Today we explored a completely new side of Dublin. As we arrived at the James Joyce Centre, I was amazed to see how much of the city I had yet to see. Our amazing tour guide showed us around what used to be a not-so-nice area during Joyce’s time in Dublin. Being new to Joyce’s work, I was worried that I wouldn’t get as much out of the tour as some of the other students, like the grads who seemed to have a wealth of knowledge. However, I was so surprised by everything I learned about James Joyce and his life as well as the “lives” of his characters. The scene was almost too perfect as an example of the “not-so-niceness” showed up when an altercation occurred across the street. The tour guide reminded us that this area was still not by any means the nicest place in Dublin. As I mentioned before, the physical connection to the literary material continues to strengthen my understanding and appreciation of the literature we have been studying as well as strengthening my appreciation for the authors who wrote about Dublin.

Later on in the evening, we had the amazing opportunity to see No’s Knife at the Abbey Theatre. As someone who spent countless hours in high school doing musicals and plays, this was an incredible excursion for me. Our discussion of Beckett’s “Texts for Nothing” this morning did little to aid my understanding of the literature, but I don’t really think understanding it is the point. I was amazed by Dwan’s talent in No’s Knife and felt as though she truly brought the piece to life. If she didn’t clarify it, she at least made it so much more interesting to watch and contemplate. The play tonight reminded me that even though cultures may be drastically different across the world, we can all share an appreciation for the same talents and performative arts such as the display we saw tonight.