James Joyce’s “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” and The Five Codes of Fiction

Abstract

James Joyce’s short story “Ivy Day in the Committee Room” from his book Dubliners has often been criticized for being chaotic or at least random. Traditional methods of analysis, such as plot analysis, do not yield an idea of coherent structure. They thus appear to support the criticisms. However, when the story is subjected to an analysis based on Roland Barthes’ five codes from his book S/Z, the story is revealed to have both an overall structure and an intricate, detailed sub-structure of twelve scenes. The overall structure is largely provided by the operation of what Barthes called the Enigma Code. The detailed structure is provided by what Barthes called the Action Code. Barthes suggests using the Action Code to create a table, and one appears in this article. Barthes says that the elements in the table will “articulate” with each other; and an examination of the table created to Barthes’ specifications shows that the elements do indeed articulate both horizontally and vertically. Thus, an interesting irony arises in that both Joyce’s story and Barthes’ book have been accused of anarchistic construction, yet when Barthes’ system is applied to Joyce’s story the rigorous structure of the story emerges and the orderliness of the five code system is confirmed.

Appendix

Scene	Symbolic code	Enigma code	Action code	Reference code	Connotative code
1	Lighting fire	None	Lighting fire	Irish history, Parnell and the Catholic Bishops	Royal Exchange Ward connotes low to moderate income
2	Light and fire	Q-1. Why is Hynes, a supporter of the Socialist candidate, present in the Committee Room of the Nationalist candidate? Q-2. Will Tierney pay the canvassers?	Advancing into light, light candlesticks	Ivy pin refers to Parnell	Political corruption: “Tricky Dicky” Tierney
3	Light and fire	A-2. Tierney will not pay the canvassers.	Placing lumps of coal on to the fire	None	Political corruption
4	None	Proposed A-1: Hynes may be a sponger or a spy.	None	Irish history, The Castle, British Hdqtrs.	Political corruption, value of writing/poetry
5	Need for light denied by Fr. Keon	Hynes’ presence still unsolved. Q-3. What is Fr. Keon’s status?	Holding light for Fr. Keon	None	Ambiguity in Fr. Keon’s clothing.
6	None	Proposed A-3: Fr. Keon defrocked or just inactive in parish. Q-4. Will Tierney supply liquor? Hynes’ presence unsolved.	None	None	Religious and political decay.
7	None	A-4: Tierney supplies alcohol. Hynes’ presence unsolved	Boy deposits basket of bottles	None	Alcoholism
8	None	Hynes’ presence unresolved	None	None	Now speaking well of Tierney connotes hypocrisy
9	None	Hynes’ presence still unsolved	Boy drinks entire bottle of stout	None	Alcoholism –Stout is a high alcohol content beer
10	None	Mystery of Hynes’ presence intensified by Connotative Code	None	None	Alcoholism—“That’s how it starts.” Speaking ill of Crofton (Conservative)
11	Hot gas “pok” symbolizes the hot gas of political talk	Hynes’ presence still unsolved	Opening bottles by the hot gas method	Irish politics— Three Parties: Nationalist, Socialist, and Conservative. Irish history—Conservative Irish turned against Parnell while accepting English king who had numerous affairs.	Political corruption and hypocrisy. Alcoholism.
12	The final hot “pok” comments on the quality of Hynes’ poem.	A-1. Hynes wants audience for his poem on Parnell, the hero of the Nationalist Party.	Opening a bottle by the hot gas method. Reciting a poem.	Irish history: The story of Parnell.	The value of writing/poetry. Betrayal (in poem). Debate on religion/politics.