In this story, James Joyce describes Dublin through the eyes of his protagonist, Mr. James Duffy. Mr. Duffy wants to live as "far [away] as possible" from the city he technically calls home (Chapelizod is a suburb) because he finds all the other areas of the city "mean, modern and pretentious." In other words, to him, other suburbs are base, without dignity, and seem to strike other, less discerning, folk as more impressive than they actually are. His choice not to live there differentiates him, in part, from the less-than-discriminating people who do. He prefers his "old" house, his lofty walls, and his windows, from which he can see the river on which Dublin was founded. Thus, he seems to take issue with any way in which Dublin or its residents are attempting to modernize, to enter the world of the twentieth century. He prefers the older styles, old-fashioned people, and more traditional values and designs.