Blog Post 6: A Little Cloud by James Joyce

In this post I am going to try and interpret the title of this story. "A Little Cloud". First off I believe that the part of the title come directly from the text. The word little was used a repeated amount of times. His name, "Little Chandler", "..idea of being a little man" "a little house" etc. So in my opinion in the title "little" comes directly from Little Chandler, or even the fact that he is little compared to his old friend Gallaher. Now, the real interpretation kicks in with the cloud. And I believe Gallaher is the cloud. In the story, Joyce explains Little Chandler as a man who is content with his life, he has a wife, a house, a kid, well mannered etc. Little Chandler, however is very excited for his meeting with Gallaher because he is big on the London Press. At the bar the fellas share some whiskey and cigars and Gallaher proceeds to tell Little Chandler somewhat to loosen up, maybe travel the world, and have some bachelorettes.  Little Chandler seems inspired by his words because Gallaher is big and successful. When the meeting is over Little Chandler goes home and notices a picture of his wife. His wife is not like the exotic women Gallaher described and Little Chandler begins to question his marriage. Little Chandler hears his son crying and try's to calm the child, however the child doesn't stop. Little Chadler then becomes very angry because too many things are running through his mind because Gallaher has provoked it along with a screaming child. His wife thankfully arrives home and snatches the child before things could have gotten worse. She scolds little Chandler and Little Chandler feels remorse. So, I think Gallaher was the cause of that meltdown, he was a cloud that covered the sun in Little Chandlers life. However the meltdown was small and he feels guilty, so this cloud will pass and the sun will once again shine on Little Chandlers content life.