Araby is one of those texts that is packed with imagery. As we discussed in our first class, the use of darkness and light is crucial because it remarks and puts us in the shoes of Dubliners during the Catholic Church Invasion.
We can also notice that the text contains religious and holy references. Especially when it comes to describing the obsession this boy has with his neighbor’s sister.
That tells us this won’t be a love story for two main reasons. I believe that there cannot be love if obsession exists and love in the eyes of the girl seem to be of no importance, so it is not reciprocal.
I think the text deals in significant part with the topic of coming of age, maturity, and the realization that life may sometimes be harsh. Still, in this case, the projection of joy represented or incarnated in the girl did not help our protagonist have a positive/joyful catharsis of what coming of age implies.
Francisco López Puente
