Between Anger and Revenge: The Unpoetic Justice of “Counterparts”
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Annalisa Volpone
Annalisa Volpone is an Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Perugia and co-director of the Centre for European Modernism Studies (CEMS). She has published works on modernism and postmodernism, focusing on James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Vladimir Nabokov, and Derek Walcott. She has also written on eighteenth and nineteenth-century British literature, including works by Mary Wollstonecraft, William Blake, S. T. Coleridge, P. B. Shelley, and Mary Shelley. Her research interests encompass the intersections of literature with medicine and law.
Abstract
James Joyce’s “Counterparts” is a poignant exploration of the multifaceted themes of anger, revenge, and justice within the backdrop of early twentieth century Dublin. The story takes the reader on a journey through the life of Mr. Farrington, whose struggles embody those of an average Irish worker in the face of British imperialism and societal pressures. Farrington’s gradual transformation from a man burdened by anger into one consumed by an insatiable thirst for revenge serves as a stark commentary on the corrosive effects of his predicament. As the narrative unfolds, it becomes increasingly evident that the boundary between anger and revenge is a fine line, easily blurred in the tumultuous world of Mr. Farrington. The story challenges readers to consider the legitimacy of his emotions and actions, highlighting the complexities of the human psyche when subjected to perceived injustices. Farrington’s impulsive and misguided attempts at revenge only serve to underscore the tragic nature of his character, exemplifying the societal constraints that restrict his agency and expression. “Counterparts” ultimately paints a bleak picture of justice, where Farrington’s quest for revenge takes on a violent and delusional character that fails to address the core issues of perceived injustices. His inability to channel his anger into a purposeful course of action mirrors the broader sense of disempowerment experienced by many Irish citizens in Joyce’s time.
About the author
Annalisa Volpone is an Associate Professor of English Literature at the University of Perugia and co-director of the Centre for European Modernism Studies (CEMS). She has published works on modernism and postmodernism, focusing on James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Vladimir Nabokov, and Derek Walcott. She has also written on eighteenth and nineteenth-century British literature, including works by Mary Wollstonecraft, William Blake, S. T. Coleridge, P. B. Shelley, and Mary Shelley. Her research interests encompass the intersections of literature with medicine and law.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- FOCUS: Revenge and the Law
- Focus
- The Paradoxes of Sin: Vengeance as Death Drive in Janet Lewis’s The Wife of Martin Guerre
- The Theatre of Revenge: The Intrusion of Hamlet’s Shadow Between Drama and History
- “Avenging the Nation”. Freedom of the Press and Constitutional Deliverance in Trollope’s Palliser Novels
- Loyal to Whom? Friends, Spies, Revenge, and Our Man in Havana
- Can You Think About Justice? Between Law Enforcement and Revenge, Detective’s Dilemmas in Noir Novel
- Between Anger and Revenge: The Unpoetic Justice of “Counterparts”
- Hamlet and Pure Object Revenge – The Matter of Life and Death
- Research
- Resting her Case: “MeToo à la française” – Springora and Others
- Narratives of Justice: Legal Meaning, Literary Genres and Politics
- The Shadows of Sovereignty: A Visual Genealogy of Dark Knight Archetypes
- Book Review
- Paul Raffield: Shakespeare’s Strangers and English Law
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Editorial
- FOCUS: Revenge and the Law
- Focus
- The Paradoxes of Sin: Vengeance as Death Drive in Janet Lewis’s The Wife of Martin Guerre
- The Theatre of Revenge: The Intrusion of Hamlet’s Shadow Between Drama and History
- “Avenging the Nation”. Freedom of the Press and Constitutional Deliverance in Trollope’s Palliser Novels
- Loyal to Whom? Friends, Spies, Revenge, and Our Man in Havana
- Can You Think About Justice? Between Law Enforcement and Revenge, Detective’s Dilemmas in Noir Novel
- Between Anger and Revenge: The Unpoetic Justice of “Counterparts”
- Hamlet and Pure Object Revenge – The Matter of Life and Death
- Research
- Resting her Case: “MeToo à la française” – Springora and Others
- Narratives of Justice: Legal Meaning, Literary Genres and Politics
- The Shadows of Sovereignty: A Visual Genealogy of Dark Knight Archetypes
- Book Review
- Paul Raffield: Shakespeare’s Strangers and English Law
