Araby And Religion

We may sometimes go through difficult situations in life that lead us to question God’s will, but God has a plan for each and every life we just have to wait and see. Religion is often a key theme in literature that guide the main character through their decision making. “Eveline” by James Joyce tells of a young girl who struggles to make the decision of staying alongside her family or leaving with her love interest to begin a life of her own. Alike “Eveline”, “Araby” also by James Joyce is about the endeavors a religious young boy faces in order to please his friend Mangan’s sister. Eveline and the unnamed boy trust God to guide their lives and realize their mistakes before it is too late. On the other hand Sammy is not religious and is

“Eveline” is alike “Araby”, but no like “A&P”. Eveline and the unnamed boy have relationships guided by religion. Religion is a prominent role in the life of the unnamed boy. The boy “attends a Christian Brothers school” and at home is attracted to the library of the priest who used to live there… on Saturday evenings, when the boy goes marketing with his aunt he sees the crowd in the market as “a throng of foes” and himself as a “religious hero who bears his chalice” (Joyce, “Araby” 2-3). The young boy is surrounded by religion everywhere he goes his house, school, and even the markets making it all he knows. Similar to the boy, Eveline leaves her future for God to decide. Eveline knows the importance in religion and in her house had the “priest whose yellowing photographs hung on the wall” (Joyce, “Eveline” 2). Eveline could have removed the picture of a priest who she did not know off her walls and instead decided not to out of respect. Both the unnamed boy and Eveline look for religion in their relationships with their love interest. The boy admires Mangan’s sister and every time he describes his feelings towards her they are in admiration like he would do with the Virgin Mary. In the Catholic Church, Saturday’s are typically dedicated to

The unnamed boy is surrounded by religion everywhere he goes. Although the boy is disappointed in himself for falling for Mangan’s sister’s trick, he realizes his mistake before it is too late and “gazes up into the darkness [and sees himself] as a creature driven and derided by vanity” (Joyce, “Araby” 6). The boy realizes his foolishness while he still has the chance to fix the situation and go home as if nothing happened. Eveline is also religious and trustes God to be in charge of her future. Eveline does not know whether she should leave her family behind to leave to a new place with her fiance, but she is confident God will make the right decision and as she left “her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition” (Joyce, “Eveline” 6). Through God’s help Eveline decided to stay with her family as she realizes she has no real feelings for Frank and that her family needs her. Sammy on the other hand is lead by sex and wealth which result in his destructive life. Sammy’s foolishness leave him with not job, his parents referring it to “the sad part of the story”, and as he looks for the girls “they're gone, of course” (Updike 3-5). Sammy’s sexual and wealth desired leave him hopeless and seen as a disappointment by everyone. Eveline and the boy who are religious learn from their mistakes before it is too late while Sammy who is not religious is left