Literary Analysis Essay on "In A Little Cloud" by James Joyce

Introduction

Authors often use their writing to depict or debut a particular aspect of society including morality, passions, culture or region. One way of understanding the underlying message of the author is to use theoretical benchmarks. In this regard, Karen Horney's theory of neurosis best fits an analysis of "In A Little Cloud" by James Joyce. "In A Little Cloud" is among James Joyce's Joyce's famous anthology called "Dubliners" consisting of fifteen short stories. The characters in the collection seem entrapped in some form of psychological disturbance that motivates them to sometimes act in confusion or with a particular desire. In her theory of neurosis, Horney juxtaposes some of the unseen psychological battles in which people are engrossed. According to the theorist, there are often some neurotic behaviours that people use to cope with their anxiety including the need for power, approval, action and prestige. The theory of neurosis plays out in the themes of discontent, frustration, responsibility, resentment, escape and paralysis that form the story "In A Little Cloud" by James Joyce.

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"In A Little Cloud" is one of the dramatic and emotional stories narrated in the third person and which captures the themes of resentment, frustration, and escape. The title encapsulates the cloud of a dream to which Chandler, the main character, subjects himself. From the onset, the narrator shows just how dissatisfied the main character called Little Chandler is. The main character expresses the neurotic need for personal achievement when on several occasions he would turn from his tedious job of writing to gaze out through the office window. This alone shows how disgruntled he is that he tries as much to escape from the reality of his job. This escapism acts as a premonition of later events in which Chandler develops a feeling that he has to change his life if at all he must succeed. To satisfy the need for personal achievement, Chandler makes some extraordinary sacrifices including leaving Dublin, his wife Annie and the young son.

Even though Chandler's avenues to become a published poet seem limited, his neurotic need for affection and approval still plays out when he wants to change his name to something more Irish as a way of popularizing himself (Horney 87). The desire to change the name is more than just a need to popularize himself but rather a strategy to escape from himself to someone better and perfect. Chandler does not want to contend with the reality that he is not only a married man but also has a son. Instead, he is deeply dawn into the desire to become a renowned poet which is just wishful since he has no actual track record in poem writing. Based on this obsession and clamour for being a successfully published poet, Chandler plays squarely into Horney's theory of Neurotic Needs for fame yet he does not invest in making it a reality (Horney 114). Surprisingly, the need to become a famous poet is only elusive for Chandler since at no point in the story does the narrator points to anything that the aspiring poet has written save for creating some sentences for the notices that his dream poems may receive.

The meeting between Gallaher and Chandler in Corless's also shows the latter's neurotic need for personal admiration. At this point, it is evident that Chandler only wants self-admiration and cannot appreciate it when it goes to someone else. For instance, he does not approve of Gallaher's success at the London Press but somewhat resents it. In the story "As he sat in the Kings Inns he thought what changes those eight years had brought...The friend whom he had known under a shabby and necessitous had become a brilliant figure on the London Press" (James 57). The author depicts Chandler as envious of Gallaher to the extent that he considers himself to be better than him and should, therefore, be more successful. He even contemplates leaving Dublin so to also have a try at leading a better life like Gallaher. Chandler, without acknowledgement that people can have different achievements, compares himself to Gallaher. He blames his predicaments that have hindered his success on various circumstances including on staying in Dublin, his wife, and his child. He even fails to contend with the reality that his aspirations to write are only wishful thoughts since he has nothing to prove as a benchmark.

Chandler also exhibits the neurotic need for prestige when he sets out to meet Gallaher at the Corless's. Chandler has not been in a club before, but then he understands that Corless's is likely an Anglo Irish establishment that serves mainly the rich. The life here is a contrast from that of poverty Chandler lived in Dublin, yet he readily ignores this poverty. He deliberately renounces those who are less fortunate than him and embraces the ones who are better. In the story "For the first time in his life, he felt superior to the people he passed...for the first time, his soul revolted against the dull inelegance of Chapel Street" (James 59). In the clamour to be seen as an informed person, Chandler asks Gallaher if Paris is as immoral as he has heard. The fact is that Chandler is a less travelled man and much of his life has been restricted to Dublin, yet he wants to escape this reality to show that he has somehow had an adventurous life including knowing at least something about Paris.

The Neurotic Need for Personal Achievement and fame is also evident when Chandler attributes his lack of success to the fact that he is married. In one instance, Chandler returns home and sits in the front room from where he looks at a picture of his wife and son resentfully feels that his marriage life could be the reason he is unable to make it in London like Gallaher. According to Chandler, marriage is a paralysis that hinders the much-desired self-achievements. He has very many poetic books which he does not read but instead indulges in imagining fame and making lyrical sentiments.

In the clamour for prestige as espoused in Horney's Theory of Neurotic Needs, Chandler ends up not appreciating the life that he leads in Ireland and develops a characteristics desire to rise to become one of the greatest poets. He is also preoccupied with the need to relocate to London and live a lavish lifestyle like his friend. He dissents the fact that he resides in Dublin which according to him is a dull city which shows inelegance. The neurotic need for Affection, Prestige, Personal Admiration, Approval, and Personal Achievement leads him to make the absurd conclusion that for him to succeed, he no doubt must go away from Dublin. In essence, staying in Dublin was one big hindrance for him to achieve his desired lifestyle, status, wealth and fame.

Works Cited

Horney, Karen. Our Inner Conflicts: A Constructive Theory of Neurosis. New York: W.W. Norton, 1966. Print.

James, Joyce. Dubliners: Literary Touchstone Classic. Prestwick House Inc, 2006.