ENGLISH LITERATURE (CBSE/UGC NET)

Detailed explanation-1: -Much of the tired, gloomy imagery Joyce uses in “Araby” can be connected to the historic context of the story. Joyce specifically uses contrasting light and shadow imagery to demonstrate the difference between the bright, religious idealization and the grim reality of the narrator’s life.

Detailed explanation-2: -Joyce uses Light to represent not only hope, but unrealistic idealism and illusion. In the same way, Darkness, in addition to despair, represents the reality and truth in the narrator’s predicament. Joyce uses Light and Darkness as a symbol for the clash between fantasy and reality that takes place within the narrator.

Detailed explanation-3: -In “Araby, ” juxtaposition is used to highlight the difference in character between the narrator and others. The narrator and the priest are juxtaposed by their presence in the same house. Though the priest is now dead, his possessions show that he was a religious man with secular interests.

Detailed explanation-4: -Joyce carefully uses light and vision to represent a theme of hope for the boy’s quest to find love, illustrate idealism and illusion in contrast to reality’s darkness, and to portray a theme of religion, with Mangan’s sister as a religious figure.