Finnegans Wake

Dublin is more than just the setting of Finnegans Wake. The city functions on a symbolic level, encapsulating an idea of Ireland and Irishness explored throughout the novel. The city is a symbol of Irish cultural identity, becoming a repository for the ideals, characters, myths, and languages that come together to form the public conception of “Ireland.” The novel refers to the streets of Dublin, exploring their colonial and folkloric routes and turning this physical geography into a part of Ireland’s mythology. HCE is also woven into this symbolic deployment of geography, living in “Howth Castle and Environs” (3). An important part of this symbology is its vivacity. Dublin is a living city, and Ireland is a living idea; the ancient folk stories are still relevant in that Finn MacCool and Tim Finnegans are—at the same time—HCE. Simultaneously, HCE is elevated to their level when his exploits become a part of Dublin folklore; his story is turned into a folk song, and the people of Dublin sing it so much that it becomes a court case.

In this sense, Dublin is more than just a city. The city is a character, and, like many of the novel’s characters, Dublin is also HCE. The protagonist and the setting become echoes of one another in that HCE becomes an embodiment of the symbolic nature of the city. He sleeps for a long time, snoring under the heart of Ireland and becoming a part of the island’s physical geography. HCE incorporates the smaller symbols in the novel, illustrating the totalizing effect of mythology in his search for identity. He is a Dublin resident and a product of Dublin, but the city itself is a product of so many Dubliners’ actions and beliefs. The relationship is bilateral, as the myths and cultural identities created by individuals such as HCE become the idea of Dublin itself. This relationship allows the symbolic meaning of Dublin to grow and evolve, just like the characters.

Similarly, the symbolic meaning of Dublin contains within it the symbolic meaning of the River Liffey. The Liffey runs through Dublin; the river’s course shapes the city’s infrastructure and physical space, helping move people and money through the capital of Ireland. The city is inseparable from the river in this sense. Just as Dublin is a symbol of HCE, the Liffey is a symbol of ALP. The codependent nature of the river and the city is a symbolic extension of the codependent relationship between ALP and HCE. They define one another and allow each other to function. They are integral parts of each other’s identity and impossible to imagine alone. A key part of the symbolic meaning of Dublin is its relationship with the Liffey, as this represents the similar dynamic between HCE and his wife.