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James Joyce’s “A Painful Case” is an exploration of love, loss, and missed opportunities
. It follows the story of an unassuming bank cashier named Mr. Duffy whose predictable existence is forever altered by a chance meeting with a woman he meets at a concert hall. “A Painful Case” is part of Joyce’s Dubliners, a collection of 15 short stories set in Dublin which was first published in 1914. “A Painful Case” and the 14 other short stories offer a realistic depiction of what life was like for the Irish middle class in the early 20th century.Read a full story summary, a full story analysis, and explanations of important quotes from “A Painful Case.”