Abstract

The short story “Araby” is from James Joyce’s first important work----Dubliners (1914). It is much more than a story of first love but a Bildungsroman, which is a novel of growth or development; it is a portrait of a world that defies the fantasy and the reality. The writer concentrates on the theme of a boy’s growth from innocence to experience and from immaturity to maturity and reinforces the theme and characters of the boy in the story by using chosen settings, imagery, darkness and light, religious images as well as taking western culture into consideration. By describing the conflicts of relationships, love, religion between fantasy and reality, the dilemma of the boy and the theme of the shattering dreams in cold and cruel reality are reinforced.

Keywords: Divergence; Fantasy and Reality; Relationship; Love; Religion

Contents

Abstract

摘  要

1. Introduction-1

1.1 The Main Content of the Story-1

1.2 Literature Review-1

2. The Reasons for the Divergence-2

2.1 The Fundamental State of the Country-2

2.2 The Environment the Boy Lives in-3

2.2.1 The Community Environment-3

2.2.2 The Family Environment-3

3. Three Basic Groups of Divergence-4

3.1 The Divergence of Relationship-4

3.1.1The Boy and the Teacher-4

3.1.2 The Boy and His Families-4

3.2 The Divergence of Love-4

3.2.1 The Boy’s Cautious but Strong Pursuit of the Girl-4

3.2.2 The Girl’s Indifferent Attitude to the Boy-5

3.3 The Divergence of Religion-5

3.3.1 The Priest-6

3.3.2 Araby and Things that Happened Here-6

4. The Ways that Reinforce the Theme and Character-7

4.1 By Using the Chosen Details-7

4.1.1 The Death of the Priest-7

4.1.2 The Books-7

4.1.3 The Difficulties on the Way to Araby-8

4.2 By Using Strong Contrasts-8

4.2.1 Darkness and Light-8

4.2.2 The Contrast of the Boy’s Attitude to Love at the Different Stages-9

4.3 By Using Religious Images-9

4.3.1 Wild Garden-9

4.3.2 Chalice-9

4.3.3 Araby-10

5. Conclusion-10

Works Cited-12