Hello,
I'm french student and I must to make a text commentary and I need your help finding some idea to develop. It's an extract from "Painful case" by James Joyce
Thank you!
When he gained the crest of the Magazine Hill he halted and looked along the river towards Dublin, the lights of which burned redly and hospitably in the cold night. He looked down the slope and, at the base, in the shadow of the wall of the Park, he saw some human figures lying. Those venal and furtive loves filled him with despair. He gnawed the rectitude of his life; he felt that he had been outcast from life's feast. One human being had seemed to love him and he had denied her life and happiness: he had sentenced her to ignominy, a death of shame. He knew that the prostrate creatures down by the wall were watching him and wished him gone. No one wanted him; he was outcast from life's feast. He turned his eyes to the grey gleaming river, winding along towards Dublin. Beyond the river he saw a goods train winding out of Kingsbridge Station, like a worm with a fiery head winding through the darkness, obstinately and laboriously. It passed slowly out of sight; but still he heard in his ears the laborious drone of the engine reiterating the syllables of her name.
He turned back the way he had come, the rhythm of the engine pounding in his ears. He began to doubt the reality of what memory told him. He halted under a tree and allowed the rhythm to die away. He could not feel her near him in the darkness nor her voice touch his ear. He waited for some minutes listening. He could hear nothing: the night was perfectly silent. He listened again: perfectly silent. He felt that he was alone.
In this excerpt from "Painful case" by James Joyce, the protagonist reaches the top of the Magazine Hill and observes the lights of Dublin in the distance. However, his attention is drawn to the figures lying at the base of the hill, in the shadow of the Park's wall. These figures represent what the protagonist views as morally corrupt and secretive relationships, which fill him with despair. He reflects on his own life and actions, feeling like an outcast and consumed by guilt.
To develop your text commentary, you can focus on several aspects:
1. Theme of alienation and despair: Explore how the protagonist's observations of the venal loves and his own guilt highlight a sense of isolation from society and a feeling of hopelessness.
2. Symbolism: Analyze the use of imagery and symbolism, such as the lights of Dublin burning "redly and hospitably" and the goods train winding out of Kingsbridge Station. Consider the significance of these symbols in relation to the protagonist's state of mind.
3. Character analysis: Examine the protagonist's internal conflict and emotional turmoil. Discuss how his decision to deny love and happiness to a woman has impacted his perception of himself and his place in the world.
4. Setting: Describe the contrasting atmospheres between the cold night and the distant lights of Dublin. Consider how these elements contribute to the overall mood and thematic development of the excerpt.
Remember to provide specific examples from the text to support your analysis and interpretations. By delving into these aspects, you can offer a deeper understanding of the themes, symbols, and character development within the passage.