다양한 관점에서 「참혹한 사건」 읽기: 제목과 신문기사를 중심으로

Abstract

Unlike an expository essay, a literary text can be read from multiple perspectives and can be interpreted in diverse ways. Among literary texts, Joyce’s works are noteworthy because of their ambiguities and social backgrounds, which enable us to interpret each work in diverse ways. “A Painful Case,” a story that was dismissed as one of his two weakest stories by Joyce himself, contains two discussion points the interpretations of which are open to readers: the title of the work and the newspaper article in the story. On the surface, the title, “A Painful Case,” appears to refer to one particular incident: ‘the train accident’ that caused Mrs. Sinico’s death. From the perspective of the whole story, however, the title might be interpreted in two different ways: ‘a heartbreaking story’ and ‘oppressive social mores.’ The meaning of the title depends on from what perspectives the text can be read. After evaluating each interpretation, readers can decide which one is the more logical or can choose their own interpretation. The newspaper article in the story has been read as an implication of how Mr. Duffy’s rebuff of Mrs. Sinico had brought about her death. But such an interpretation is challenged when the article is examined from diverse viewpoints. After reading the article, Mr. Duffy was misled to believe that he was responsible for her death. Whether his misconception is presented to demonstrate his narrow views of the world or simply exposes Joyce’s inability to tell a coherent story is also open to interpretation.