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What do the rhyming lines at the end of the excerpt contribute to the narrative?

A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man
by James Joyce (excerpt)

The Vances lived in number seven. They had a different father and mother. They were Eileen’s father and mother. When they were grown up he was going to marry Eileen. He hid under the table. His mother said:

—O, Stephen will apologise.

Dante said:
—O, if not, the eagles will come and pull out his eyes.

Pull out his eyes,
Apologise,
Apologise,
Pull out his eyes.

Apologise,
Pull out his eyes,
Pull out his eyes,
Apologies.

User Rick Eyre
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1 Answer

4 votes
'They signal that the narrative is reflecting stephen's personal experience."
User YJZ
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