Dubliners

Dubliners is a collection of 15 short stories by Irish writer James Joyce. Originally published in 1914, the collection met resistance from publishers and critics due to its controversial themes and unusual portrayal of the everyday. Dubliners follows a range of people living in the titular city, often seeking some form of social or emotional transcendence without ever truly achieving it.

This study guide is for the 1965 paperback edition from Penguin Modern Classics.

Content Warning: This book contains mentions of domestic abuse, violence, and suicide.

Plot Summaries

“The Sisters” follows a young boy whose friend, a local priest, has died. He and his aunt go to visit the priest’s sisters, and the boy considers what he learned from his mentor.

“An Encounter” follows two boys who skip school to explore the city and end up having a run-in with a mentally unstable man.

“Araby,” follows a boy who develops a crush on his neighbor and agrees to go to a local market to buy her a treasure. When he arrives, the market is shutting down, and he is left with nothing.

“Eveline” follows a young woman whose paramour has invited her to run away with him.