Counterparts

Fiction | Short Story | Adult | Published in 1914

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Character Analysis

Farrington

The title of the short story “Counterparts” is an indication that there is more complexity to the central character, Farrington, than is presented by his actions. He epitomizes counter productivity, and generally behaves counter to his own best interests. By literal definition, a counterpart is an individual’s likeness or equal partner. In this context, Farrington is a bad counterpart, seeming entirely opposed to every element of his life except the pub. The result is the depiction of a fragmented man with the qualities of a tragic hero.

This story falls in the middle of James Joyce’s collection Dubliners, with the preceding chapters revealing youthful characters who have their ambitions suppressed by the restrictions of Irish institutions and English colonial values and class structures. By the time the reader of Dubliners begins “Counterparts,” Farrington’s self-destructive behavior makes sense. He is well into middle age, and while the path from his youthful ambitions to his current state is not fully presented, it is understood that his trajectory is as doomed as characters from earlier chapters. The bleak existence that is encapsulated in “Counterparts” underscores the tragedy of his life and the tragedy of so many Irish men like him.

Farrington’s primary flaw is his lack of self-awareness. With no creative outlet, his mind devises clever excuses to escape his work. His thoughts of alcohol consume him and cause him to forget that to the outside world he is largely invisible and inconsequential, like when he delivers partially finished work to his boss. When he gives Mr. Alleyne and Miss Delacour a “respectful bow” but “neither took any notice” (73), their failure to acknowledge him further strips away his humanity.

Farrington has devolved into a degenerate character who is addicted to alcohol, fails to provide for his family, and abuses his son; yet if there is any redemption for him, it comes with the understanding that he was not always such a poor excuse for a husband and father. His fall is emblematic of one who is worn down by his society, unsupported and humiliated. His community does not equip men like Farrington with any resources other than the embrace of the pub, which feeds their addiction to alcohol.

Weathers

Weathers serves as a foil for Farrington, since his qualities of youth and strength emphasize Farrington’s loss of these attributes. While Farrington’s mission for his evening in the pub is to satisfy his addiction to alcohol, Weathers has a healthy relationship with drinking and can enjoy the sense of community without obsessing over the ordering of drinks. As a young adult without the responsibilities of a family, Weathers’s freedom contrasts Farrington’s ponderous life. Additionally, he’s English, and this contributes to underlying themes about English colonialism.

Weathers is physically in his prime and is pitted against Farrington in an arm-wrestling match. Farrington’s friends call on him to wrestle the young man, with the understanding that he is the group’s best chance of beating the interloper. When Farrington loses the match, he is unsportsmanlike and accuses Weathers of playing unfairly. Farrington’s ego is unable to process the loss, and he is ungracious and demands a rematch. With the ability to quickly recover on his side, Weathers again beats Farrington and publicly humiliates him. When Farrington’s friends realize that the loss incites rage in the older man, they understand that they must put an end to the evening lest Farrington become violent.

Farrington’s interaction with Weathers highlights everything that he has lost, and it alludes to the stronger theme of Colonialism and Internalized Inferiority, exhibited through a casual example of English power over the common Irishman. Weathers’s physical overpowering of Farrington in an arm-wrestling match, his depletion of Farrington’s funds through his ordering of expensive drinks, and his ability to attract other women all rob Farrington of his physical, financial, and social power, contributing to his feelings of inferiority. In the presence of his friends, a physical altercation was avoided. Unfortunately, the anger that was spurred on by the events of the day and culminated in his embarrassing arm-wrestling performance is channeled and instead directed at his son, Tom, who will serve as the outlet for his father’s pent-up frustration.

Tom

The ancillary character, Tom serves as a mirror or counterpart for his father, Farrington. As a young boy, Tom still resides in the domestic realm presumably ruled by his mother. Being mainly under her authority while his father is at work, her influence dominates his life and consciousness, therefore instilling in Tom a deep sense of importance and attachment to the church.

In the scene when Tom is attacked by his father, his mother is absent. Joyce indirectly portrays Tom’s world, as he is the brother of many siblings left home alone because their mother leaves home to pray. When Farrington failed to come home immediately at the end of his workday, his wife no doubt knew where he was, and that he would arrive home under the influence of alcohol. There was no avenue for divorce in Ireland in the early 20th century, so her only escape and shelter was the sanctity of the Catholic church. Unfortunately, this leaves Tom vulnerable to take the brunt of his father’s rage.

By praying for his father even as he is beaten, Tom takes on a tragic role. His prayer is futile, and with time he will grow into a man in Dublin society who will understand that prayers offer a weak defense against physical attack from an imposing father. The ineffectiveness of Catholic mantras is emphasized through their use while Tom is being beat: “—O, pa! he cried. Don’t beat me, pa! And I’ll…I’ll say a Hail Mary for you. …I’ll say a Hail Mary for you, pa, if you don’t beat me. …I’ll say a Hail Mary. …” (82). The story ends with an ellipsis indicating that the prayer does nothing for the boy, and the abuse continues. Not only will this event weaken his faith, but it will most likely instill in Tom a false understanding of power and authority, causing him to grow into a man who will similarly be destructive to his own family and perpetuate the cycle of abuse.