Dubliners · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Dubliners by James Joyce.
Each chapter has a companion in the reader — open a free preview to see notes beside the text.
Chapter 1
The Sisters
A young boy learns of the death of his friend, Father Flynn, and reflects on his relationship with the priest. Through conversations with his aunt and uncle, and later with Father Flynn's sisters, the boy pieces together the priest's final days and the mysterious circumstances surrounding his decline, including a broken chalice and his strange behavior.
Chapter 2
An Encounter
A young boy, disillusioned with school and seeking real adventure, plans a day of truancy with his friends Leo Dillon and Mahony. After Leo fails to show up, the narrator and Mahony explore Dublin's docks and fields, encountering a strange, shabbily dressed old man who engages them in unsettling conversation about books, boys, and his own past.
Chapter 3
Araby
A young boy living on a quiet, blind street in Dublin becomes infatuated with Mangan's sister, a girl he watches from his window and follows to school each morning. After she speaks to him about the Araby bazaar and expresses her desire to go, he promises to bring her something. He endures a long, frustrating wait for his uncle to return home and give him money, then travels alone to the bazaar only to find it closing, the stalls dark and the atmosphere disappointing. He leaves with nothing, feeling angry and humiliated.
Chapter 4
Eveline
Eveline, a young woman burdened by a hard life caring for her father and younger siblings, contemplates escaping her oppressive home by eloping with Frank, a sailor who promises a new life in Buenos Aires. Torn between her duty to her family and her desire for freedom, she ultimately cannot bring herself to leave, remaining paralyzed at the dock as Frank departs without her.
Chapter 5
After the Race
Jimmy Doyle, a young Dubliner, spends a day with wealthy Continental friends after a motor race. He enjoys the glamour of their company and invests a large sum of money in Ségouin's motor business. The evening ends with a card game on a yacht, where Jimmy loses heavily, foreshadowing his financial ruin.
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