The Christianity Influence in “Araby” by James Joyce
In 1914, a writer called James Joyce published a short story entitled “Araby”. This classic short story is contained about Christianity and it is caused by the background of the writer himself. James Joyce comes from Ireland who lives in a Catholic family and grown in a Catholic religious society. Not only his family, but he also attends a Roman Catholic School. Therefore, although James Joyce does not explain well his belief in his short story, Christianity especially Catholicism plays a big role in this short story he made, such as some ideas that he used for the story and the symbolism.
In accordance with the explanation of the relationship between the author’s beliefs and his work, we can find many symbols in the story that refer to an element of Christianization. Although it isn’t explicitly spoken, it portrays biblical things completely.
The first is when he compares the girl to a ‘chalice’ that he is protecting from a ‘throng of foes’, in biblical terms we can see that he seems like referred to the girl with the Holy Grail. A sacramental cup that is highly respected by Christians as a place of wine or ‘Christ blood’.
The second is the ‘harp’.
“my body was like a harp and her words were like fingers running upon wires”.
While the harp is the conventional symbol of the Book of Psalms or Bible.
Last but not least is the vases mentioned,
“…I went over to one of the stalls and examined porcelain vases and flowered tea-sets.”
In traditional Christian iconography, a vase that holding a lily often designates the Annunciation or the good news of Jesus’s birth.
Next is the feeling that the boy used to describe how he loves Mangan’s sister.
“Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand.”
From this sentence, we can see that the character literally seems to worship her. The character is never understood that his action seems like he does not idolize Mangan’s sister on purpose. Until this statement, the character is only experienced love from his God and family. The character never knows romantic love, so he seems to worship Mangan’s sister in religious terms, not in romantic love terms. This kind of matter is also considered blasphemy since its seen as deeply irreligious by serious Catholics.
As we can see, the writer of the story, James Joyce, giving a lot of catholicism in his story. He could not avoid this because since he was a child, he lives in a Catholic family and grown in a Catholic religious society. Particularly, he also attends a Roman Catholic School. James Joyce did not explain catholicism explicitly, but he shows it through the idea and symbols in the “Araby”.