Duffy’s House Symbol Analysis

“A Painful Case” opens with an extended description of Mr. Duffy’s house. The detailed description of his house and its furnishings symbolize Duffy’s sense of superiority, his rigid, austere personality, and his sexual repression. Duffy has chosen to live on the outskirts of Dublin in a suburb because “he wished to live as far as possible from the city,” and he chose his particular suburb “because he found all the other suburbs of Dublin mean, modern, and pretentious.” Right away, Duffy comes off as judgmental, particular, and even misanthropic in his choice of residence. His home has “lofty walls,” mirroring Duffy’s lofty view of his own intellectualism and superiority to others. The home also shows his rigidity and austerity: his room is unadorned, with no carpet or pictures on the walls, and lacks any color besides black and white. Given that Duffy is isolated and sexually repressed, his plain, generic space reflects his hesitance to make his true self known to others or to himself. Duffy’s sexual repression is further symbolized by two fleeting references to the color red, traditionally used to represent passion and sexuality. The foot of his bed is covered by a “black and scarlet rug.” The presence of a small amount of red on Duffy’s bed shows the presence of some passion, but revealed almost accidentally or as an afterthought. Moreover, when his desk is opened, “a faint fragrance escape[s]” from “an overripe apple which might have been left there and forgotten.” This image hearkens to the biblical Garden of Eden and the forbidden fruit of sexual consummation. However, like this apple, Duffy’s sexuality has withered from its containment.