Joyce's Exiles and the Prodigal Son

Abstract

That a Biblical parable is the fundamental analogy of Exiles seems, in the first place, an important clue to the relation of Joyce's only attempt at drama to his other works; for the parables, used to illustrate rather than to establish doctrine, were only parts of a whole. Joyce's explanation suggests that his only play illustrates a vision of life which, like Jesus', was not "of this world," then, as well as that he considered this work a necessary "penance." According to other notes, Richard Rowan, the "prodigal son" of Exiles, must "persuade," and although all the characters should remain convincingly natural, they must work out theories. As Colum points out in his introduction, the "exiles" have all been taken "beyond the accepted moralities and to where they have to make choices for themselves" (p. 8). It is probable, therefore, that Joyce's dramatic parable was intended to be much more than an experiment in technique. Through this medium Joyce may have been seeking not only to achieve a better understanding of his whole way of life but also a better means of externalizing his vision.Exiles may well represent an important development in Joyce's career as an artist and thinker.