Mrs. Sinico’s Painful Case in Joyce’s “A Painful Case”

초록

This paper argues that James Joyce’s “A Painful Case” can be understood as Mrs. Sinico’s painful experience. “A Painful Case” begins with a description of Duffy’s home and ends with his epiphany. Specifically, this story is about how his relationship with Mrs. Sinico ultimately destroys his quiet, monk-like life, making him realize he will be lonely for the rest of his days. Considering this, the story seems to be Duffy’s story, and, by extension, his painful case. However, it can also be read as a painful case of Mrs. Sinico’s. If Duffy voluntarily chooses his isolation, Mrs. Sinico, against her will, is forced to remain isolated and suffers from loneliness as a result. To escape this unwanted isolation, Mrs. Sinico tries to cross the line by making a male friend, Duffy, but this only leads to her failure, which ultimately results in her tragic death, for which no one knows the actual cause. Despite her attempt to cross the line, she is pushed back to her marginal sidelines and permanently isolated from Duffy, her family, Dubliners, and even readers. In this regard, “A Painful Case” should be recognized as Mrs. Sinico’s painful case.

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