| About the Author |
| Ø James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (2 February 1882 – 13 January 1941) was an Irish novelist and poet.
Ø He contributed to the modernist avant-garde and is regarded as one of the most influential and important authors of the 20th century. Ø Joyce was born on 2 February 1882 to John Stanislaus Joyce and Mary Jane “May” Murray, in the Dublin suburb of Rathgar Ø Joyce is best known for Ulysses (1922), a landmark work in which the episodes of Homer’s Odyssey are paralleled in an array of contrasting literary styles, perhaps most prominent among these the stream of consciousness technique he utilised. Ø Other well-known works are the short story collection Dubliners (1914), and the novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and Finnegans Wake (1939). Ø Joyce was born in 41 Brighton Square, Rathgar, Dublin—about half a mile from his mother’s birthplace in Terenure Ø In 1904, in his early twenties, Joyce emigrated permanently to continental Europe with his partner (and later wife) Nora Barnacle Ø Joyce was attacked by a dog, which engendered in him a lifelong cynophobia. Ø Joyce had begun his education at Clongowes Wood College Ø The philosophy of Thomas Aquinas continued to have a strong influence on him for most of his life Ø Joyce was first introduced to the Irish public by Arthur Griffith in his newspaper, The United Irishman, in November 1901 Ø After graduating from UCD in 1902, Joyce left for Paris to study medicine, but he soon abandoned this. Ø He scraped a living reviewing books, teaching, and singing—he was an accomplished tenor, and won the bronze medal in the 1904 Feis Ceoil Ø On 7 January 1904, Joyce attempted to publish A Portrait of the Artist, an essay-story dealing with aesthetics Ø He decided, on his twenty-second birthday, to revise the story into a novel he called Stephen Hero Ø It was never published in this form, but years later, in Trieste, Joyce completely rewrote it as A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Ø The unfinished Stephen Hero was published after his death Ø The same year he met Nora Barnacle, a young woman from Galway city who was working as a chambermaid. Ø On 16 June 1904, they first stepped out together, an event which would be commemorated by providing the date for the action of Ulysses Ø Joyce and Nora went into self-imposed exile, moving first to Zurich in Switzerland, where he had supposedly acquired a post to teach English at the Berlitz Language School through an agent in England. Ø Joyce returned to Dublin in mid-1909 with George to visit his father and work on getting Dubliners published Ø He launched Ireland’s first cinema, the Volta Cinematograph Ø Joyce set himself to finishing Ulysses in Paris, delighted to find that he was gradually gaining fame as an avant-garde writer Ø He awoke at 2 a.m. on 13 January 1941, and asked for a nurse to call his wife and son, before losing consciousness again. They were still on their way when he died 15 minutes later. Ø Joyce’s body was interred in the Fluntern Cemetery near Zurich Zoo Ø Early in life, he lapsed from Catholicism Ø Ulysses and Finnegans Wake are essentially Catholic expressions. Ø Hugh Kenner and T. S. Eliot believed they saw between the lines of Joyce’s work the outlook of a serious Christian and that beneath the veneer of the work lies a remnant of Catholic belief and attitude Ø Critics holding this view insist that Stephen, the protagonist of the semi-autobiographical A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man as well as Ulysses, is not Joyce. Ø Umberto Eco compares Joyce to the ancient episcopi vagantes (wandering bishops) in the Middle Ages Ø His early volume of short stories, Dubliners, is a penetrating analysis of the stagnation and paralysis of Dublin society. The stories incorporate epiphanies, a word used particularly by Joyce, by which he meant a sudden consciousness of the “soul” of a thing. Ø Despite early interest in the theatre, Joyce published only one play, Exiles, begun shortly after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914 and published in 1918 Ø His first mature, published work was the satirical broadside “The Holy Office” (1904), in which he proclaimed himself the superior of many prominent members of the Celtic Revival. Ø His first full-length poetry collection, Chamber Music Ø This publication led to his inclusion in the Imagist Anthology, edited by Ezra Pound, who was a champion of Joyce’s work Ø The appearance of both Ulysses and T. S. Eliot’s poem The Waste Land, 1922 marked the formal beginning of modernism. Ø The French philosopher Jacques Derrida has written a book on the use of language in Ulysses, and the American philosopher Donald Davidson has written similarly on Finnegans Wake in comparison with Lewis Carroll. Ø Psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan used Joyce’s writings to explain his concept of the sinthome. Ø According to Lacan, Joyce’s writing is the supplementary cord which kept Joyce from psychosis. |
