ERIC Number: EJ1135496
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2015
Pages: 5
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: EISSN-2161-7252
EISSN: N/A
Making James Joyce Contemporary: Recreating Classical Fiction
Clay, Rebecca
Journal of International Education and Leadership, v5 n1 Spr 2015
Can you make James Joyce's short story "Eveline" contemporary and create a modern short story based on Joyce's work? The purpose of this study was to provide a context to Joyce's short story "Eveline," illustrate the journey of my fiction writing, and expand the conversation on using classical fiction as a guide to modern short story writing. I attempted to create a short story within the spirit of "Eveline," while incorporating modern Irish history within Joyce's form. My story mirrors themes similar to Joyce's: paralysis, what it means to be Irish and the Irish struggle, the meaning of brother, the relatedness of the term "mother" and the depth of family ties between the characters. My story examines two Irish brothers who fight one another in childhood and then fight for the cause of independence. Fate has one brother leaving for a journey to America and one brother staying in Ireland. Sean, the brother who left for America, is a newly retired Green Beret who has been away from Dublin for over twenty years, as the story unfolds during the height of activity of the IRA, and the end of the Vietnam War. Joyce wrote a female protagonist in "Eveline," and I wrote a male protagonist in my story, to give a mirror image approach. The twist at the end of the story, the placing of memorable objects within the text, and the creation of a dying promise to a mother by older brother Patrick, all reflect features of Joycean techniques. Paralysis was a major feature of "Eveline" and I use paralysis in the modern world, in my story, to depict the state of modern warfare, which was just beginning a few years after "Eveline" was published. In this study, I introduced my short story I developed as a result of my training in creative writing at the University of Texas at Dallas. Based on my study and practice of creative writing, performance, and literature, and my background in psychology and history, I used an interdisciplinary approach to creative writing. Using an exhaustive bibliography, I discussed some of the historical background for my fiction, as well as some of the critical sources that shaped my thought process. I made copies of Joyce's story, as well as my own, for each participant to look over and compare at my presentation. I discussed how the readings lead to the first draft, and how the creative process works for me. I illustrated how I used the creative process to write my short story, and what steps other writers can use to create art through classical fiction.
Descriptors: Literary Genres, Twentieth Century Literature, Fiction, Creative Writing, Interdisciplinary Approach, Siblings, Modern History
Journal of International Education and Leadership. 432 Rittiman Road, San Antonio, Texas 78209. Tel: 210-519-9870; e-mail: editor@jielusa.org; Web site: http://www.jielusa.org
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive; Creative Works
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A