Kudos to Joyce's legal aide for ingeniously quenching their throaty creativity
In James Joyce's Dubliners, the story "Counterparts" introduces us to Farrington, a lower-middle-class clerk whose behaviour towards his hat offers insights into early 20th-century Dublin's social etiquette and his personal struggles.
During this era, hat-wearing was a strict social norm. Men typically donned felt hats like the trilby or bowler during the day, removing them indoors or in formal/religious settings as a sign of respect. For Farrington, his hat was not just an article of clothing but a symbolic object reflecting the social conventions of the time.
At the office, Farrington wore his shepherd's plaid cap to avoid the chief clerk noticing his absence from the hat rack. Upon leaving, he would put on the cap and run down the rickety stairs, quick to escape unnoticed. Before leaving, he would point to the complete row of hats on the hatrack, ensuring a smooth departure.
Farrington's destination was a public house, where he intended to "slake the thirst in his throat." Upon arrival, he would order a "g.p.", short for "pint of porter." This behaviour, combined with his handling of the hat, often symbolized his social position and emotional state. The slamming down or adjusting of his hat during moments of anger or humiliation conveyed tension and his uneasy navigation of social expectations.
The representation of Farrington's hat aligns with broader cultural expectations where hat-wearing was integral to public decorum and identity. Working-class individuals also wore caps during this time, further emphasizing the importance of hats as markers of social standing and etiquette.
The strict hat etiquette of the period underlines social hierarchy and personal dignity, themes central to Dubliners and especially to "Counterparts," where minute social gestures (like hat behaviour) signal deeper interpersonal conflict. This era's emphasis on hat etiquette representing respect and status is consistent with the story's setting in Temple Bar, Dublin.
In summary, the hat in James Joyce’s Dubliners serves as a metaphor for Farrington’s social frustration and the rigid social norms of Dublin at that time. The representation aligns with broader cultural expectations where hat-wearing was integral to public decorum and identity.
In the social and cultural landscape of early 20th-century Dublin, a man's hat was not only a fashion accessory but also a reflection of his lifestyle and social position, much like how today's choices in fashion-and-beauty, home-and-garden decor, books, and entertainment can define an individual's identity.
Farrington's constant concern about his hat and its placement in social settings, as depicted in Dubliners, mirrors the modern-day struggle to maintain one's personal dignity and adhere to societal norms, a theme that resonates in various facets of life, from work and leisure to relationships and self-expression.