| On and inside the text |
| 1. ‘Araby’ is taken from Dubliners
2. It is , according to Joyce, a story of his own childhood 3. “[Araby] is much better than a story” wrote Ezra pound, “it is a vivid waiting.” 4. Joyce preferred to signify direct speech by means of dashes rather than inverted commas, which he called ‘perverted commas’. 5. James Joyce’s “Araby” is a short story centring on an Irish adolescent emerging from boyhood fantasies into the harsh realities of everyday life in his country. 6. Joyce based this coming-of-age tale, which he wrote in 1905, on his own experiences while growing up in Dublin in the late nineteenth century. 7. The London firm of Grant Richards Ltd. published the story in 1914 in Dubliners, a collection of fifteen of Joyce’s stories. 8. In “Araby” and other stories in Dubliners, Joyce presents Dublin as a bleak city struggling against oppressive forces. 9. The name, Araby, itself has already implied the Arabic exoticism and the unlimited and unique charm of the Middle East, “the mystique and allure of the Middle East” (Cummings), at the same time symbolising the target of life of the protagonist, and the discovery of the ideality, that inevitably involve the process which leads to the loneliness to himself. 10. The narrator was a boy of about twelve who became infatuated with the sister of his friend, Mangan 11. North Richmond Street: Joyce and his family moved to 17, North Richmond Street, Dublin, in 1984, to a house corresponding exactly to the one described in the story. North Richmond Street is a cul-de-sac: hence blind 12. Earlier Joyce attended the nearby Christian Brothers’ School, a school run by a Catholic religious community. 13. Blind Street: A Street that dead-ends. In the story and real life, Dublin’s North Richmond Street is a dead end, as Joyce points out in the first four words of “Araby”—perhaps to suggest that the boys playing on it are going nowhere. They will grow up to live in the same dreary Dublin, with its dreary weather, dreary people, and dreary houses. 14. The working-class street on which the narrator resides is a dead end, suggesting that he and his friends are going nowhere 15. Uninhabited House: Two-story dwelling at the end of North Richmond Street. Joyce mentions it perhaps to suggest an empty future awaiting the boys playing on the street 16. Brown: Joyce uses the colour to draw attention to the plainness and dreariness of Dublin 17. The former tenant of our house, a priest, had died in the back drawing-room. Air, musty from having been long enclosed, hung in all the rooms, and the waste room behind the kitchen was littered with old useless papers . . . He had been a very charitable priest; in his will, he had left all his money to institutions and the furniture of his house to his sister. 18. Here, the boy attaches no special meaning to the condition of the room or the “useless papers.” Nor does he look down on the priest, for he notes that he had been a charitable man. However, it appears that the author himself, in looking back on his adolescence, intended the musty air and the useless papers to suggest that the church was an outdated institution with effete rules and doctrines. Like the priest, it would die. As to the generosity of the priest, Joyce seems to be raising the question of why he had money and property in the first place. 19. The Abbot: A Novel by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832). Its central character is Roland Graeme, a young man reared by relatives (like the Araby narrator). Graeme becomes involved in romance and adventure, as the narrator of “Araby” dreams of doing after meeting Mangan’s sister and then going on a knightly “quest” to the bazaar 20. The Devout Communicant: a Catholic manual. The author was Pacificus Baker (1695-1774), an English Franciscan priest. Joyce mentions the book in “Araby” perhaps as a hint that the narrator equates his attraction to the Mangan girl to a religious experience. Mention of the book also obliquely foreshadows the narrator’s trip to the bazaar to obtain a gift for the girl—a trip that to him is a like a quest for the Holy Grail. 