SAC Paragraph - A Little Cloud - Joyce

"I met him one night London and he seemed to be very flush... Poor O'Hara! Boose, I suppose?"

"Other things, too," said Little Chandler shortly. 

Ignatius Gallaher laughed. 

"Tommy," he said, "I see you haven't changed an atom. You're the very same serious person that used to lecture me on Sunday mornings when I had a sore head and a fur on my tongue. You'd want to knock about a bit in the world. Have you never been anywhere even for a trip?"

"I've been to the Isle of Man," said Little Chandler. 

Ignatius Gallaher laughed. 

* * *

Little Chandler, on top of being referred to as such, is, in this extract, constantly referred to by, or associated with, diminutive language. When he says, "Other things, too", Joyce has him say it, "shortly". Almost immediately after this, Gallaher says that Little Chandler "hasn't changed an atom" (at the time of writing, the smallest known particle). Gallaher's advice that Little Chandler "knock about a bit in the world" is followed by the latter's revelation that he has "been to the Isle of Man". The Isle of Man is a very small island, less than 230 square miles, between Ireland and the UK. The creature most often associated with the island is the Manx cat. It is notable for having no tail, i.e. for having been shortened. By inundating the reader with this kind of terminology and allusion throughout the exchange, Joyce is seeking to reinforce Little Chandler's status as something of a lowly character in the eyes of Gallaher. This is cemented by Gallaher's use of the name, "Tommy" (perhaps a childhood abbreviation or nickname) when addressing Little Chandler, which highlights the imbalanced nature of their friendship. Further to this, Joyce's repetition of the line, "Ignatius Gallaher laughed', leaves the reader in no doubt as to Gallaher's dismissiveness toward his 'friend'. Our sympathy for Little Chandler is elicited here and throughout the rest of his encounter with Gallaher, as he struggles to keep up with his well-travelled, well-to-do friend of old. Joyce's deliberate choice of words seems to imply that, in keeping with the theme of paralysis that runs through 'Dubliners', perhaps he struggles in vain. 


By Simon