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Rasik continues with commentary: Well, well, who talked about rambling summaries? And now the commentary. 1. Title, date of publication 2. Topography 3. Symbolism 4. Characterization 5. Theme - witch and saint.
Title, Date of Publication: The following information is from "Dubliners", edited by Robert Scoles and A. Walton Litz: The fourth story in the order of composition, "Clay" seems to have cost Joyce more pains than most. In Novwember of 1904 he began a story, "Chritmas Eve," whisch he abandoned half finished, apparently because the idea for another, "Hallow Eve," had superceded it. … "Hallow Eve' was completed and sent to Stanislaus Joyce in January 1905 for possible publication in The Irish Homestead. James Joyce may have done some revision on the story at this point. It was much in his mind and mentioned frequently in his correspondence during the next few months. By September 1905 the title had bewen changed to "The Clay." In November of 1906 Joyce was working on the story again, adding the name of the laundry where Maria is employed. I reproduce the following glossary, because it is quite useful in following the text: Brambracks: speckled cakes or buns containing currents, usually sold only at Hallowe'en Peace-maker: see Matthew 5:9. "Blessed are the peace-makers: for they shall be called the children of God." Board ladies: members of the governing board of the Dublin by Lamlight laundry. The dummy: the deafmute. "A present from Belfast": Belfast, on the northeast coast of Ireland, was a stronghold of Protestantism. "Whit-Monday": Whit Sunday is the seventh Sunday after Easter, observed in commemoration of the day of Pentecost. The following Monday is a traditional holiday. "Dublin by Lamplight Laundry": in November 1906 Joyce wrote to his brother Stanislaus: "The meaning of Dublin by Lamplight laundry? That is the name of the laundry at Ballsbridge, of which the story treats. It is run by a society of Protestant spinsters , widows and childless women - I expect - as a Magdalen's home. 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. I like the phrase because 'it is a gentle way of putting it.' "The tracts on the walls": Protestant religious tracts. "to get the ring": like an English Chjristmas pudding, the All hallow Eve cake contains a ring. Whoever gets the ring is supposed to be the first to be married. "Hallow Eves": All Hallow Eve (Hallowe'en) is October 31, the eve of All Saints' Day. It is traditionally a time of superstition and horseplay. In the Old Celtic calendar the year began on November 1, so that the last evening of October wsa the night of all the witches, which the Church transformed into the Eve of All Saints. "hallow Eve" was Joyce's intermediate title for the story. Porter: dark brown beer. "a mass morning": Maria would attend mass on All Saints' Day. Two-and-four: two shillings and four pence, a considerable sum for Maria. A drop taken: too much to drink. "saucers": part of a game of divination.The saucer contains many things (prayer-book, ring, water, clay) which are supposed to suggest a person's fate. "a soft wet substance": the clay. "I Dreamt that I Dwelt": the famous song from Act II of Michael William Balfe's The Bohemian Girl. "her mistake": Maria sings the first verse twice, omitting the more poignant second verse. The second verse reads: I dereamt that suitors besought my
hand, "poor old Balfe": Michael William Balfe (1808-1870), the Dublin-borncomposer of the song. The clue to the title is in then paragraph about the soft wet substance in the saucer that Maria lands her hand on blindfolded. The symbolismhere is to with death. Sorry folks, this has to end here because I promised to send this out by today. You are welcome to fill in the blank categories in my format. I would love to hear about the charcterization of Maria in the story, child-like, wistful, virginal, how she maintains the fictional "nice" image of herself by all kinds of defence mechanisms. Maureen, this story is a challenge to you to expand on the saint and the witch theme, rich in symbolism. Sorry, I have had to leave this half way. |
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