Counterparts

by

James Joyce

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Mr. Alleyne Character Analysis

Mr. Alleyne is Farrington’s boss at the legal office and the story’s antagonist. He is from Northern Ireland, which means that he has a highly distinctive accent, something that Farrington has mocked in the past. At this time in Irish history, the ruling class came mostly from the North, a detail that suggests the power imbalance between Farrington and his employer is not coincidental, but is arguably symbolic of the power imbalance between Northern Ireland and Southern Ireland. Because of his explicit origins in the North, it is possible to argue that Alleyne is a symbol of colonial authority. Throughout the first half of the story, Mr. Alleyne continually berates Farrington for not completing his work, which the latter resents. If Alleyne is symbolic of the authority of the Northern Irish, Farrington’s resentment and indignity might be seen as the resentment and indignity of the colonially oppressed. The fact that Farrington endangers his job when he openly defies Mr. Alleyne by mocking him with a slight quip shows how difficult it is to act against such authority, because even after he has been insubordinate, he still needs Mr. Alleyne’s money to pay for his drinks later in the evening. Farrington therefore thinks that by answering back he has defied authority and been victorious (this is how he tells the story later to his friends), but in reality he is still reliant on Mr. Alleyne, a situation which highlights the difference between harsh reality and Farrington’s fantasy.

Mr. Alleyne Quotes in Counterparts

The Counterparts quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Alleyne or refer to Mr. Alleyne. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Resentment, Anger, and Indignity Theme Icon
).
Counterparts Quotes

The bell rang furiously and, when Miss Parker went to the tube, a furious voice called out in a piercing North of Ireland accent. “Send Farrington here!”

Related Characters: Mr. Alleyne (speaker), Farrington
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:

A spasm of rage gripped his throat for a few moments and then passed, leaving after it a sharp sensation of thirst. The man recognized the sensation and felt he must have a good night’s drinking.

Related Characters: Farrington, Mr. Alleyne
Related Symbols: Alcohol
Page Number: 83
Explanation and Analysis:

He felt strong enough to clear out the whole office singlehanded. His body ached to do something, to rush out and revel in violence. All the indignities of his life enraged him […] he knew where he would meet the boys: Leonard and O’Halloran and Nosey Flynn. The barometer of his emotional nature was set for a spell of riot.

Related Characters: Farrington, Mr. Alleyne, Paddy Leonard, O’Halloran, Nosey Flynn
Page Number: 86
Explanation and Analysis:

“You—know—nothing. Of course you know nothing,” said Mr. Alleyne. “Tell me,” he added, glancing first for approval to the lady beside him, “do you take me for a fool? Do you think me an utter fool?” The man glanced from the lady’s face to the little egg-shaped head and back again; and, almost before he was aware of it, his tongue had found a felicitous moment: “I don’t think, sir,” he said, “that that’s a fair question to put to me.”

Related Characters: Farrington (speaker), Mr. Alleyne (speaker), Miss Delacour
Page Number: 87
Explanation and Analysis:

“So, I just looked at him—coolly, you know, and looked at her. Then I looked back at him again—taking my time, you know. ‘I don’t think that that’s a fair question to put to me,’ says I.”

Related Characters: Farrington (speaker), Mr. Alleyne, Miss Delacour, Paddy Leonard, O’Halloran, Nosey Flynn, Higgins
Page Number: 89
Explanation and Analysis:
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Counterparts PDF

Mr. Alleyne Quotes in Counterparts

The Counterparts quotes below are all either spoken by Mr. Alleyne or refer to Mr. Alleyne. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
Resentment, Anger, and Indignity Theme Icon
).
Counterparts Quotes

The bell rang furiously and, when Miss Parker went to the tube, a furious voice called out in a piercing North of Ireland accent. “Send Farrington here!”

Related Characters: Mr. Alleyne (speaker), Farrington
Page Number: 82
Explanation and Analysis:

A spasm of rage gripped his throat for a few moments and then passed, leaving after it a sharp sensation of thirst. The man recognized the sensation and felt he must have a good night’s drinking.

Related Characters: Farrington, Mr. Alleyne
Related Symbols: Alcohol
Page Number: 83
Explanation and Analysis:

He felt strong enough to clear out the whole office singlehanded. His body ached to do something, to rush out and revel in violence. All the indignities of his life enraged him […] he knew where he would meet the boys: Leonard and O’Halloran and Nosey Flynn. The barometer of his emotional nature was set for a spell of riot.

Related Characters: Farrington, Mr. Alleyne, Paddy Leonard, O’Halloran, Nosey Flynn
Page Number: 86
Explanation and Analysis:

“You—know—nothing. Of course you know nothing,” said Mr. Alleyne. “Tell me,” he added, glancing first for approval to the lady beside him, “do you take me for a fool? Do you think me an utter fool?” The man glanced from the lady’s face to the little egg-shaped head and back again; and, almost before he was aware of it, his tongue had found a felicitous moment: “I don’t think, sir,” he said, “that that’s a fair question to put to me.”

Related Characters: Farrington (speaker), Mr. Alleyne (speaker), Miss Delacour
Page Number: 87
Explanation and Analysis:

“So, I just looked at him—coolly, you know, and looked at her. Then I looked back at him again—taking my time, you know. ‘I don’t think that that’s a fair question to put to me,’ says I.”

Related Characters: Farrington (speaker), Mr. Alleyne, Miss Delacour, Paddy Leonard, O’Halloran, Nosey Flynn, Higgins
Page Number: 89
Explanation and Analysis: