A Stylistic Analysis of “A Painful Case”

Abstract

The style of an author is provided by effective matching between his/her thoughts and selection of linguistic items. Stylistic analyses involve both the study of style and the study of how effects and meanings are produced by a literary text. Stylistics, therefore, relates linguistic facts (linguistic descriptions) to meaning (interpretation) to show evidence for an interpretation of a text. This study analyses James Joyce’s "A Painful Case" in the aspect of stylistic features. The short story is about a platonic affair between a married woman and an isolated man, the breaking off of the affair, and its aftermath. The analysis of the short story begins with a general interpretation. Its significant stylistic features are pointed out in terms of lexis, grammar, figures of speech, cohesion and context. The short story’s title foreshows the cause of the inner conflict of the main character and deals with the theme of isolation. The opening paragraph of the short story consists only of declarative sentences. Joyce uses simple past tense in order to confirm compatibility with the figural narrative situation he used. In terms of the syllable-length of words, the selected passage contains mostly two-syllable words. Lexical repetitions direct one’s attention to the negative feeling such as loneliness. The passage bases upon implicit connections of meaning which are strengthened by repeat of words from the same semantic field. The use of free indirect speech and a detailed description about the room reveals the main character’s state of soul. The domain is indoor surroundings, and the tenor is formal. The 3rd person narrator takes the reader beyond the usual aspects of life through epiphany. Mr Duffy feels remorse about Mrs Sinico’s death and realizes that his pursuit of control and order has caused only to his loneliness. Emotional paralysis of Mr Duffy compels him into a lifelong loneliness. This study shows how the formal stylistic features are used as the basis for inferring the short story’s meaning and effect.