Understanding the story

1. What does the first description of Farrington tell you about his habits and character?

2. What is Farrington's job. Would you class him as a "worker"?

3. Is his boss satisfied with Farrington's work?

4. Does Mr Alleyne come from Dublin, too? How do you know, and what importance might this fact have for the story?

5. How does Mr Alleyne treat his employee Farrington, and what is the effect of the interview on the latter?

6. What excuse does Farrington give for leaving the office, and why does the chief clerk let him go?

7. What symbolism is there in the contrast between the hats on the hat-rack and the cap in Farrington's pocket?

8. How often does Farrington go out for a quick drink every day?

9. What prevents him from finishing copying the document?

10. Alleyne now humiliates the much-stronger Farrington in front of the entire office and a female client. What would be the normal result of such treatment?

11. How does Farrington make Alleyne look foolish, and what is the result?

12. What problem is likely to prevent Farrington from enjoying an evening's Drinking and how does he solve it?

13. What differences do you notice between Farrington's character in the office and in the pub? Why do you think he drinks?

14. How many bars do they visit and what happens in each of them? What effects do these happenings have on Farrington's self-respect?

15. At what point in the story does Farrington's "happy evening at the pub" begin to go wrong?

16. The girl in Mulligan's Bar has a London accent? In what way is this significant?

17. Weathers is almost certainly an Englishman. What effect does Farrington's encounter with him have on Farrington's mood?

18. Describe Farrington's mood as he waits for the tram. What are the reasons for it, and how far is he himself to blame?

19. What sort of woman is his wife, and why is she at the chapel so late?

20. Has Farrington any reason to be angry when he gets home?

21. Why does he begin to beat his own small son? What connection has the action with the title of the story?

Style and language

James Joyce is a master of the "stream of consciousness" novel, where the technique of interior monologue reveals the inner thoughts of the characters, Rational thinking is joined by the impressions made on the character's mind by other stimuli: things he hears, sees, feels, smells etc.. Find examples from the text of "inner thoughts" which Joyce uses to emphasize aspects Farrington's character, particularly those which are connected with the senses.

Further discussion

1. Who are the "Counterparts" and why do you think it is a better title for the story than "A Night's Drinking", for example?

2. Why does Farrington's drink so much? What will happen if he carries on drinking?

3. What do you consider particularly "Irish" about this story?

4. There is an old saying: "The quickest way out of Manchester is through the door of the nearest pub". What do you think it means, and how far is it reflected in this story?

5. Do you sympathize with Farrington's situation? What could he do to change it and why doesn't he do it?

6. "Frustration is the key to most drinking problems". How far is this true of Farrington? In what ways is he frustrated?

7. Are people as frustrated nowadays as they were 70 years ago? What social and moral changes have taken place to relieve the problems that made Farrington into a compulsive drinker?

8. Give a full stylistic analysis of the text.