Finnegans Wake

Dublin is more than just the setting of Finnegans Wake. The city functions on a symbolic level, encapsulating an idea of Ireland and Irishness explored throughout the novel. The city is a symbol of Irish cultural identity, becoming a repository for the ideals, characters, myths, and languages that come together to form the public conception of “Ireland.” The novel refers to the streets of Dublin, exploring their colonial and folkloric routes and turning this physical geography into a part of Ireland’s mythology. HCE is also woven into this symbolic deployment of geography, living in “Howth Castle and Environs” (3). An important part of this symbology is its vivacity. Dublin is a living city, and Ireland is a living idea; the ancient folk stories are still relevant in that Finn MacCool and Tim Finnegans are—at the same time—HCE. Simultaneously, HCE is elevated to their level when his exploits become a part of Dublin folklore; his story is turned into a folk song, and the people of Dublin sing it so much that it becomes a court case.

In this sense, Dublin is more than just a city. The city is a character, and, like many of the novel’s characters, Dublin is also HCE.