An Encounter
Encyclopedia
An Encounter is a short story
by James Joyce
. It is second in a collection of Joyce's short stories called Dubliners
.
The episode revolves around their trip and the people that they see. There are enormous social events that the boys witness and the narrator, in an act of maturity, seems to at least be able to notice the situations. For example, the boys are mistaken for Protestants
by some local children. The narrator also notices that many of the children are "ragged" and extremely poor.
Near the end of their day, the boys are approached by an older man who gives them an odd feeling. Previously, it seems to the reader that the man had been 'sizing them up' and then began to talk of mundane subjects, such as Sir Walter Scott
and young sweethearts. At one point, the man excuses himself and it is implied that he touches himself
before returning to the boys. He then begins a drawn-out monologue on the subject of whipping and other such corporal punishment
s. Deeply unsettled the narrator looks to his friend Mahony for comfort though he admits to harbouring negative feelings about him.
There is no textual proof that the man does in fact masturbate: all is left to the reader to judge — an example of Joyce's use of Gnomon
, an avoiding form often encountered in Joyce's writing, most succinctly expounded in Stephen's remark in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
that "absence is the highest form of presence".
All in all the tale tells of society itself, between the Catholic
and Protestant violence, Irish
poverty, lecherous old men, foreigners and the schooling of boys at the time period. The boys encounter all this in this short story, giving us a broad view of Dublin itself.
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
by James Joyce
James Joyce
James Augustine Aloysius Joyce was an Irish novelist and poet, considered to be one of the most influential writers in the modernist avant-garde of the early 20th century...
. It is second in a collection of Joyce's short stories called Dubliners
Dubliners
Dubliners is a collection of 15 short stories by James Joyce, first published in 1914. They were meant to be a naturalistic depiction of Irish middle class life in and around Dublin in the early years of the 20th century....
.
The story
The story involves a boy–the narrator–and his friend Mahony taking a day off from school and going to the shore, to seek adventure in their otherwise-dull lives. As the narrator says, "The mimic warfare of the evening became at last as wearisome to me as the routine of school in the morning because I wanted real adventures to happen to myself. But real adventures, I reflected, do not happen to people who remain at home: they must be sought abroad."The episode revolves around their trip and the people that they see. There are enormous social events that the boys witness and the narrator, in an act of maturity, seems to at least be able to notice the situations. For example, the boys are mistaken for Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
by some local children. The narrator also notices that many of the children are "ragged" and extremely poor.
Near the end of their day, the boys are approached by an older man who gives them an odd feeling. Previously, it seems to the reader that the man had been 'sizing them up' and then began to talk of mundane subjects, such as Sir Walter Scott
Walter Scott
Sir Walter Scott, 1st Baronet was a Scottish historical novelist, playwright, and poet, popular throughout much of the world during his time....
and young sweethearts. At one point, the man excuses himself and it is implied that he touches himself
Masturbation
Masturbation refers to sexual stimulation of a person's own genitals, usually to the point of orgasm. The stimulation can be performed manually, by use of objects or tools, or by some combination of these methods. Masturbation is a common form of autoeroticism...
before returning to the boys. He then begins a drawn-out monologue on the subject of whipping and other such corporal punishment
Corporal punishment
Corporal punishment is a form of physical punishment that involves the deliberate infliction of pain as retribution for an offence, or for the purpose of disciplining or reforming a wrongdoer, or to deter attitudes or behaviour deemed unacceptable...
s. Deeply unsettled the narrator looks to his friend Mahony for comfort though he admits to harbouring negative feelings about him.
There is no textual proof that the man does in fact masturbate: all is left to the reader to judge — an example of Joyce's use of Gnomon
Gnomon
The gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. Gnomon is an ancient Greek word meaning "indicator", "one who discerns," or "that which reveals."It has come to be used for a variety of purposes in mathematics and other fields....
, an avoiding form often encountered in Joyce's writing, most succinctly expounded in Stephen's remark in A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man is a semi-autobiographical novel by James Joyce, first serialised in the magazine The Egoist from 1914 to 1915, and published first in book format in 1916 by B. W. Huebsch, New York. The first English edition was published by the Egoist Press in February 1917...
that "absence is the highest form of presence".
All in all the tale tells of society itself, between the Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Protestant violence, Irish
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
poverty, lecherous old men, foreigners and the schooling of boys at the time period. The boys encounter all this in this short story, giving us a broad view of Dublin itself.