hose in attendance refuse to recognize Freddy’s alcoholism. Instead of confronting him, they simply avoid it and act as if nothing is wrong. Later, during a religious debate that is beginning to heat up, the characters again attempt to evade the issue. “… we really are all hungry and when we are hungry we are all very quarrelsome,” someone says and they end by saying that they will “finish the discussion afterwards,” (p. 205) a promise they all know is not true. They head to the dinner table with Gabriel in the lead, “ready to carve a flock of geese.” (p.206) This tradition prevents them from having to have any further discussion on matters that they find uncomfortable. It is much easier for them to ignore reality and live in a world where the carving of the goose supersedes all else in importance. Many of the issues addressed, such as alcoholism and the question of religion are problems that the Irish nation had been struggling with for many years. The people ignored these problems, however, much in the way the characters ignored evidence of these issues in their daily lives.At another point, when Mary Jane performs a piano solo for the group, Gabriel notes that “the most vigorous clapping came from the four young men in the doorway who had gone away to the refreshment room at the beginning of the piece but had come back when the piano had stopped.” (p. 196) The clapping is not genuine, or at least, the men are certainly not appreciative of Mary Jane’s performance. But their upbringing and the social circles they move in require these small pleasantries and this is how they lead their lives. Their false enthusiasm mocks those citizens in Ireland who have no real feelings towards the things they take part in, but instead simply agree to whatever they have heard. They have no commitment towards a cause, but sometimes they seem to have the most enthusiasm, at lea...
