Language
The language in “A Painful Case” by James Joyce is very descriptive, creating a lot of imagery when it comes to setting and characters. The words are most of the times easy to understand, even though Joyce is known for inventing words which do not exist in the English language.
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Imagery
Imagery is created through multiple adjective, adverbs, descriptive nouns and verbs which form various figures of speech such as epithets, similes and metaphors.
Here, we will focus on the following elements of imagery:
- Epithets
- Similes and comparisons
- Metaphors
- Repetition
- Rhetorical questions
- Sensory details
Metaphors
The author frequently employs figurative speech which forms implicit metaphors. In order to show Mr Duffy’s loneliness he is called an “outcast from life’s feast”.
Another metaphor is employed when the author wants to show that Mr Duffy was an intellectual, unconcerned with physical and romantic issues: “He lived at a little distance from his body, regarding his own acts with doubtful side-glasses.”
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Symbols
The text is not highly symbolic, yet we can still interpret some elements through what they suggest. The motif of the voice (both that of Mr Duffy and Mrs Sinico) becomes symbolic of communication. The eyes of the characters are also seen as windows through their souls, reflecting certain character traits:
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