1、ArabyJames Joyce Born to a Catholic family in Dublin in 1882.A talent in learning languages and in literature.Attended University College Dublin with a major in modern languages.After 1904 lived most of his years abroad in Switzerland,Italy,France,working at various jobs.Died in 1941.A master of mod
2、ern novels.Famous for his use of stream-of-consciousness technique.Best works include short story collection The Dubliners,and novels such as A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man and Ulysses.This story begins with describing the life of the storyteller,a boy that is not named.The boy and other bo
3、ys play their games on North Richmond Street.The boy is attracted to Mangans sister.He secretly watches her and follows her on the way to school.The thoughts of the boy are filled by his infatuation with Mangans sister.Mangans sister speaks to the boy one day.She tells him that Araby is a splendid b
4、azaar.The boy promises to buy something there for her.The following days are spent in great anxiety waiting for the day of the bazaar.On that day,the boy has to wait for his uncle who comes back very late.But he finally gets the money to go to Araby.Arriving there,he finds most of the stalls are clo
5、sed.He hears a conversation between a woman and two young men.When he comes out of Araby,the boy is in great anguish.Setting Time:mostly evening scenes in winter.Place:North Richmond Street and then Araby.The evening scenes create a shadowy uncertainty.The cold,dark winter adds to a dismal atmospher
6、e.The street which is blind has a profound connotation for the boys experience with love.1.Alienation and loneliness The boys feelings are not understood by any in the story.The boys uncle and aunt tend to neglect the boys requests and his motives.2.Illusion and frustration of a boys love The boys f
7、eeling for Mangans sister is not returned.The boys discovery of a bazaar in his dream turns out to be disappointing.The boy finally comes to realize that Mangans sister is not as serious as he expects when she talks about the bazaar Araby.Symbols 1.North Richmond Street 2.Araby and the journey to Ar
8、aby 3.Mangans sister 4.The death of the priest 1.North Richmond Street A blind and quiet street,the street symbolizes the ignorance and blindness of the boy in the story.The writer uses the word“imperturbable”to describe houses.It suggests the indifference of characters to one another.2.Araby and th
9、e journey to Araby Araby:a dream bazaar of oriental romance in the boys imagination.But it is discovered to be a dark,lonely,empty hall,suggesting the failure of the boys love.The journey to Araby symbolizes a journey chasing ones dream and love.It also symbolizes the gradual discovery of the true r
10、eality against ones dream.3.Mangans sister She is the symbol of boys beautiful dream and secret love.4.The death of the priest The priest is a symbol of faith in God.As Ireland is a Catholic country,the death of the priest symbolizes the death of belief in God.Keys to the QuestionsWhy does the openi
11、ng of the story mention a dead priest?The story also mentions a few books of the dead priest.Look for information on these books.What do you think the author suggests with the books?1.The death of the priest symbolizes the death of faith.The books:The Abbot:a novel of romance.The Devout Communnicant
12、:a Protestant tract.The Memoirs of Vidocq:story of a secret agent.The dead priest,as a man devoted to Catholic church,should not have books of romance and secret agent,nor a book from non-Catholic church.These books may suggest that the priest is not as serious about his faith in God as he is suppos
13、ed to be.How does the boy view his love for Mangans sister?Does the story suggest otherwise?Mangans sister symbolizes this boys beautiful but impossible dream.His love to her has religious connotations.For instance,he imagines that he bears a“chalice”through foes.He prays by pronouncing her name.The
14、 story suggests that the boy is wrong in worshipping the girl.It describes the girl playing with her bracelet as she talks to the boy,suggesting her interest in a worldly sense.The boy hears a conversation at Araby.Examine the context and try to interpret the message contained in the conversation fr
15、om the boys point of view.The conversation at Araby hints to the boy that Mangans sister could talk like the young woman and refuses to admit she has sent him to Araby.It could run like the following.Mangans sister:“I never asked him to buy something for me!”Mangan:“But you did.”Mangans sister:“I di
16、dnt.”Mangan:“I heard you.”Mangans sister:“Theres a fib.”What is the theme of the story?Loneliness and Alienation.Frustration of the boys love.A boys growth accompanied by disappointment.What are the symbols that contribute to the theme?1)North Richmond Street 2)Araby and the journey to Araby 3)Mangans sister 4)The death of that priest The End
