James Joyce's Use Of Symbolism In Araby

When placed in a desperate situation, the human mind tends to grasp at any sort of escape possible. In James Joyce's "Araby," readers are introduced to the narrator, a young boy, who has to face such a situation. Living in a difficult environment, the unnamed narrator fixates himself on his neighbor's sister, who he finds beautiful. Through descriptions of the wearisome environment and its effect on the young boy, examples of emotion towards Mangan's sister from the narrator and use of symbols, such as light and darkness, and their connection within the story, Joyce creates a vivid illustration of life and conflict faced by the young boy.

A person living in a harsh environment has to endure challenges caused their surroundings. In Joyce's "Araby," …show more content…
The most used piece of symbolism in "Araby" is the light being representative of the narrator's love for Mangan's sister. Images of light are illustrated along with descriptions of the girl. An example of this is when the narrator is describing his conversation with Mangan's sister: "The light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck." Additionally, when the narrator is imagining his love, he states that, "The light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck." This association of light to the "love" comes to sight during the last scene of the story. When walking through the bazaar, the narrator states that he heard someone yell "the light was out" and that "The upper part of the hall was now completely dark." Additionally, the narrator sees within the darkness "myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity." This loss of light can be seen as the veil of false love being lifted from the narrator and the realization that he could not buy the affection of Mangan's sister. This epiphany disgusts the narrator and "[his] eyes burned with anguish and