Human nature, the holiday, capitalism and a present for our Blog..

James Joyce and  companion Nora Barnacle

Sean O'Torain

I am an atheist. But today capitalism tries in the name of some imaginary figure to exploit the generous sides of our nature and buy presents from its stores and so increase its profits. Here is how I deal with this. I give presents but I do not buy them from the capitalism's' stores. I realize this is not very effective for young children but it is the best I can do. Get more James Joyce quotes by googling James Joyce Quotes.  

Here is Joyce writing about a man who is sad after he realizes his relationship with his companion is not as he thought and had wished it to be. He is looking out their bedroom window at the snow falling over Ireland.

“A few light taps upon the pane made him turn to the window. It had begun to snow again. He watched sleepily the flakes, silver and dark, falling obliquely against the lamplight. The time had come for him to set out on his journey westward. Yes, the newspapers were right: snow was general all over Ireland. It was falling on every part of the dark central plain, on the treeless hills, falling softly upon the Bog of Allen and, farther westward, softly falling into the dark mutinous Shannon waves. It was falling, too, upon every part of the lonely churchyard on the hill where Michael Furey lay buried. It lay thickly drifted on the crooked crosses and headstones, on the spears of the little gate, on the barren thorns. His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead.”  James Joyce, Dubliners

Here is Joyce  --  Defiant.
"I will tell you what I will do and what I will not do. I will not serve that in which I no longer believe, whether it calls itself my home, my fatherland or my church: I will try to express myself in some mode of life or art as freely as I can and as wholly as I can, using for my defense the only arms I allow myself to use -- silence, exile and cunning."

Here is Joyce  --  More defiance.
"You made me confess the fears that I have. But I will tell you also what I do not fear. I do not fear to be alone or to be spurned for another or to leave whatever I have to leave. And I am not afraid to make a mistake, even a great mistake, a lifelong mistake and perhaps as long as eternity too."

Here is Joyce  --  Throwing down the gauntlet to the old repressed Ireland.
"There is no heresy or no philosophy which is so abhorrent to the church as a human being."

Here is Joyce  --  making clear the great ambition of his writing.
"Welcome O Life! I go to encounter for the millionth time the reality of experience and to forge in the smithy of my soul the uncreated conscience of my race."

I hope you enjoy these. And thank you for reading and supporting this Blog. It could do with more support. Please consider going to the Donate button on the Blog page and sending us something so we can increase our voice and help Joyce in the struggle to create a conscience for all humanity. Send us a present for our Blog. Act on your generous impulse not by buying capitalism's products but by supporting out Blog.