21. The Memoirs of Vidocq: Francois Eugene Vidocq (1775-1859) had a remarkable career in the oddly assorted roles of soldier, thief, chief of the French detective force and private detective. The reference to Vidocq in “Araby” appears to suggest that the dead priest had escaped from the austerity of his clerical life and the drabness of Dublin by reading about the adventuresome Vidocq. The reference also foreshadows the young narrator’s “escape” across the river to the Araby bazaar 22. His backyard garden—a sort of Eden, complete with an apple tree—then began decomposing, reflecting the destruction of the priest’s idealism 23. Ashpits: Perhaps symbols of the hellish life of many Dubliners 24. Winter scenes of boys at play take place near the dead end of North Richmond Street and in nearby lanes, as indicated in the first and third paragraphs. 25. The climactic scene takes place in South Dublin, across the River Liffey from central Dublin, at a bazaar in a large building. 26. “When we met…….. the dark odorous stables”: the depressing atmosphere 27. Mangan: James Mangan (1803-1849), whom Joyce read and wrote about. Mangan adopted a middle name, Clarence, when he was a teenager. Mangan wrote poetry on romantic and patriotic themes, notably poems supporting Irish nationalism. He also translated poetry from German and other languages, including Irish Gaelic. Some of his translations include his own original writing, and some of his original poems are presented as translations from Oriental languages. By giving the name Mangan to the girl with whom the young “Araby” narrator is infatuated, Joyce links her with an author who sometimes wrote about exotic eastern locales—in other words Araby. 28. She is a “brown figure” who both reflects the brown façades of the buildings that line the street and evokes the skin colour of romanticized images of Arabia that flood the narrator’s head 29. On Saturday evenings his aunt went for marketing 30. Come-all-you: street ballad, so called because these were its opening words. 31. O’Donovan Rossa: Jeremiah O’Donovan Rossa (1831-1915), a revolutionary who worked to overthrow British rule in Ireland 32. Araby: Name of a bazaar (“Araby: a Grand Oriental Fête”) held in Dublin May 14-19, 1894, to benefit a local hospital. In Joyce’s short story, the young narrator views Araby as a symbol of the mystique and allure of the Middle East. When he crosses the river to attend the bazaar and purchase a gift for the Mangan girl, it is as if he is crossing into a foreign land, like a knight-errant, on a mission on behalf of his lady fair. But his trip to the bazaar disappoints and disillusions him, awakening him to the harsh reality of life around him 33. “ While she spoke she turned her silver bracelet round and round her wrist” 34. Freemason affair: the Freemasons are an old-established secret society, with branches throughout the world: his aunt’s doubts are due to the Freemason’s reputation for anti-Catholicism. 35. Mrs. Mercer was a widow of a pawnbroker. She visits the narrator’s home to collect used stamps to support what the narrator terms “a pious cause.” 36. The uncle, a drinker, addresses the narrator as “boy” suggesting that he is not close to his nephew 37. Spike: Perhaps a phallic symbol 38. “The Arab’s Farewell to His Steed“: Alternate title for “An Arab’s Farewell to His Horse,” a popular poem by the English writer and social reformer Caroline Norton (1808-1877), granddaughter of the famed Irish-born British playwright Richard Brinsley Sheridan. “In Araby,” the narrator’s uncle is about to recite the opening lines of the poem when the boy leaves for the Araby bazaar. 39. In falling action by Joyce, from “I took my seat in a third-class carriage of a deserted train […] I remain alone in the bare carriage” (354), the narrator’s unfulfilling romance has been foreshadowed by the use of words “deserted” and “alone”, and in literature this usage of vocabulary further develops the loneliness of the protagonist in front of the readers. 40. At West Land Row station a crowd of people pressed to the carriage doors. 