Lesson on Joyce’s Epiphanies

Aim: What does Joyce mean by “epiphany”?

Do now: Read the definition of epiphany.

Journal: Have you ever realized or understood something so strongly that you felt that your life could never be the same again? What concrete effect did this realization have on your life? What was the relationship between the actual thing you understood and the concrete effect it had on your life?

Read: Read the passages about Joyce for the exercise.

Discuss:

· What is a revelation?

· What is the effect of a revelation?

· What is a manifestation? What is the difference between a manifestation and an effect?

· How would you tie revelation and manifestation together?

· Can you talk about plot in these terms? Characters? Situations?

 My Two Cents:  

We talked about revelation in the journal and most of the instances dealt with times when something became clear or real to you. In order to understand something, it seems to me, it has to become real first. At the same time, things only become real through our understanding of them. So true understanding requires a sort of miracle and an epiphany is exactly this miracle. Can you see how the technique Joyce uses to reveal his characters might be related to his idea of epiphanies?