Mohammad, Putri Shanen J.

HUMALIT, A56
11509376 July 10, 2017

Religious Imagery in Araby

Introduction
The author, James Joyce, had studied at Clongowes Wood and Belvedere College in Dublin,
wherein the school was taught by Jesuits. However, despite being brought up in a Catholic environment the
author does not share a deep sense of faithfulness and commitment, much to his dismay. It was during the
aftermath of the Great Famine in Ireland when the Roman Catholic Church underwent a sudden
transformation in popular religious practice from the year 1850 to 1875. The changeover included a series
of strict regular attendance in masses, strict implementation of interpretations of the church’s teachings,
and construction of new churches. In return, this brought about the feeling of hostility and the negative view
of Joyce who was not in agreement with the devotional revolution in Ireland. Consequently, Joyce blames
the Roman Catholic Church for the failure of Ireland to expand and advance with the majority of Europe,
as well as gain Irish independence. Furthermore, the author was particularly not in favor of the way the
church recruits intellectual individuals similar to himself to serve in priesthood; in his perspective, people
like himself should be encouraged to utilize their abilities and knowledge in the service for development of
Ireland, as doctors, scientists, or political members.

James Joyce’s view on the Roman Catholic Church are seen in his story Araby. This is shown
through several methods; however, it is mostly expressed through the use of biblical allusions. For instance,
the apple tree at the center of the garden is in reference with the Garden of Eden idea and the loss of paradise.
The narrator in Araby loses his innocence through his knowledge that there is no true escape from Dublin-
-not through a crush, not through a bazaar. In the beginning of the story it starts with a child oblivious to
the drabness of his environment, but he ends fully aware of his vanity in thinking he can escape it. Similarly,
with the apple tree biblical allusion, this reading will focus on one biblical allusion within the story the
allusion of the chalice in Araby and how this corresponds to the negative views of James Joyce with the
church.

Christian Imagery
In the short story Araby, there was a scene wherein the narrator was walking through the
marketplace and thinks of Mangan’s sister. He describes his friend’s sister like a chalice, more specifically:

“I imagined that I bore my chalice safely through a throng of foes. Her name
sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did
not understand. My eyes were often full of tears (I could not tell why) and at times
a flood from my heart seemed to pour itself out into my bosom.”

The narrator’s obsession with her is described as a religious experience. In the text, he presses his
palms together like in prayer when he thinks of her, crying "O love." In this way, the narrator becomes a
knight searching for a mystical object (the gift for Mangan's sister) that will transport him to heaven (her
becoming enamored with him). However, he realizes further into the short story that “searching for that
mystical object” will not “transport him to heaven,” and instead the narrator learns that his obsession is
futile and gains knowledge of what he has lost, through having experience with Araby. In addition that he
did not find that grail when he went to Araby, he realized that the bazaar is just more of the same--the same
darkness that shrouds Dublin. He cannot find the perfect gift for Mangan's sister, and he knows that his
hopes of attaining her are vain. Similar to the biblical allusion of the apple tree, the allusion of the chalice
becomes a symbol for the narrator’s sudden awareness and loss of his innocence; and rather than gaining
for something that he has been trying to achieve, he instead loses something in the process (his innocence).
Conclusion
In the text of Araby by author, James Joyce, there are several instances wherein it shows the critical
and negative views of Joyce. However, Joyce’s views and standing have a sense of reasoning to it to the
point that it must be taken into consideration. Moreover, within the context of James Joyce’s views, he
displayed a plausible outcome if one serves the church intensively, in the case of the text, one gains
knowledge and loses something in return. Since Joyce does not agree with how the Roman Catholic Church
of Ireland has been recruiting intellectuals like himself into serving priesthood, it can be said that that
possible consequence of serving priesthood, in the perspective of the author, would be losing one’s
innocence whenever one gains realizations, rather becomes more aware of his surroundings.