What does the story mean? Joyce’s “A Painful Case” shows the clash between two different types of people; those who think they cannot do better for themselves, and those who wish to help them, help themselves. James Duffy is a lonely man who doesn't really like the suburbs of Dublin. He lives in an old, gloomy, worn-out house, with a black iron bed, an iron sink, chairs, a coal bucket, a square table, a mudguard and irons. Compared to today's happy house, it can be assumed that someone is currently dead in Mr. Duffy's house. One day he was sitting in a rotunda, next to a lady, Mrs. Sinica, and her little ones. This one meeting would be the launch of something new for both of them. Either Mrs. Sinica would meet Mr. Duffy at the park gate, or somewhere in town, or she would invite him to her home. Mr Sinica encouraged her visits, believing Mr Duffy was seeking his daughter's hand in holy matrimony. All the moments he spent with her influenced his life and he began to live somewhat differently than before. During one of the meetings, Ms. Sinica became a little frisky, and Mr. Duffy left and has not communicated with her for a week. He finally asked her to meet him at a pastry shop where they walked around for a few hours talking. A few days after the two men agreed to break off their interaction, he obtained his music and books from Ms. Sinica. Several years passed and Mr. Duffy never heard from Ms. Sinica again. He wrote more rarely than before and stayed away from concerts for fear of seeing her. Late one afternoon, while analyzing a newspaper editorial, he noticed an article about "DEATH OF A LADY AT SYNDEY PARADE" and forced himself to continue. Once he read the subsection and realized that the dead woman was his former partner, something settled in his stomach that didn't feel familiar. He strongly considered that not only had she degraded herself, but he had as well. With this in mind he went to a pub for a hot punch, walked through the park gate, and wandered beneath gaunt trees and desolate valleys, as they had done four years before..