An Encounter, By James Joyce (1914)

 An Encounter, By James Joyce (1914)

8/10


This story was very shocking to me. I really didn’t expect to read a story about a pedophile talking to children. At first, I wasn’t even able to understand why anyone would decide to write a story like this. After reading the story a few more times, I was vaguely able to have ideas about what Joyce wanted to express with the situation.

I felt that the world of the children was so very pure. The innocent children and their small, simple entertainments bring smiles to our faces.

I thought that the creepy man is not just a pervert character made to progress the story. Instead, he seamed like a symbol of everything opposite with the two boys. He is old, lying, lustful and totally not innocent. The story is even somewhat tragic, since the creepy old man must have once been a young innocent boy himself long ago. Also, the two boys lying about their name was clever for sure, but it also made me a bit depressed seeing that the boys are not perfectly innocent.

I liked how the author made us contrast the old man with the boys. I rated the story eight out of ten. (199 words)

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