“Araby” James Joyce and Christianity The author of “Araby” James Joyce, was born February 02, 1882, in Rathgar, a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. Joyce was the eldest of 10 children; 2 of his siblings having died of Typhoid. Joyce was born to John Stanislaus Joyce and Mary Jane “May” Murray, a middle class family on their way down. Joyce’s pre-college education consisted of multiple Christian and Jesuit schools in and around Dublin. In 1898 Joyce enrolled at the recently established University College Dublin, where he studied English, French, and Italian. He also became active in the theatrical and literary organizations within the city. After graduating in 1902 Joyce went to Paris to study medicine, but abandoned this endeavor and returned to …show more content…
Throughout James Joyce’s adult life he struggled with finances and alcoholism, this in conjunction with his struggles with Catholicism influenced his writing of Araby, along with other works. In the short story “Araby” Joyce uses many symbolic images for religion. If you have a working knowledge of James Joyce, the church, and the time period in Ireland that Joyce lived you will see these symbols for the church, the effect the church had on the people, and an individual’s struggles with …show more content…
The boy refers to her as his “chalice” (Joyce) a reference to the Holy Grail used at the last supper. He carries her through the “thongs of foes” (Joyce), the non-believers. Then in contrary he states of his “confused adoration” (Joyce), saying “a flood from my heart seemed to pour into my bosom” (Joyce) and calling his body a “harp” (Joyce) while speaking of her interactions with him as “fingers running upon the wires” (Joyce). These words represent a clear physical lust, further clouding the holiness and physical attraction of the