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ArabyBackgroundsIntroductionIreland'smajorreligion,RomanCatholicism,dominatedIrishculture,asitcontinuestodotodayalthoughtoalesserextent.ManyfamiliessenttheirchildrentoschoolsrunbyJesuitpriests(liketheonethenarratorinattends)andconventschoolsrunbynuns(liketheoneMangan'ssisterattends).CatholicismisoftenseenasasourceofthefrequentconflictinIrishculturebetweensensualityandasceticism,aconflictthatfiguresprominentlyinJoyce'sautobiographicalnovelAPortraitoftheArtistasaYoungMan.Inmanyways,Catholicism,particularlyaspracticedattheturnofthecentury,wasanextremelysensuousreligion,emphasizingintensepersonalspiritualexperienceandsurroundingitselfwithsuchrichtrappingsasbeautifulchurches,elegantpaintingsandstatues,otherworldlymusic,andsumptuousvestmentsandaltardecorations.Ontheotherhand,theChurch'sofficialattitudetowardenjoymentofthesensesandparticularlytowardsexualitywassevereandrestrictive.TheidealwomanwastheVirginMary,whomiraculouslycombinedvirginalpuritywithmaternity.Motherhoodwasexalted,butanyenjoymentofsexuality,eveninmarriage,wasconsideredasin,aswerethepracticeofbirthcontrolandabortion.Theinabilitytoreconcilethespiritualandsensualaspectsofhumannaturecanbeseenintheboy'sfeelingstowardMangan'ssisterinHeimagineshisfeelingsforherasachalice--asacredreligiousobject--andsoworshipfulishisattitudethathehesitateseventospeaktoher.Yethismemoriesofherfocusalmostexclusivelyonherbody--herfiguresilhouettedbythelight,thesoftropeofherhair,thewhitecurveofherneck,theborderofherpetticoat.Eventheimageofthechaliceisambivalent,sinceitscup-likeshapeandfunctionsuggestsasexualconnotation.Theboyneverresolvesthisconflictbetweenspiritualityandsensuality.Instead,whenconfrontedwiththetawdrinessofashopgirl'sflirtationatthebazaar,heabruptlydismissesallhisfeelingsasmerevanity.IntroductionofthestoryandtheauthorArabyisoneoffifteenshortstoriesthattogethermakeupJamesJoyce'scollection,Dubliners.AlthoughJoycewrotethestoriesbetween1904and1906,theywerenotpublisheduntil1914.DublinerspaintsaportraitoflifeinDublin,Ireland,attheturnofthe20thcentury.Itsstoriesarearrangedinanorderreflectingthedevelopmentofachildintoagrownman.Thefirstthreestoriesaretoldfromthepointofviewofayoungboy,thenextthreefromthepointofviewofanadolescent,andsoon.Arabyisthelaststoryofthefirstset,andistoldfromtheperspectiveofaboyjustonthevergeofadolescence.ThestorytakesitstitlefromarealfestivalwhichcametoDublinin1894whenJoycewastwelveyearsold.JoyceisoneofthemostfamouswritersoftheModernistperiodofliterature,whichrunsroughlyfrom1900totheendofWorldWarII.Modernistworksoftenincludecharacterswhoarespirituallylostandthemesthatreflectacynicismtowardinstitutionsthewriterhadbeentaughttorespect,suchasgovernmentandreligion.Muchoftheliteratureofthisperiodisexperimental;Joyce'swritingreflectsthisintheuseofdashesinsteadofquotationmarkstoindicatethatacharacterisspeaking.JoycehadaverydifficulttimegettingDublinerspublished.Ittookhimovertenyearstofindapublisherwhowaswillingtoriskpublishingthestoriesbecauseoftheirunconventionalstyleandthemes.Oncehefoundapublisher,hefoughtveryhardwiththeeditorstokeepthestoriesthewayhehadwrittenthem.Yearslater,thesestoriesareheraldednotonlyfortheirportrayaloflifeinDublinattheturnofthecentury,butalsoasthebeginningofthecareerofoneofthemostbrilliantEnglish-languagewritersofthetwentiethcentury.PlotArabyopensonNorthRichmondstreetinDublin,whereanuninhabitedhouseoftwostoreysstoodattheblindend,detachedfromitsneighboursinasquareground.Thenarrator,whoremainsunnamedthroughoutthestory,liveswithhisauntanduncle.Hedescribeshisblock,thendiscussestheformertenantwholivedinhishouse:apriestwhorecentlydiedinthebackroom.Thispriesthasalibrarythatattractstheyoungnarrator,andheisparticularlyinterestedinthreetitles:aSirWalterScottromance,areligioustract,andapoliceagent'smemoirs.Thenarratortalksaboutbeingapartofthegroupofboyswhoplayinthestreet.HethenintroducesMangan'ssister,agirlwhocaptivateshisimaginationeventhoughherarely,ifever,speakswithher.Hedoesstareatherfromhiswindowandfollowheronthestreet,however,oftenthinkingofhereveninplacesthemosthostiletoromance.WhileinthemarketplaceonSaturdaynights,forexample,heusesherimagetoguidehimthroughthethrongingcrowdwhoyelltheirsalespitchesandsingpatrioticIrishballads.Hebecomesmisty-eyedjustatthethoughtofherandretreatstothepriest'sdarkroominordertodeprivehimselfofothersensesandthinkonlyofher.Finally,Mangan'ssisterspeakstohim.Sheasksifhewillbeattendingachurch-sponsoredfairthatiscomingsoontoDublin--abazaarcalledAraby.Heistongue-tiedandcannotanswer,butwhenshetellshimthatshecannotgobecauseofaretreatthatweekinherconvent,hepromisestogoandbringheragiftfromthebazaar.Fromthenonhecanonlythinkofthetimewhenhewillbeatthefair;heishauntedbythesyllablesofthewordAraby.Onthenightheissupposedtoattendthefair,hisuncleislatereturninghomeandhemustwaittogetmoneyfromhim.Hegetsveryanxious,andhisaunttellshimthathemayhavetomissthebazaar,buthisuncledoescomehome,apologeticthathehadforgotten.AfteraskingtheboyifheknowsapoementitledTheArab'sFarewelltoHisSteed,theunclebidstheboyfarewell.Theboytakesacoinfromhis