Too excited," in fact, "to be genuinely happy." Jimmy Doyle's only twenty-six years old (take our word for it, this is young), and he's having the time of his life. We'll talk about why he's so excited in a minute, but first let's figure out what his life's been like up until now and why this moment means so much.
It's not like J-man's had a tough life so far. His old man owns so many butcher shops in Dublin that people call him a "merchant prince," which means that little Jimmy "had money and was popular" from an early age (After the Race.3). Not too shabby so far. He went to England for college, which you could only do with a fat wallet, and then came back to Dublin to study law, all fancy-like. But this excitable boy "did not study very earnestly," which doesn't surprise us too much.
When it came time for study abroad, and Jimmy went over to Cambridge, he had no intention of studying. Instead, he basically maxed out the fatherly credit card and had to be brought home. But not without meeting someone very important to today's day in the life of Jimmy Doyle. That's Charles Ségouin, a rich French guy who wants Doyle to invest in his newest business venture. And it's Ségouin who brings Doyle into a fast car and to the point of ecstatic energy where we find him today.
Joyce tells us that the race day excites Jimmy because it provides him "Rapid motion through space […] notoriety […] the possession of money." It's that middle one that seems especially important, because Jimmy really enjoys being gawked at and recognized for having popular friends. Unfortunately, keeping up with this crowd makes things more difficult for him in the end, and the story shows us that what excites Jimmy might just be his tragic flaw—that is, he's totally vain.
After the Race It's the After Race Party
And what a party it is. We're going to see some pretty amazing feats of celebration and Dubliners gone wild in these stories, but our four racers move around town as fast after the race as they do during it. Jimmy Doyle's eyes see a fancy Dublin that includes his own parents' house, his friend Ségouin's hotel, and Ségouin's friend's yacht. Take a look at the story's language for describing this wealth. The dinner was "exquisite," which isn't something you hear from the driver's side window at the drive-thru (After the Race.19). The car he sits in isn't fancy, it's "lordly" (After the Race.13).
More even than the posh surroundings, the company adds its own glow. Jimmy's "imagination was kindling" just by hearing a Frenchman talk to an Englishman, and it awakens a "buried zeal" for politics in Jimmy. Just sitting with these guys around a table makes him feel alive in a new way. That's great, right? Except that sometimes feeling alive in a new way doesn't jibe with making healthy financial decisions. It's like Jimmy just won the Monopoly lottery, but decided to spend real money to celebrate it.