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More specifically, when the uncle has not yet returned to take the boy to the
bazaar, the aunt suggests that he “put off the bazaar for this night of our
lord.” This night being Saturday, the service which is dedicated to veneration
of Virgin Mary- sort of what he is doing by going to Araby for the girl. It is
also interesting to note that there are multiple times when he refers to his
infatuation in religious terms, such as her name coming to him in prayer, or her
words playing him as if he were a harp. Due to strong religious obligations,
sexuality was greatly repressed during the time of this story. This idea was
vividly sketched in the paragraph which states “All my senses seemed to desire
to veil themselves and, feeling that I was about to slip from them, I pressed
the palms of my hands together until they trembled, murmuring O love! O love!
many times.” The intense sexual undertones of this passage are unmistakable. It
illustrates the boys confusion of religion and sexuality. A more straight
forward example of sexual themes occurs when the girl and boy actually speak.
Her obligations to her religion (the retreat) override her more sexual desires,
while she releases her nervous sexual tension through twirling her silver
bracelet around her arm.
Furthermore, the boy seems to create a sexual image of
the girl each time he sees her, describing the “white border of a petticoat,
just visible as she stood at ease”, and such. Though religion is a strong theme
throughout Araby, it’s overall theme is the boy’s realization of his fall from
grace. Within the story Joyce foreshadows this epiphany by using phrases such as
“feeling I was about to slip..”, in reference to his praying, or when
approaching the booth at the bazaar he “listened to the fall of the coins”. In
general, the word “fall”, or words of a similar definition appear five times
throughout the story. After the boy’s uncle finally returns home drunk, he is
given the money to go to the bazaar. Quite symbolic however is the poem that his
uncle mentions as he walks out the door. The Arab’s Farewell to his Steed, a
poem by Caroline Norton was a popular work at the time. It is about a boy who
sells his beloved horse for a few gold coins, but upon the horse being led away,
the boy chases the man he sold it to in order to return the money and regain the
horse. Though the boy misses the message, it is clear to the reader that he will
soon realize that the love of the girl can not be bought. When he arrives at
Araby, it is nearly deserted. He hastily enters through a more expensive gate,
as opposed to looking for a sixpenny entrance as to make sure he gets in before
it closes. The odd silence is compared to that of a church after services. As he
walks toward a booth with vases and tea sets, Joyce mentions that the boy
recognizes the voices of those selling the wares as English. He is treated in a
very condescending manner, and his realization is beginning to manifest. This
bazaar, though one of materialism captured his attention for the weeks before,
in addition to his being hypnotized by the girl next door. All he should have
been concerning himself with took second to materialism and his own ego. At this
point he has fallen from grace. No longer is he the same innocent boy infatuated
with the girl next door. He is now all grown up, and as self-deceiving as those
around him.
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