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“[Mr. Duffy] lived at a little distance from his body, regarding his own acts with doubtful side-glances.”
Joyce spends the introductory portion of the short story highlighting the many ways that Mr. Duffy is closed off from the world around him. This line, which occurs shortly before he meets Mrs. Sinico, emphasizes Mr. Duffy’s sexually repressed and self-conscious state. This short quote characterizes Mr. Duffy as a man who is both disconnected from his body and uncomfortable in his own skin.
“Mrs Sinico caught up his hand passionately and pressed it to her cheek. Mr Duffy was very much surprised. Her interpretation of his words disillusioned him. He did not visit her for a week, then he wrote to her asking her to meet him. As he did not wish their last interview to be troubled by the influence of their ruined confessional they met in a little cakeshop near the Parkgate.”
The sexual repression that Joyce hints at towards the beginning of the short story rears its head the moment that Mrs. Sinico strays from their strictly platonic relationship. Mr. Duffy is horrified by what he perceives to be a sexual advance and he immediately terminates their relationship so as not to stray outside of his comfort zone. It is telling, then, that he requests to meet in public to say goodbye instead of meeting in a more intimate setting as they were accustomed to.
