Araby by James Joyce Analysis Essay Example

Introduction

Araby is a short story authored by James Joyce. The story takes place in Dublin, Ireland, and it is one of the 15 stories in the Dubliners collection. The author illustrates the life of a young boy who is obsessed with love for a girl. The author depicts the narrator, the young boy, as being obsessed rather than expressing love. He uses the little boy to develop his major theme of the loss of incense. He employs biblical allusion, symbolism, and figurative language to communicate with his audience. Throughout the story, he uses numerous biblical references to establish the theme. The narrators' understanding of love and romance is depicted in his innocence, which fades with age.

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Biblical Allusion, Symbolism, and Figurative Language: Communicating Unrequited Love in "Araby"

The action of the narrator is expressed when he makes eye contact with the young girl and his heart leap from excitement. The narrator describes the young girl with each little detail possible like "her dress swung as she moved her body and the soft rope of her hair tossed from side to side" (Joyce, 22). He noticeably has a physical attraction to her, which he feels is love and not realizing he is obsessed. Every morning the narrator would look or more likely spy on this girl. He states that "I lay on the floor in the front parlor watching her door. The blind was pulled down to within an inch of the sash so that I could not be seen" (22). This statement clearly shows how the narrator is undeniably obsessed. The narrator goes out of his way to make sure he sees her. He made it his obligation at that time to follow her slowly from behind, which is fulfilling his urge for love as he thinks.

The Boy's Infatuation: Obsession versus Innocent Love in James Joyce's Short Story

The first instance of allusion is in the book of Genesis, where the Garden of Eden is described to have "central apple-tree" (22) in which the story is referred. The boy turns his back on God because of Mangan's sister, similar to how Adam turned his back on God because Eve tempted him. Another instance of biblical allusion is when the boy presses both of "the palms of [his] together" whispering "O love! O love!" (24). The boy seems to be so desperate for the girl to notice him that he prays to her. At this point in the story, the boy only has a goal to get her to notice him, but he has yet to speak to the girl. The girl does not have to do anything to get the boy to have a "confused adoration" (24) because he is basing his opinion of her on lust. By choosing to go to Araby on the "night of Our Lord" (26), the boy ultimately decides to impress the girl that he has spoken to once, instead of using the time to repent. This aspect illuminates how the boy is so obsessed with the girl that he loses himself and his priorities, but the feeling is one-sided. By emphasizing the Garden of Eden story, Joyce allows the reader to fully see not only the boy's loss of self but his loss of innocence.

Losing Oneself in the Pursuit of Unrequited Love: Themes of Obsession and Innocence in "Araby" by James Joyce

The girl entirely entices the boy, but she has hardly had a conversation with him. The metaphor provided at the end of the story enlightens the realization within the little boy that he is a "creature driven and derided by vanity" and his eyes "burned with anguish and anger" (27), and that the lust he has for Margan's sister has led him down the entirely wrong path. He only cared for the girl because of her beauty, and he understands that there is more to people than their looks. Burning with anguish and anger, the boy is not only ashamed that he allowed his vanity to control him, but he turned his back on the person he was for someone who he now realizes has no intention of being with him. The loss of self in pursuit of unrequited love is evident throughout the story and plays a significant role in the overall loss of innocence theme.

Similarly, to biblical allusion and figurative language, symbolism is in an important aspect throughout the story. At the beginning of the story, "North Richmond Street" is described as "blind" (22), but the street is not the only thing that leads to a dead end. The street symbolizes how the infatuation the boy has for the girl will ultimately lead to a dead end due to the girl not returning the same feelings. In addition to the dead-end street, the "bazaar" (24) represents something different, exotic, and inaccessible; much like Margan's sister who is all these to the little boy. This aspect symbolizes how the bazaar and the girl are both ultimately things that the little boy would be naturally curious about, but he should know when to step back.

The "young lady" talking and laughing with the "two young gentlemen" (27) represents the evil and sin that are waiting if he continues to be lustful and turn his back on his beliefs. The people are lying and being sinful which furthers the point that he is following the wrong path, but when the little boy looks "humbly at the great jars that stood... at either side of the entrance stall" (27) the little boy has a moment of clarity. The "great jars" represent guardian angels watching over the little boy as he goes through the bazaar. The reader gets a glimpse that the little boy has not entirely lost all innocence because he can still be humbled, but he is not the same person that he was at the beginning of the story due to the choices he made.

Conclusion

James Joyce illustrates the life of a young boy whose vision of love for a girl is an obsession. The story is about the loss of innocence due to an infatuation from a little boy to a girl that does not share the same feelings. With biblical allusion, figurative language, and symbolism, Joyce's claim that someone can lose himself or herself in the pursuit of unrequited love is illuminated. The narrator fixation for her makes him not realize what he was doing could come across as scary. With him being young, he doesn't know the difference between what love is and being possessive of someone. Majority of the people in the world have had a crush on someone and probably have thoughts about them. Furthermore, being obsessed make your mind become, and you are not your regular self.

Works Cited

Joyce, James. "Araby." Dubliners, The O'Brien Press, 2012, pp 22-27.