Araby “Light, Vision And Beauty” Essay, Research Paper

?Light, vision and beauty? by NWOSDM

The setting in “Araby” reinforces the theme and the characters by using imagery of light, darkness and beauty. The experiences of the boy in James Joyce’s “Araby” illustrate how people often expect more than ordinary reality can provide thus causing disillusionment as well as disappointment.

The author uses dark and obscure references to make the boy’s reality of living in the gloomy town of Araby more vivid. He uses dark and gloomy references to create the mood or atmosphere, and then changes to bright light references when discussing Mangan’s sister (considered an example of beauty according to the young boy). The story expresses its theme through the setting, the characterization of the boy and his point of view as the narrator.

Darkness is used throughout the story as the prevailing theme. James Joyce’s story begins at dusk and continues through the evening during the winter in Araby, Ireland. He chooses this gloomy setting to be the home of a young boy who is infatuated with his neighbor?s sister. The boy is young and naive and he leads a dull and boring life. Joyce uses darkness to make the boy’s reality more believable through more vivid, precise descriptions.

Bright light is used to create a fairy tale world of dreams and illusions. James Joyce uses the bright light when describing Mangan’s sister, the boy’s infatuation. The protagonist is infatuated with his neighbor’s sister and he imagines that he will heroically bring her something back from the bazaar. Joyce refers to bright light when discussing Mangan’s sister in order to give her a heavenly presence. Light is used to create a joyful atmosphere.

The ending of the story is filled with images of darkness and light. James Joyce uses the lights of the bazaar to illustrate the boy’s confrontation with reality. The bazaar lights are almost all off because the bazaar is almost closed. This is significant because the boy wants the bazaar to be bright and open, but unfortunately for him it isn?t. This is when the boy finally realizes that life is not what he had dreamt it to be thus finding himself angry at life and cynical.

James Joyce uses the setting to symbolize a key concept of the story. The dark disillusion the boy experiences is all part of growing up. The boy is no longer young and naive, he has grown up and become disheartened with life. “Araby” shows how we all get ideas about how things will be and then feel disappointed with ourselves when things don’t work out as expected.

No doubt, some authors tend to extremely develop a story?s setting and James consistently follows this developmental pattern. In ?Araby,? the setting ultimately shapes the young character. The child?s deteriorating lifestyle extremely impacts his spirit. No matter what precautions the boy takes, he cannot escape his unbearable surroundings. Throughout ?Araby? the forlorn setting molds the character?s life.

The unfortunate setting imitates the dreariness of the young boy?s life. The street on which he lives has a ?blind end,? and houses gaze at neighbors with ?imperturbable faces?. From the beginning, the reader can see that the run-down street is a dead end road that leaves no hope for a young boy looking for a better life. Joyce?s use of adjectives such as ?imperturbable? and ?blind? mirrors the fact that the child will face obstacles in achieving contentment. When the Christian Brothers? School ?sets the boys free? at the day?s end, noise rings out in the usually quiet street. A reader senses the presence of religious oppression at the mention of the school setting the boys free. In the afternoon, the young boy plays in the ?dark, muddy lanes? with his friends and hides ?in the shadows? until the adults pass by. The dreary description of his ?playground? produces another dark outlet for the boy. When night falls, he returns home to his aunt and uncle. Sometimes ?the hallstand rocked when it received the weight of his [uncle?s] overcoat? and the boy realizes he will have to accept his uncle?s drunken, forgetful behavior. The only adults the young child can emulate suffer from drunkenness and heartache. His aunt and uncle?s marriage appears anything but stable. The hostile environment seems futile to a chance of the boy growing up in happiness. Nevertheless, the child tries to escape into a happier place through a magical relationship with a girl.

As the setting unfolds, the boy?s infatuation with Mangan?s sister reveals itself and grows strong. He imagines she is a chalice that he bares ?safely through a throng of foes?. Once again he finds himself in a harsh environment; only this time it is hostile to his romantic love. Joyce describes a brutish and drunken atmosphere while the boy imagines himself in a more exquisite place. When he thinks of her, ?prayers and praises? which he does not understand come to his lips. Within his fantasy, the boy believes the surroundings of the relationship are serene, accepting and filled with religious adoration. In all actuality, the street and environment where he exists completely repel romance and happiness. His ?confused adoration? comes into play as he describes himself as ?a harp and her words and gestures? as fingers strumming his strings. Joyce?s use of a fictitious romance makes the boy appear more hopeless as his setting grows darker. All of his thoughts make him believe he can rise above the abhorrent place in which he lives. The boy?s romantic notions and infatuations for Mangan?s sister increase intensely. Growing more pathetic, the boy falls into the grasp of his desolate setting. While the street continues in its dreary existence, the child becomes more desperate. He decides to go to the bazaar and buy Mangan?s sister a present since she cannot attend. As he waits for the day of the bazaar to arrive, he has little patience. All the ?serious work of life? seems ?ugly, monotonous child?s play,? because it stands between him and his desire. The boy completely involves himself in a relationship with Mangan?s sister that is a figment of his imagination and stands as the ultimate achievement.

Through the relationship with Mangan?s sister, the young boy connects her to a specific setting. Araby is his imaginary, wonderful place where he can live with his love. The bazaar represents a world of enchantment and adventures. Since the young child resides in a world of oppression and decay, he thinks of Araby as an escape into a different life. On the day of the bazaar his uncle forgets to be home on time and causes the boy to be late. When he finally arrives at ten o?clock, a ?greater part of the hall [is] in darkness?. A silence pervades the bazaar, which he associates with an ended church service. Again, religious oppression portrays itself through the silence the boy believes exists only in his real life. Joyce?s setting is nothing like what the boy pictures in his mind. In fact, it is exactly the same as his actual home instead of being a charming place. The girl in the bazaar stall comes over to him out of ?a sense of duty,? but he tells her ?no thanks? in response to her offer to help. He recognizes that even the girl?s help will not end his existence in the inhospitable world. When he decides to leave, the realization that his whole dream of an escape into an enchanting world is in vain.

After visiting Araby, the young boy?s dream dies. He comprehends that there will be no adventurous, fascinating life and wonderful romance. Undoubtedly, Mangan?s sister will not fall in love with him and fulfill his desires. The dreary setting reflects that he has no blissful future anywhere. He understands that his unbearable lifestyle determined who he would be many years before the bazaar came into his life. As he walks out of the bazaar hall and gazes into the night, he sees himself ?as a creature driven and derided by vanity?. No matter what the boy does, he will never be able to escape his dark, oppressive life thus the child conceives that he will always be the boy who lives on the dead end street. Unfortunately, the houses with imperturbable faces will forever be his companions. Through the depressing setting, Araby becomes the boy?s graveyard of hope.

James Joyce masterfully depicts the boy as a mold of his setting through brilliant changes of a vision of light, darkness and beauty. The place in which he resides is going nowhere, and by the end of the story the reader understands that neither is the child. The experience simply shows that the character?s setting truly shapes him. As an object of his own unfortunate circumstances, the boy is lead to understand and accept his fate!

Bibliography

Araby