MIMETIC DEVICES OF STYLE IN THE EARLIER FICTION OF JAMES JOYCE: DUBLINERS STEPHEN HERO. A PORTRAIT OF THE ARTIST AS A YOUNG MAN.

Abstract

The major characteristics of Joyce's stylistic achievement in the organic unity of contents and expressions are, firstlyp the 'style* is not intended to reveal the author but the whatness, of his characters and subjects described and secondly Joyce's 'style* contains in itself particular meanings beyond the limits of the semantic and lexical contents of words. These features are more specifically defined as his use of the language for mimetic purposes to revealp suggest and represent consciousness (sometimes even unconscious and subconscious) mood, emotion mental patterns thought processes physical movement situation impression and sound effects through his command of the rhythmical syntactical and other grammatical, and phonological possibilities of his medium. In his earlier worksp Dubliners and A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man(and Stephen Hero for comparison with the Portrait) examination of the variety of his mimetic devices and their purposes contributes to the better comprehension of his works where each stylistic pattern, whether occurring in limited locality or throughout is woven into the whole design of the works. The main recurrent devices can roughly be distinguished as follows andt accordingly, Joyce's mimetic creative ability and variety in his earlier works are to be examined under the following classification: 1. Rhythmic (defined as 'repetition with variations') devices to represent and reveal certain concealed aspects and qualities of his characters; firstly, for characterization by means of special devices of appellations and secondly for revealing the preoccupations and concerns. II. Syntactical grammatical and rhythmic devices to represent, reflect and suggest firstly, his characters thought processes mental patterns emotion, mood and other psychological aspects, and secondly physical movement situation, atmosphere and impression. III. Phonological devices to imitate and suggest actual and imaginary sounds