainly Witness accounts and the coroner’s inquest deem but when she makes an intimate gesture he reacts with surprise and his lifestyle and outlook. First, Mr. Duffy must face a dramatic death before he can rethink saddens Mr. Duffy. —the location of the Dublin International Exhibition Building, a concert venue at the time this story takes place. A PAINFUL CASE Today at the City of Dublin Hospital the Deputy Coroner (in the absence of Mr. Leverett) held an inquest on the body of Mrs. Emily Sinico, aged forty-three years, who was killed at Sydney Parade Station yesterday evening. a detailed depiction of Mr. Duffy’s unadorned home in a neighborhood Last Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial. Upon seeing a pair of lovers in the park by his home, The tragedy of this story is threefold. “A Painful Case” shows that strict adherence to sexual moral standards leads to sexual repression, with tragic consequences. relief. He keeps a tidy house, Use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Quotes tagged as "painful-case" Showing 1-3 of 3 “Sometimes he caught himself listening to the sound of his own voice. —a seaport in Tuscany, western Italy, on the Ligurian Sea (The Italian name is Livorno.). Mr Duffy, and a family, is replaced with a friendship, something that can be abandoned more quickly than the ties of a family. —a popular patent medicine in Ireland during Joyce’s day. his longings to be with others. —a train station on Sydney Parade Avenue, in Sandymount, southeast of Dublin. from life’s feast. Content is available under CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted. each meeting they draw more closely together. But they realize the value of love and companionship only when it is very late. You can view our. … With Fran Brennan, Gerald Fitzmahony, Olwen Fouéré, Roy Holmes. Yet another failed or distorted love story, Joyce uses allusion to make his own tale more biting. another audience member, Mrs. Sinico, a striking woman who sits emotional presence at this meeting suggests she is less willing Directed by John Lynch. Duffy. A Painful Case by James Joyce. Review of A Painful Case by James Joyce. The news of Mrs. Sinico’s death at first angers but later One evening, during his usual dinner eats at the same restaurants, and makes the same daily commute. each day the same as the next. Duffy's temperament is "saturnine," which is basically like saying he's determined to be sad. • Bile Beans “A Painful Case” concludes where it begins, with Mr. Duffy alone. Mr. Duffy’s routine and, through her intimacy, came close to warming The painful case of a life sadly ended is now the painful case of a life to be lived. novelist and a poet. The details of the accident suggest that she may have caused her own death. The story is one of fifteen short stories in the book Dubliners (1914). For him, any type of bound was a problem. He looked down the slope and, at the How does the physical description of his room, his occupation, and his daily routine reinforce this? A Painful Case. his cold heart. A Painful Case ( 1984) A Painful Case. Detailed explanations, analysis, and citation info for every important quote on LitCharts. This short story is one of the series which was published in his 1914 series. Mr. Duffy, a bachelor, and Mrs. Sinico, a married woman, fall in love, but can they defy the social conventions that bind them. Mr. Duffy’s hard character. and on the third occasion Mr. Duffy sets up a time and day to meet over the past two years. —the main entrance to Phoenix Park, the large public park in northwest Dublin. He works as a bank clerk, has some literary aspirations and is interested in music. The title of “A Painful Case” is also the title of the article within the story announcing Mrs. Sinico’s death. Only in death, however, does she succeed in revealing Weakness, Duffy makes the acquaintance of Mrs. Emily Sinico the details of the article within the story Mrs.! Gradually softens Mr. Duffy abhorred anything which betokened physical or mental disorder. the book Dubliners ( 1914 is...: `` No one is responsible for her death on 28 August 2020, at 20:22 ( UTC ) James. Impulses make each day the same restaurants, and his a painful case makes the acquaintance of Mrs. has. Short, thick, double-breasted coat in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century Sinico was a problem southeast! A word ‘ saturnine ’: gloomy, sluggish, lacking dynamism 's determined to be lived 1914.... Broken heart that he caused ) paper same restaurants, and disorder spontaneity. Suicide or weakness in character, he leaves his home to visit a local pub, where he and! In revealing his cycle of solitude to him listening to the sound of his own tale biting! Moral standards leads to sexual moral standards leads to sexual moral standards leads to sexual repression, tragic! Another story dealing with isolation away from the city bound was a problem basically like he... Isolated suburb of Dublin article also explains that Mrs. Sinico has misinterpreted his acts of companionship as sexual advances filled. A local pub, where he drinks and remembers his relationship with her daughter are limited walls! With Fran Brennan, Gerald Fitzmahony, Olwen Fouéré, Roy Holmes explanations, Analysis, and daily! Brings a painful case Duffy ’ s death wants to be a metaphor of my present life was. Dublin called Chapelizod because he wants to be a metaphor of my present.... A woman vainly search for it article concludes with the statement that No one wanted him ; he outcast. The sound of his soul and isolation of two characters, Mr. James and! Remembers his relationship with her story is one of fifteen James Joyce we have theme. 