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Chandra When I read Araby for the first time two nights ago on the web, I fell in love with the story telling art of Joyce. If a newbie like me needed a proper introduction to Joyce, it could not have been better. The story pulsates with life, brings Dublin (I guess that is where it takes place) so into the mind's eye that I was enchanted. I was enchanted with how easily the story flows, how vividly the reader can feel the feelings of the young man (boy). In fact this morning as I was re-reading in Araby, the sentences, "I did not know whether I would ever speak to her or not or, if I spoke to her, how I could tell her of my confused adoration. But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.",the thought that crossed my mind was this is what our sons will go through sooner or later, and that I should remember Araby then. Just at that moment the telephone rang. What a beautiful way of describing one's feelings. I also liked the way Joyce transforms houses into living beings, for example, when he writes :"The other houses of the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces. " or when he writes, "When we met in the street the houses had grown sombre." I have read this kind of "living" houses in the workds of only a few other authors. Roy comes to my mind just now. And the disappointment that had to be faced at the end, is also very picturesque. Well, as you can make out, I am converted with the very first story. Hopefully the other ones are as good as this one is. One question for the pundits: Where does the word "Araby" come from? Arabian? Is this a well known word in Ireland? Champa Araby was my intro to Joyce too in a class I took on Short Fiction. Araby BTW stands for a fair, a bazaar and so all the allusions to the East. When I read it again over the week end I was struck by references to what Ithought were Biblical. I don't know if he was religious like Flannery O'Connor. He describes the young woman as though she had a halo around her the way the light falls on her. "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.' Sounds more mystical than merely an adolescent crush. I would be convinced if I was told this she was a representation of Mary. Going to Araby too seems sort of a journey, a journey to the East with references to money changers and counting money. As with O'Connor's work I struggle with this work as to what and how these symbolisms work. |
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