Black and white illustration depicting a maid and lady of the house in The Lady of the House, 1901
Black and white illustration depicting a maid and lady of the house in advertisement for Jackson's varnish stains in The Lady of the House, magazine, Christmas, 1901
© Dublin City Public Libraries© Dublin City Public Libraries
Black and white illustration depicting a maid and lady of the house in The Lady of the House, 1901
Black and white illustration depicting a maid and lady of the house in advertisement for Jackson's varnish stains in The Lady of the House, magazine, Christmas, 1901
© Dublin City Public LibrariesDublin of 1904, as depicted in Joyce's Dubliners, was a society built around a class, stifled by the rigors of the church and uninspired by the literary revival. It is a grey place with no possibilities. It is at this time, when Joyce is writing 'Dubliners' that he, an educated middle class Dubliner, falls in love with an uneducated maid from rural background. This is yet another reason to leave Dublin and Ireland, as Joyce fears the reaction of his family to making this union with one below his social standing.