Farrington has already fallen so far behind at work, that there is no reason for him even to try to catch up serves as an analogy to the helplessness of Farringtons life and the pointlessness of life in Dublin. Farrington has almost a split personality between the bar and work. At the bar, he is respected as kind of one of the big men who is popular, yet at work, he is treated as he is a child and talked down to. Farrington has no idea who he is or what he wants out of life. He goes every day of his life without ever doing something worthwhile or meaningful. Farrington is challenged everyday and given some opportunities but he never cares, he never tries to fix anything, and he never attempts to advance the status of his life past the title of a drunk.In the beginning of the story, Joyce refers to Farrington as the man. It seems that Joyce makes this reference when Farrington is at work or at home. The only identification Farrington has is at the bar that he frequents. This negative environment at work and home forces him to do the things that cause his problems in the first place. Farrington cannot find a reason to change these factors because of the sense of helplessness in Dublin society. As in all the stories in Dubliners, Counterparts has a major erotic component. Women seem to be the only thing that motivate Farrington or any male Dubliner to take any initiative or think about what he is doing. Still it seems that Farrington cannot even achieve the recognition of any woman. Farrington misses his wife who had recently left him, and longed for someone to take care of him and give his life some purpose. Joyce tells of how Farrington can smell Miss. Delacours perfume from outside of the office. And when Mr. Alleyne scolds him in her presence Farrington defends him for the first for the first time out of years of being verbally battered by his boss. Joyce does not even say that Farrington is attracted to Miss Delacour...
