Hsstudent
Symbolism in Araby
Araby, by James Joyce, is a short story filled with symb`````olism. Symbolism portrays many meanings. Symbolism in Araby represents how religion strictly follows a dark, blind way of living. Though the protagonist does not realize this until he fulfills his epiphany.
The short story starts off with religion as a symbol of blindness or darkness.
“North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brother’s school set the boys free”
The quotation shows how the protagonist is blind, then religion (Christianity) was mentioned, which showed how Christianity controlled the society at that time. Being blind gives us a realization of what the protagonist is going through. Unknown of reality, and was growing up in a fallacious way of living.
The protagonist illustrates Mangan’s sister as a symbol of someone who is angelic or tied into Christian beliefs of the Virgin Mary.
“the light opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there and falling, lit up the hand upon the railing.”
Just like Virgin Mary, who is lit from behind, on a pedestrial, and defined in a shadow. Mangans sister is lit from a lamp behind a half opened door, which shows how Mangan’s sister symbolizes the same interpretation of the Virgin Mary.
The ending of the story, the protagonist experiences his epiphany.
“though I knew my stay was useless, to make my interest in her wares seem the more real.
When the protagonist sees the comparison of the of the lady he saw at the bazaar (araby), he realizes that his worshiped angel is only a girl, just like any ordinary girl who stands before him. The boy realizes how the church and Christianity blinded him from the real world, and he has been deceiving himself; he feels displeased and abhorred.
In araby, the need of freedom is not realized until the protagonist’s epiphany when he understands how the church had made him
Araby, by James Joyce, is a short story filled with symb`````olism. Symbolism portrays many meanings. Symbolism in Araby represents how religion strictly follows a dark, blind way of living. Though the protagonist does not realize this until he fulfills his epiphany.
The short story starts off with religion as a symbol of blindness or darkness.
“North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brother’s school set the boys free”
The quotation shows how the protagonist is blind, then religion (Christianity) was mentioned, which showed how Christianity controlled the society at that time. Being blind gives us a realization of what the protagonist is going through. Unknown of reality, and was growing up in a fallacious way of living.
The protagonist illustrates Mangan’s sister as a symbol of someone who is angelic or tied into Christian beliefs of the Virgin Mary.
“the light opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there and falling, lit up the hand upon the railing.”
Just like Virgin Mary, who is lit from behind, on a pedestrial, and defined in a shadow. Mangans sister is lit from a lamp behind a half opened door, which shows how Mangan’s sister symbolizes the same interpretation of the Virgin Mary.
The ending of the story, the protagonist experiences his epiphany.
“though I knew my stay was useless, to make my interest in her wares seem the more real.
When the protagonist sees the comparison of the of the lady he saw at the bazaar (araby), he realizes that his worshiped angel is only a girl, just like any ordinary girl who stands before him. The boy realizes how the church and Christianity blinded him from the real world, and he has been deceiving himself; he feels displeased and abhorred.
In araby, the need of freedom is not realized until the protagonist’s epiphany when he understands how the church had made him