41. Westland Row Station: Train station in South Dublin. Today it is known as Pearse Station 42. The boy reached Araby at ten minutes ten. 43. Nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness. I recognised a silence like that which pervades a church after a service. I walked in to the centre of the bazaar timidly. (Joyce 355) a. Here, the place Araby in “darkness” symbolizes the Irish society at that time, fulfilling the atmosphere of asceticism, that the reality is greatly contradicted with the ideal romance in the protagonist’s mind. 44. Café Chantant: In Europe, a café in which singers, dancers, and other entertainers performed for patrons. Sometimes bawdy performances were featured. In “Araby,” the presence of a café chantant at the Grand Oriental Fête suggests that the bazaar is actually less than grand 45. Such a bazaar—billed as “Araby: a Grand Oriental Fête” (or as “A Grand Oriental Fête: Araby in Dublin”) was actually held in Dublin between May 14 and May 19, 1894, to benefit a local hospital. 46. In his stories, he repeatedly accuses the Catholic Church of oppressing and debilitating Ireland. 47. He also frequently mocks the church, its clergy, and its rituals even though Jesuit priests generously provided him an education at a crucial time in his life 48. In Araby, Joyce presents the church from two perspectives: that of the young narrator, who is a practising Catholic, as Joyce was in his youth, and that of the irreligious adult author. 49. “Gazing up into the darkness, I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger (Joyce 355)”. It is the outcome derived from the transition of ages between childhood and adolescence, that the narrator makes the protagonist be coming to the adolescence in term of age, which is the typical period of having “loneliness” from educational psychological perspectives: early in adolescence, cognitive developments result in greater self-awareness, greater awareness of others and their thoughts and judgments; adolescents experience a significant shift from the simple, concrete, and global self-descriptions typical of young children; as children, they defined themselves with physical traits whereas as adolescents, they define themselves a. based on their values, thoughts and opinions (Carlson) 50. When he crosses the river to attend the bazaar and purchase a gift for the Mangan girl, it is as if he is crossing into a foreign land, like a knight-errant, on a mission on behalf of his lady fair. 51. He states, “I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.” 52. This element of duality, the contrast between the ideal and the perceived concept of Araby, is the significance of the title. 53. Joyce’s use of the bazaar and the narrator’s journey to the bazaar is also important as both further suggest the idea or theme of adventure (and escape), though on this occasion it is the lack of adventure and escape that Joyce is exploring. 54. Joyce mentions that the houses were ‘ruinous’, which may be important as he may be suggesting to the reader the poverty or neglect that existed in Dublin at the time (a sense of bleakness). This, in turn, would indicate a desire (particularly for the narrator) to escape from his surroundings. It is also significant that the narrator begins his journey to the bazaar after nine (and in the winter). This is significant as it is dark, which in some ways acts as a foreshadowing for the narrator not discovering or finding what he would like to see at the bazaar 55. There is also a possibility that Joyce, through the symbolism of the narrator’s uncle and the two Englishmen at the bazaar, may be highlighting the difficulties that Irish people had at the turn of the twentieth century with alcohol and with England as a ruler 56. Joyce uses the lack of light as symbolism to suggest a lack of movement or clarity for the narrator 57. Among later writers influenced by “Araby” was John Updike, whose oft-anthologised short story, “A&P”, is a 1960s American reimagining of Joyce’s tale of a young man. |
| More Questions & Answers: |
