1. The titles of these stories often aren't straightforward summaries of their content, yet they hold significant meaning and merit close examination. Reflect on how one or more of the less obvious titles (such as "The Sisters," "A Little Cloud," "Counterparts," "Clay," or "The Dead") shapes your interpretation of the story's significance.

2. Priests feature in each of the three stories focused on childhood: "The Sisters" narrates Father Flynn's death; in "Araby," the narrator reads books left behind by a priest who formerly lived in the boy's house; and in "An Encounter," Joe Dillon, who provides the boys with adventure magazines, later feels a calling to the priesthood. How does the church in these early stories relate to the "paralysis" that Joyce aims to expose?

3. Joyce often specifies exactly what his characters are reading. For instance, the young boy in "Araby" reads Walter Scott's The Abbot, The Devout Communicant, and The Memoirs of Vidocq; the boys in "An Encounter" enjoy stories of the American West in magazines like The Union Jack, Pluck, and The Halfpenny Marvel; and Mr. Duffy in "A Painful Case" has a volume of Wordsworth's poetry and a copy of the Maynooth Catechism on his meticulously arranged shelves. Select one story and research the books Joyce references. What do they reveal about the reader? How do they deepen your understanding of the story?

4. Examine the types of family relationships depicted in Dubliners. How do these relationships reflect the broader themes of the book?

5. Compare Joyce's "The Dead" with John Huston's film adaptation. What changes have the filmmakers implemented? What are the impacts of these modifications?

6. As illustrated in both "A Mother" and "The Dead," Joyce wrote these stories during the Irish Revival, a cultural movement from the late nineteenth to early twentieth centuries aimed at revitalizing the Irish language and promoting traditional Irish stories to counteract the dominant British culture. Explore the Irish Revival and consider where Dubliners fits within this context.

7. Joyce pays meticulous attention to the visual imagery in his stories. Choose one or two stories and analyze their visual imagery. Consider, for example, the descriptions of light (and darkness and shadow) or color. What kinds of images are most prominent, and how do they connect to other elements like theme and atmosphere?

8. The fall and death of Charles Stewart Parnell serve as a crucial backdrop to "Ivy Day in the Committee Room." Investigate Parnell's life, his cause, and his downfall, and discuss this story in light of your findings.