The writing style of “A Painful Case” is characterized by Joyce’s frequent use of free indirect discourse. This is a writing technique that involves a third-person narrator channeling the inner thoughts and expressions of a given character (typically the protagonist), essentially merging with them in the process. Take the following passage, for example, that comes as Duffy is reflecting bitterly on Mrs. Sinico’s death:
Just God, what an end! Evidently she had been unfit to live, without any strength of purpose, an easy prey to habits, one of the wrecks on which civilisation has been reared. But that she could have sunk so low! Was it possible he had deceived himself so utterly about her?
This is an example of free indirect discourse because the narrator’s exclamations and agitation emerge from Duffy yet are not directly coming from him. For example, rather than writing, “Duffy thought, But that she could have sunk so low!” the narrator makes that claim themselves. This is not because the narrator is judging Mrs. Sinico for her actions, but because they are channeling Duffy’s judgments. Free indirect discourse allows an author to simultaneously create distance between a reader and a character (by not writing in the first-person) and also allow for closeness. This mirrors, in some ways, Duffy's desire to be close to Mrs. Sinico while also pushing her away and remaining a recluse.
Another notable aspect of Joyce’s style in this story is his decision to include an entire article about Mrs. Sinico’s death. In this part of the story, his writing style totally changes, imitating that of a journalist, as seen in the following passage:
P. Dunne, railway porter, stated that as the train was about to start he observed a woman attempting to cross the lines. He ran towards her and shouted but, before he could reach her, she was caught by the buffer of the engine and fell to the ground.
A juror – You saw the lady fall?
Witness – Yes.
This is one of the many ways in which Joyce seeks to make his stories feel real. (This was a common type of news article and journalistic writing style at the time in which he was writing.)
