In the narrator of "Araby" by James Joyce, there is a
conflict between romantic idealism and religious fervor. In this particular passage,
the boy confuses religious and the secular worlds in his mind. Symbolic of this
confusion is his entering the back room in which the Catholic priest died, the priest
who read secular material such as The Memoirs of Vidocq by Francois
Eugene Vidocq, known for his rather prurient works--a most incongruous combination. In
contrast, also is the rain that "impinge[s] upon the earth" while the lights, almost
spiritual, shine below him.
Further, religious words are
used as the narrator describes his burgeoning sexual feelings being "veiled," suggesting
the veils that women wore in church. In addition, the narrator puts together his hands
with the palms touching as in prayer as he "murmurs," as one reciting the rosary,
"O love! O love!" repeatedly. This line, reminiscent of Romeo's
speech when he meets Juliet, suggests infatuation and romance, rather than religious
feelings.
The conflict of the romantic crush with his
religious fervor is what leads the narrator to his epiphany, the recognition of the
mundaneness and triviality of the bazaar with the disillusionment of his idealized
romanticism.
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