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T'was I indeed that read the colour brown as a theme in Joyce's Araby from Dubliners. There were three instances where the term was used. In the first para, the poorer houses have brown faces. In another his love is brown, and yet another she is brown clad in his imagination. I agree Gayatri, that Joyce even there did not make a mistake. He meant something and our task as a bunch of literature buffs and authors is to tease out that meaning, which I am sure is in Araby. It may not be that Joyce himself had intended such, for authors may write narratives using aspects of themselves they are not aware until and unless they are brought out by critics. So I DO think brown is a meaning in Joyce's Araby, made more interesting by the possibility Joyce did not see such. Rajeev. Champa >So I DO think brown is a meaning in Joyce's Araby, made more interesting by the possibility Joyce did not see such. I doubt James did not see the significance of the color which can easily denote drab, the kind of existence the people in the drab houses lived. His love wears a brown dress, but it is more the way the light falls on it that he delineates, it's illumination along with the way it falls on her neck, which also he mentions again, and lighting up the edge of her petticoat, a delicate idea at the rim of the brown drabness. There she stands lighting him up in spite of all the drabness that surrounds him. Like a beacon 'summoning all his blood" and inspires such feelings that makes him chant prayers. The significance of the brown is perhaps to heighten the illumination. zarqa Javed >:and i don't know what to make of the color brown but it has been on my mind since it was brought up before... >:it would be good to identify each time he uses 'brown' and then analyze what he is doing with it (he calls houses brown and 'imperturbable', the girl is brown a few times, ????). Just my two cents into this: I agree with what another poster said of the brown references having something to do with the people of the Arab lands. During the time Araby was written wasn't there somewhat of an interest among Western culture-ites in all things East? (I learned this from last week's episode of the Antiques Road Show :) ANd most of their ideas of the East were that of the (now stereotypical) exotic, dark, mysterious, lusterous Orient. It would be quite compelling of Joyce to take upon himself the whole East-West conundrum. But I don't think this is what he was going for. I think he was just using the imagery to set up the dichotomy between the boy and the girl. Reinforcing the Otherness of the girl and of the boy's environment. Reinforcing the boy's alienation.
Rajeev Vinaik (he calls houses brown and 'imperturbable', the girl is brown a few times, ????). She is brown twice. But what interested me is that in the 2nd she is called brown-clad and exists in his imagination. I think there may be some meaning to the browness slipping off her. Still what do we read next, is there an (overarching ) plan that explains our actions and destiny in this electronic frame of around 15inches by 10 where at least a part of us lives? If thou hast this knowledge, I would, in thought, and in deed, act upon it with my most noble of intentions. |
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