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Religious Iconography and References
Religious language and symbols run rampant throughout “Araby.” The most basic examples include the references to religious schools, the aunt’s mistrust of the Freemasons, and the priest who used to live in the narrator’s home before his family moved in. While these examples reveal the narrator’s Catholic upbringing, they are not discussed at length or afforded any substantial emphasis. These fleeting references to genuine religious practices could indicate that the narrator does not feel particularly connected to Catholicism.
On the other hand, the narrator does have one significant use for religion, even if it would be considered blasphemous and irreligious by any practicing Catholic. Throughout “Araby,” the narrator turns to heavenly iconography and religious references, not to describe his devotion to God, but to describe the depth of his love for Mangan’s sister. For instance, he refers to Mangan’s sister as a “chalice” which he must carry safely through a “throng of foes,” effectively comparing Mangan’s sister to the Holy Grail. The heavenly iconography continues throughout the text when the narrator, on three separate occasions, envisions Mangan’s sister surrounded in a pool of light which is suggestive of the halo imagery that is often found in religious art. He also compares his love to a benediction because he explains that her name often comes to his lips, unbidden, like a prayer. Through the narrator's use of religious iconography and references, readers can determine that the narrator appears to have found a new, more enticing form of devotion: Mangan’s sister.
Light and Dark Imagery
Light and dark imagery is a motif that is often used in literature to create a comparison or reveal a transformation or epiphany. In the case of “Araby,” light and dark imagery is used to show the difference between the narrator’s idyllic fantasies and the real world. The narrator’s rich inner life is filled with light. He associates light and warmth with both Mangan’s sister and the bazaar he intends to travel to in order to court her favor. However, as the story progresses, it becomes apparent that both the girl and Araby are shrouded in folly and fancy. This marks Joyce’s interesting departure from the typical conventions of literature because light imagery usually indicates a higher understanding and not naivety, as is the case in “Araby.”
Joyce continues to flip the conventional use of light and dark imagery because he uses darkness to represent disillusionment, truth, and understanding. “Araby” both begins and ends in a state of darkness. Joyce opens “Araby” at dusk as he describes the way the narrator and his friends would play in the street every evening. Here, Joyce effectively uses night and darkness to represent reality and routine in Dublin. The link between darkness and reality in the story’s opening scene returns in the text’s final moments. At the end of “Araby,” the narrator has an epiphany and realizes that both his relationship with Mangan’s sister and the bazaar are unrealistic figments of his own fantasy. Joyce has the Araby lights go out to symbolize this epiphany, illustrating that the truthful darkness has effectively snuffed out the gleams of childish romanization.