| 1. Name the larger work by Joyce that can be found in “Araby”? Answer: “Dubliners” 2. Which country ruled Ireland when “Araby” was written? 3. Which religious creed influenced Joyce’s writing? 4. Who previously owned the house where the boy lives? 5. What does the dead priest stand for? 6. Why did the uncle arrive home late? 7. “I had hardly any patience with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire, seemed to me child’s play, ugly monotonous child’s play.” 8. “She was waiting for us, her figure defined by the light from the half-opened door.” 9. “All my senses seemed to desire to veil themselves and, feeling that I was about to slip from them, I pressed the palms of my hands together until they trembled, murmuring: ‘O love! O love!’ many times.” What is the feeling or sensation experienced by the narrator? 10. “At the door of the stall a young lady was talking and laughing with two young gentlemen. I remarked their English accents and listened vaguely to their conversation.” 11. “I allowed the two pennies to fall against the sixpence in my pocket.” 12. What does the boy’s crush on Mangan’s sister symbolise? 13. What does Araby (the bazaar) symbolise? 14. Approximately how old is the narrator? 15. What does the narrator’s drunk uncle symbolise? 16. Which character expresses worry over the narrator participating in a “Free Mason affair?” 17. Which character is always mentioned as having an association with light? 18. At the end, who is the narrator frustrated with? 19. When “Araby” was written, Ireland was under the rule of? 20. Did any religion influence Joyce’s writing? 21. What does the narrator buy at the fair? 22. Who was the previous owner of the house in which the boy lives now? 23. Why doesn’t the narrator make it to the bazaar on time? 24. What is the narrator’s motivation for going to the bazaar? 25. At the end, who is the narrator angry with? 26. “She was waiting for us, her figure defined by the light from the half-opened door.” 27. What theme found throughout “Araby” is demonstrated by this passage? 28. “The meal was prolonged beyond an hour and still my uncle did not come. Mrs Mercer stood up to go: she was sorry she couldn’t wait any longer, but it was after eight o’clock and she did not like to be out late, as the night air was bad for her. When she had gone I began to walk up and down the room, clenching my fists. My aunt said: 29. “I could not call my wandering thoughts together. I had hardly any patience with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire, seemed to me child’s play, ugly monotonous child’s play.” 30. “At the door of the stall a young lady was talking and laughing with two young gentlemen. I remarked their English accents and listened vaguely to their conversation. 31. What does the dead priest represent? 32. What does the narrator’s crush on Mangan’s sister symbolise? 33. What does Araby (the bazaar) symbolise? 34. What does the narrator’s drunk uncle symbolise? 35. “I allowed the two pennies to fall against the sixpence in my pocket.” 36. What is the irony of the description of Araby when the narrator finally arrives at the bazaar? 37. Which character expresses worry over the narrator participating in a “Free Mason affair?” 38. Approximately how old is the narrator? 39. Which character is always mentioned with a reference to light? 40. What is the narrator’s full name? |
| Model Questions |
| Ø What marked the formal beginning of modernism?
A. Publication of Joyce’s Ulysses in 1925 B. Publication of Joyce’s Ulysses and Eliot’s Waste Land in 1922 C. Publication of The Waste Land by Eliot with the help of Ezra Pound in 1922 D. End of the First World War Ø By origin James Joyce was A. Scottish-Irish B. Irish-Welsh C. Irish D. Irish-British Ø For which technique is Joyce best known? A. Stream of consciousness B. Impressionism C. Modernism D. Symbolism Ø Joyce suffered from which phobia? A. Claustrophobia B. Agoraphilia C. Cynophobia D. Megalomania Ø What did Joyce want to pursue but did not? A. Painting B. Music C. Poetry D. Medicine
Ø Who called Araby “a vivid waiting”? A. Ezra Pound B. Eliot C. Yeats D. Freud Ø Why does Joyce use the “blind street” as play ground for the children: A. To convey a sense of the loss of movement B. To emphasize the dreary and monotonous nature of the surroundings C. To symbolise the blind love of the boy D. To forecast the disastrous journey to the fair. Ø What is the name of the novel written by Walter Scott mentioned in the story? A. Ivanhoe B. Memoirs of Vidocq C. Vicar of Wakefield D. The Romance of the Knights Ø Who was Mrs. Mercer was A. a widow of a pawnbroker B. Woman in charge of ‘Araby’ C. A woman of bad character D. The boy’s relative Ø When did the boy arrive at the fair? A. At ten B. At ten minutes ten C. At ten minutes two D. At ten minutes five |
Joyce: Araby
