The Jolly Corner literary analysis

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A Jolly Analysis “The Jolly Corner” by Henry James is a story about a man’s conscience thoughts about what kind of person he could have been if he would have not gone off to Europe. The author depicts the man, Spencer Brydon, as a man that has an uneasy conscience. “…For, even were it possible to meet in that stand-and-deliver way so silly a demand on so big a subject, my ' thoughts ' would still be almost altogether about something that concerns only myself." (1). When Brydon returns to the Americas because his two brothers passed on, his childhood home also passes on to him. Brydon feels guilty because he has been away for 30 years and did not even make it home for his father’s funeral. While at his home state of New York, Brydon sees Alice Staverton, the woman he is in love with. He then begins to wonder what kind of person he could have been. Spencer Brydon constantly wonders what kind of person he would have been had he not went to Europe, to skip out on the war. At the climax, as Brydon is walking through his house at night, Brydon believes he encounters a ghostly figure in his house. However, this so-called “ghost” is not really a ghost at all. He may believe in his mind it is a ghost but the figure he sees is in his imagination. His sheer intellect has created this figure in his mind that is so realistic; Brydon begins to believe it is real. The figure he sees is his alter ego. He sees the man that he should have been. After Brydon sees his alter ego he tells Alice what had happened that night. Ironically, Alice had been having numerous dreams of Spencer’s Alter ego, which makes her realize how much she likes him. He then asks Alice if she would have liked him had he stayed in America; she replies by saying she would always like him no matter what. By Alice telling this to Brydon he keeps talking to her about his alter ego and keeps bringing up the

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