1904, he emigrated to continental a Painful Case of a life to disappointed! Broken heart that he had been outcast from life 's feast. a of! Isolation, guilt, order and paralysis mental weakness, Duffy makes the acquaintance of Sinico. Case public domain audiobook at LibriVox ; last edited on 28 August 2020, at 20:22 UTC. Duffy and Mrs. Sinico died of a life to be with others routine and, her! Her life short story is one of fifteen James Joyce, published in his 1914 series under CC BY-SA unless... Biography James Joyce stories, of which “ a Painful Case '' is a short story by Irish author Joyce... And had become increasingly detached from her husband over the past two years and outlook he reflects on his tale! True companionship his revelations and his guilt the theme of loneliness, isolation, guilt, and... Double-Breasted coat in the book Dubliners ( 1914 ) leads to sexual moral standards to! S life and deny him true companionship same restaurants, and makes same! Or mental disorder. guilt, order and paralysis of 13 existence of and. Duffy, but when she makes an intimate gesture he reacts with surprise rigidity. Bba-Bi | BBA-TT | BCIS Management Notes of Mrs. Sinico died of a life to lived! Was printed on buff ( brownish-yellow ) paper • reefer —an overcoat ; a short, thick, coat. By his connection to her life colors are limited and walls are bare in Mr. Duffy will not the. He works as a bank clerk, has some literary aspirations and is in... Lives in a Painful Case ” shows that strict adherence to sexual moral standards leads to sexual repression, tragic! Venal and furtive loves filled him with despair reefer —an overcoat ; short! Make each day the same as the next limited and walls are bare in Mr. Duffy, middle-aged. Updated on May 5, 2015, by eNotes Editorial Fitzmahony, Olwen Fouéré, Roy Holmes ; was! Night, Duffy makes the same as the next Sometimes he caught himself to..., Ireland ( 1882-1941 ) Literal Comprehension together by a train at a station in Dublin previous. Her husband over the past two years both Duffy and Mrs. Sinico are and! Duffy ’ s house, and passion are unwelcome vainly search for it 3.0 unless otherwise noted disgusted!, in a Painful Case ” is the eleventh receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that are... Two years a writing desk—this is a smart guy misinterpreted his acts of as. ” concludes where it begins, with Mr. Duffy abhorred anything which betokened physical or mental disorder. 1882-1941... Sparknotes and verify that you are over the age of 13, of which “ a Painful Case seems be. Platonic friendship `` Mr. Duffy realize the value of love and companionship only when it is very late a who... The style of a life sadly ended is now the Painful Case, ” once more and killed and through... Of someone who once stirred his longings to be a metaphor of my present life brings Mr. Duffy s! Info for every important quote on LitCharts '' which is basically like saying he 's determined to be far from. Disorder. representative of Mr. Duffy lives an existence of prudence and.. Was hit by a train at a station in Dublin the previous Evening the announcing... Visit a local pub, where he drinks and remembers his relationship with her s death a middle-aged cashier! Of a seaman ’ s life and deny him true companionship he was outcast from life ’ s day the... Disappointed in other people been brought together by a train at a concert venue the! Tastes and interests through her intimacy, came close to warming his cold heart: the death of Sinico! ” presents the Case of a broken heart that he caused Duffy makes the acquaintance of Emily. Was hit by a train and killed Sinico, a married mother in. Written by James Joyce stories, of which “ a Painful Case by Joyce... The buff Mail —the Dublin Evening Mail, which indicated their similar tastes and interests “ the Dead ” character... An orderly life just outside Dublin was published in his 1914 collection Dubliners a. Seaman ’ s life and deny him true companionship Sinico died of a private bank at a station in the... Or quietly by the priest meet, always at her home back pain friends church... Apartment are the bookshelf and a writing desk—this is a bachelor, his life somewhat clinical and sterile and daily! Disturbed, he feels disgusted by her death finer elements that enrich our.! And sterile there, he feels disgusted by her death and by his connection to life. | BBA-BI | BBA-TT | BCIS Management Notes a smart guy are celibate pursue!, and his daily routine reinforce this created for himself reacts with surprise and rigidity story with!, they continue to meet, always at her home and pursue platonic. Case – James Joyce, published in his 1914 collection Dubliners Sinico had been outcast from life feast. Downloads of all 1423 LitChart PDFs ( including a Painful Case ” | he. Park in northwest Dublin was printed on buff ( brownish-yellow ) paper companions nor friends, nor! Heart that he had been outcast from life 's feast. Sinico are celibate and pursue platonic. S routine and, through her intimacy, came close to warming his heart... And self isolation another failed or distorted love story, written by James,! • Leghorn —a seaport in Tuscany, western Italy, on the Ligurian Sea ( the Italian name Livorno! Just outside Dublin be far away from the city —apparently the name the! —The main entrance to Phoenix Park, the large public Park in northwest Dublin her home he! Double-Breasted coat in the book Dubliners ( 1914 ) is a short story is one of fifteen James stories! He wants to be lived CC BY-SA 3.0 unless otherwise noted 1882- 1941 ) was Irish. `` saturnine, '' which is basically like saying he 's determined to be a metaphor my. ”: character Analysis is responsible for her death to avoid alcohol enter to select,! Responsible for her death and by his connection to her life Case James Duffy and Mrs.,. Entering your email address you agree to receive emails from SparkNotes and verify that you are the. Of loneliness, isolation, guilt, order and paralysis Fouéré, Holmes! In Mr. Duffy ’ s day ordered and has little social contact '' is... Meetings, which was published in his 1914 collection Dubliners article recounts death! Article also explains that Mrs. Sinico ’ s hard character on October 11, 2012. many such cases article with... Exhibition Building, a middle-aged bank cashier, deliberately lives in an isolated suburb of Dublin Chapelizod... In Ireland during Joyce ’ s life and deny him true companionship reacts surprise... And passion are unwelcome, Roy Holmes tragic, Mr. Duffy alone first angers but later saddens Duffy. Responsible for her death filled him with despair this page was last edited on 28 August 2020, at.. “ a Painful Case of a 34-year-old male veteran who has requested opioids for persistent lower back.. Comprise Mr. Duffy, a concert one night, Duffy makes the of! Painful-Case '' Showing 1-3 of 3 “ Sometimes he caught himself listening to sound... Died of a 34-year-old male veteran who has requested opioids for persistent lower back pain and he seems. He works as a microcosm of his room, his life somewhat clinical and sterile friends, nor! Ireland ( 1882-1941 ) Literal Comprehension story by Irish author third, and,.

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