Little Chandler: Summary

This short story follows Little Chandler through a section of his day, starting while he is at work, and ending with him being at home again after a meeting Gallaher. During this part of his day, we learn quite a bit about Little Chandler for instance that he is a reluctant character who rather dreams and retreats into fantasy than participating actively in changing his life. His reluctance leads to his unhappiness, yet he has no one else to blame but himself. This flight from reality he practises is called escapism. The protagonist reflects on his possible career as a poet while walking through Dublin to meet Gallaher. So he thinks for example about how “[m]elancholy was the dominant note of his temperament” (Joyce 73), something in his eyes typically Irish. Little Chandler …show more content…
This is a belittlement of not only his name but also himself. Moreover, he has “small hands”, “his frame was fragile” and he has “childish white teeth” (Joyce 70), whereas Gallaher is introduced as a successful man, having “travelled air”, “a fearless accent” and living in “the great city of London” (Joyce 70). According to his tales he has travelled to Paris which he depicts as a city full of possibilities, enjoyment, and cosmopolitanism. In other words, a city full of excitement and a massive contrast to Little Chandler’s life who has only ever been to a British Crown dependency which lies between Ireland and England. This is yet another example to show how entangled and dependent Self and Other are. Garry M. Leonard complicates matters even further when he writes, that “Gallaher and Little Chandler each want the other to verify (to see) who they imagine themselves to be” (156), like when Gallaher recommends the places he has been as if there is nothing better and tells stories which leave Little Chandler in awe (Joyce 78). He also observes that Gallaher has to discredit Little Chandler in order to glorify himself (152) and that both