Araby Symbolism Essay

Words: 385
Pages: 2
Open Document
In the short story “Araby,” James Joyce introduces the theme of idealism versus realism in a nameless young boy’s quest for love. Throughout the story, Joyce establishes that the boy becomes overly idealistic in order to escape from the vain realities of life. To illustrate this concept, he effectively uses two significant symbols: the juxtaposition of light and darkness, as well as the Catholic church.
Throughout the narrative, Joyce portrays the boy’s desire to seek idealism by making constant comparisons between light and darkness. As the narrator, he begins by introducing darkness as a symbol to represent the reality of the boy’s dreary life. He describes the houses on North Richmond Street as having “brown imperturbable faces” and the surrounding neighbourhood as having “dark muddy lanes…dark dripping gardens…[and] dark odorous stables” (Joyce 169). These references to darkness collectively symbolize the stagnated reality of the boy’s world: a bleak atmosphere devoid of joy. …show more content…
While approaching Mangan’s sister after playing out on the street with his friends, the boy sees her “figure…defined by the light from the half-opened door” (Joyce 169). In contrast to his dark and gloomy surroundings, the girl seemingly illuminates his world and blinds him to the monotonous nature of outdoor play. Later in the story, the boy notices the girl’s “brown-clad figure…touched discreetly by the lamplight” as he awaits his uncle’s return (Joyce 171). In a similar way, he is envisioning Mangan’s sister as an aura of hope and excitement, casting away the “cold [,] gloomy [and] empty” feeling inside his house (Joyce
Show More

Related Documents: Araby Symbolism Essay

Muahammad Awais Essay

Araby(James Joyce 1914) “Araby” is one of fifteen short stories that together make up James Joyce’s collection, Dubliners. Although Joyce wrotethe stories between 1904 and 1906, they were not published until 1914. Dubliners paints a portrait of life in Dublin, Ireland, at the turn of the twentieth century. Its stories are arranged in an order reflecting the development of a child into agrown man. The first three stories are told from the point of view of a young boy, the next three from the point…

Words 5903 - Pages 24

Summer English Essay

1: Every Trip Is a Quest (Except When It's Not) In a single paragraph essay, share the five aspects of the QUEST and then apply them to something you have read or viewed. Chapter 2: Nice to Eat with You: Acts of Communion In a single paragraph essay, choose a meal from a literary work and apply the ideas of Chapter 2 to this literary depiction. Chapter 3: Nice to Eat You: Acts of Vampires In a single paragraph essay, explain what the essentials of the Vampire story are. Apply this to a literary…

Words 1746 - Pages 7