"She felt a soft wet substance with her fingers and was surprised that nobody spoke or took off her bandage. There was a pause for a few seconds; then a great deal of scuffling and whispering. Somebody said something about the garden, and at last Mrs Donnelly said something very cross to one of the next-door girls and told her to throw it out at once: that was no play. "
-Clay page 101
In "Clay" Joyce takes his reader through the maturation of his characters. In his earlier stories, his characters- children, adolescents and then young adults- each experience several defining, symbolic and metaphorical moments. Clay is a story about being grown up and how different the situations are when you are older. As children, the characters wouldn't have been afraid to laugh about or even mention the touching of the clay, but as adults, they feel that in order to deal with the situation properly they should avoid it entirely.
Joyce uses particular diction and rushed but flowing syntax to create the scene. The word ‘bandage’ implies that Maria has suffered from a wound and needs healing and help in recovering. Its metaphorical of what she has endured with being robbed and now with picking the clay; a symbol of death. Joyce uses pathos in order to create a deep feeling of pity and sympathy for Maria. The use of bandage with ambiguous imagery also recreates the feeling of being blind for the reader. Joyce’s use of flowing and vague syntax also creates an air of awkwardness among the party’s guests.
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