Joyce’s writing style in “Grace” features simple, unadorned language as well as heavy dialogue between characters. The following passage—which comes as Power, Cunningham, and M’Coy are visiting their injured friend Kernan—demonstrates both aspects of Joyce’s style:
Mr Cunningham said that he had once known a similar case. A man of seventy had bitten off a piece of his tongue during an epileptic fit and the tongue had filled in again so that no one could see a trace of the bite.
—Well, I’m not seventy, said the invalid.
—God forbid, said Mr Cunningham.
—It doesn’t pain you now? asked Mr M’Coy.
Mr M’Coy had been at one time a tenor of some reputation. His wife, who had been a soprano, still taught young children to play the piano at low terms.
This passage begins with straightforward language, as the narrator is simply reporting on what Cunningham is sharing with the group. Joyce then switches into a small moment of dialogue—letting the men speak for themselves—before introducing the character of M’Coy with a few simple sentences about his background. After the men have been introduced over the course of the scene, Joyce allows them to talk amongst themselves with almost no narrative intervention for a large chunk of the story.
Joyce’s stylistic choices in “Grace” indicate that he wants readers to decide for themselves how they feel about the characters. This group of men clearly cares for each other and yet, at the same time, they do not necessarily know how to offer the kind of support their wounded alcoholic friend needs in this moment. Their banter is fun—and their factual errors about religion are funny—but are they helping Kernan find the kind of redemption and healing that he needs? Joyce intentionally keeps it ambiguous.
