Araby

ArabyJamesJoyceBackgroundsIntroductionIreland'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.experimental;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.Theboytakesacoinfromhisuncleandcatchesatraintothefair.Arabyisclosingdownashearrivesandhetimidlywalksthroughthecenterofthebazaar.Ashelooksatthefewstallsthatarestillopen,heoverhearsaconversationbetweenanEnglishshop-girlandtwoyoungmen.Theirtalkisnothingbutidlegossip.Theshop-girlpausesreluctantlytoasktheboyifhewishestobuyanything,buthedeclines.Ashewalksslowlyoutofthehallamidthedarkeningofthelights,hethinksthatheisacreaturedrivenandderidedbyvanityandhiseyesburnedwithanguishandanger.CharactersNarrator:Thenarratorofthisstoryisayoung,sensitiveboywhoconfusesaromanticcrushandreligiousenthusiasm.Alloftheconflictinthisstoryhappensinsidehismind.Itisunlikelythattheobjectofhiscrush,Mangan'ssister,isawareofhisfeelingsforher,norisanybodyelseinthisboy'ssmallworld.Becausetheboy'sthoughtsonlyrevealapartofthestory,acarefulreadermustputtogethercluesthattheauthorgives.Forexample,thenarratormentionsthattheformertenantofthehouseheshareswithhisauntandunclewasapriest