A Little Cloud
| "A Little Cloud" | |
|---|---|
| Author | James Joyce |
| Country | Ireland |
| Language | English |
| Genre(s) | short story |
| Published in | Dubliners |
| Publication type | Collection |
| Media type | |
| Publication date | 1914 |
| Preceded by | "The Boarding House" |
| Followed by | "Counterparts" |
"A Little Cloud" is a short story in Dubliners, by James Joyce.
In the short story “A Little Cloud” by James Joyce, the protagonist, Little Chandler, begins the narrative at his office job in Dublin. He excitedly thinks about his old friend Ignatius Gallaher who he is to meet at a bar upon leaving work. Gallaher has become a moderately successful journalist abroad in England and when Chandler arrives at the bar, he sees that this position has had an influence on his friend. After sharing drinks and cigars, the two men separate and Chandler heads home thinking about his life compared to Gallaher’s. This leads him down a largely negative train of thought which climaxes when he returns home. He sees, but cannot console his crying infant and the contempt his wife holds for him is clear enough. This makes Chandler believe that he has, to an extent, wasted his life and he succumbs to sorrow and remorse. This story has often been read to represent aspects of the political struggle between England and Ireland at the time as well.
The story follows Thomas Chandler, or "Little Chandler" as he is known, through a portion of his day. The story drops the reader into Little Chandler's life when he is at work, where he cannot focus because he is preoccupied with the thought of a visit later that day. He anxiously awaits this visit with his old friend Ignatius Gallaher. Gallaher is now a "brilliant figure" (Joyce 53) in the London Press and Little Chandler has not seen him in eight years. As Little Chandler thinks about his old friend and the success that has come to him, he begins to reflect upon his own life. This reflection gives the reader insight to Little Chandler's character. The reader sees Little Chandler as a mere observer of life, a reluctant character. He is timid, because he enjoys poetry yet is too "shy" to read it to his wife (Joyce 52).
Little Chandler likes to think that he himself could have been a writer if only he had put his mind to it. All of the "different moods and impressions he wished to express in verse" (Joyce 55) could still be achieved if he could just express himself. But as much as Little Chandler covers up his true feelings with these thoughts that seem to "comfort" him, the reader can see past this.
These feelings are more clearly exposed to the reader in the bar where Little Chandler actually meets Gallaher. Here, Gallaher tells enchanting stories of his vast traveling. His life is the exact opposite of Little Chandler's and Little Chandler begins to feel that his wife is holding him back from success as a result of Gallaher's glorification of his travels and freedoms. Without his wife, without his little boy, he would be free to prosper. Deep envy sets into Little Chandler. It seems as though the more they drink, and the longer they talk, the more inferior Chandler feels. Still, he tries to hide his envy of Gallaher's life by saying how one day Gallaher will get married and start a family too.
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