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Ambition vs. Failed Expectations
Ambition is a recurring theme throughout Dubliners. Every single one of Joyce’s Dubliners is marked by a desire for more, and every Dubliner’s ambition is frustrated either by a lack of opportunity, the strength of their personal vices, or some combination thereof. The content of the characters’ ambitions is naturally varied, but every dream deferred or unfulfilled is linked to the state of Ireland as a small Western island with a precarious political future. Little Chandler is no exception to that trend. Over the course of “A Little Cloud,” Little Chandler repeatedly fantasizes about becoming a famous Irish poet and dreams of publishing a book of poems. His ambition is so extreme that, while walking to meet Gallaher at a bar, he imagines the praise that his hypothetical book would receive and comes up with fake glowing reviews. However, his lofty expectations are never fully realized because Little Chandler is unable to turn his ambitious dreams into a reality. The only thing standing in the way of Little Chandler’s literary aspirations is his own timidity. Like many Dubliners protagonists, Little Chandler is entirely to blame for his own failed expectations.
Dublin’s Insularity
Ireland is an island, making it an excellent symbol for isolation and a lack of interest in outside cultures and ideas. Throughout Dubliners, more ambitious characters bemoan Ireland’s status as being cut off from the rest of the world. Little Chandler, like many Dubliners protagonists, feels stuck. He is uninterested in his job, uninterested in his home life, and uninterested in Dublin in general. He is also extremely envious of his friend Gallaher who moved to London eight years ago to become a journalist. Little Chandler is obviously jealous that his friend managed to start a successful writing career when he could not. However, he appears to be equally jealous that Gallaher had the “brav[ery]” to leave Dublin. In fact, Little Chandler appears to equate Gallaher’s success with his emigration. This theme is solidified towards the very end of the story when Little Chandler fantasizes about moving to London in the same breath that he fantasizes about writing a book of poems. Clearly, Little Chandler feels that success is only possible if he is able to leave the constraints of Dublin behind him.
Domesticity vs. Promiscuity
Over the course of “A Little Cloud,” the reader learns that Little Chandler has been married for almost two years and that he and his wife Annie have a young son. However, Little Chandler does not find peace within the domestic sphere and, instead, has clearly come to resent it. He finds his wife cold, he does not make any effort to incorporate his literary interests into his home life, he yells at his infant son to stop crying, and he expresses a desire to “escape” from his “little house.” All of these examples paint a negative characterization of domesticity. On the other hand, “A Little Cloud” does not appear to promote the unattached lifestyle either. Gallaher, a proud bachelor, flaunts his rejection of the domestic sphere, claiming that he would rather please himself with many women rather than become bored with one. However, Gallaher’s promiscuity is judged rather than celebrated and he is characterized as a seedy, vulgar man. Given the emphasis placed on Little Chandler and Gallaher’s discussion on the merits of domesticity vs. promiscuity, one might expect Joyce to choose a side. Instead, Joyce criticizes both options, establishing a pessimistic view of love and romance that persists throughout most of the short stories in Dubliners.
