To the confused adolescent in “Araby” by James Joyce, the image of the girl he is fascinated with, is both the embodiment of all the physical beauty existent and, at the same time, a symbol of all that is holy and sacred. The perplexed lad not only longs for the spirituality that he finds lacking in the environment around him; he also wants his intrinsic desire of a feminine touch to be satisfied. This boy, who is left unnamed by the author, has just reached the age when physical attraction becomes an obsession. In this case however, it is not just this one passion which takes charge of the protagonist. Here, we also find the young boy longing for the spiritual power his soul needs.

In these particular lines, Joyce has very successfully demonstrated how the protagonist of the story feels about the one he thinks he is in love with. Thinking of her and also feeling her companionship even in “places the most hostile to romance”, he appears to be totally fascinated with the idea of being in love. We also find that our central figure is one whose life is not filled with luxuries and comforts that are characteristics of the privileged class; he lives a life of an orphan with his aunt and uncle, who work hard to survive amid the cruelties of the world. The surroundings in which they have to live are also indicative of the filth and dirt which Joyce sees not only in places around him, but also within the human soul. It is significant to note how Joyce subtly uses negative diction to highlight the theme of the story. He lays stress not on the beauty of nature, but on the ugliness of the human race. The streets are “flaring” and crowded. The type of people (“drunken men”, “labourers”, “shop-boys”, “street-singers”, etc.) doing business in this setting are all those who are looked down upon by the society. Here, the author has effectively used the musical allusion (singing “a come-all-you about O’Donovan Rossa”) for his purpose. Rossa was a leader of the Irish nationalist movement, and by referring to him, Joyce succeeds in diverting the reader’s attention towards a problem of his “native land”. In the same line, he also refers to singers performing a “ballad about the troubles in our native land,” which elucidates yet again the theme of Irish inadequacy.

It is not surprising then, that the young boy is strolling past this ugly, drab reality, imagining that he is carrying with him a Holy Grail. Here again, the author intends to remind the readers of the bitter truth, that how sharp the difference there is between reality and imagination.

The girl is saintly and angelic. She evokes in the boy “strange prayers and praises”, but whatever he is going through at this moment is even beyond his own understanding. He is unable to speak to the girl. He is utterly “confused”. Joyce makes sure at this point, that the perplexity and confusion that is there in the mind of the youngster becomes obvious to the readers. This confusion on the boy’s part can also be taken in a larger sense to be representative of the confusion prevalent in societies about religious duties and sensual desires. To lay stress upon the subjects of religion and nationalism, Joyce brings in the symbol of “harp”, which is significant not just for being the national symbol of Ireland but also as a symbol of Christianity.

As the story progresses, we are again plunged into a scene filled with negative connotations. The boy is now in the same room where the priest had died. The “dark rainy evening”, the “broken panes”, the silence in the house and only the sound of rain-drops hitting the earth are enough to make the atmosphere unpleasant, and therefore uninviting. The protagonist seems unimpressed at first but after a while we realize that the force of the atmosphere has also taken hold of the adolescent’s physical and spiritual self. It seems to have captivated both his body and his soul. Ironically, he is thankful here for being able to see “so little” and before his senses surrender and submit entirely, he clasps his hands together and murmurs “O Love, O Love”, which is not just a prayer to God and to the one he loves, but perhaps also a summon meant for the people of Ireland by the author who feels the pain of his divided nation. To me, it is these two paragraphs which carry the essence of the whole story. Not only is the moment of epiphany presented in these lines, but they also serve to foreshadow the events that come later. The use of imagery, allusions and other literary devices which the author employs are stronger here than in any other part of the story. These two paragraphs therefore, serve a great deal in asserting the view of Joyce about the tensions and conflicts present in his protagonist’s mind in particular, and in the society as a whole.

Keywords : Term Paper, Literature, Symbolism in James Joyce's Araby

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