Dubliners’ Dilemma-Contradictory Proposition In Dubliners

James Joyce is esteemed as one of the greatest writers in British literature of the20thcentury. He invented the word games and boosted that his work could keepscholars busy for generations. He created a new art form and laid the foundation forthe development of British modern literature.Dubliners is the first representative work of James Joyce. The author, through15short stories, presented the contradictory situation of Dubliners and revealed theparalysis of Dublin society through epiphany achieved in the dilemma.This thesis focuses on the contradictory proposition in Dubliners. Combinedwith the theatrical conflict theory of Hegel in Aesthetics, the thesis presents thetheatrical conflicts created by the contradictory situation confronted by Dubliners, andanalyzes the function of contradictory proposition on the plot and its aesthetic effect.The thesis divides the15short stories into four parts and discusses thecontradictory proposition from four aspects: hope and hopelessness, escape andinescapability, love and inability to love and Self and Other in Dubliners. It finallyreaches the conclusion that the contradictory situations are very essential for the book:first they worked as the root for the final epiphany, promoting the development of theplot; second they created contradiction and conflict, arousing universal sympathyfrom readers all over the world, thus giving the book highly aesthetic significance.