Role of religion in Araby

Araby by James Joyce is a narration that tries to explain the impact that religion had on the characters in the narration. The events are seen through the experiences of an unnamed character who is greatly affected by religion both direct and indirectly. The character lives in an environment that is deeply influenced by catholic beliefs. Aspects of his life such as school and even having a social life are dependent on the attitude that people have as a result of the influence that the religions teachings have on their lives. Despite the dominance of catholic beliefs and teachings, the narration is able to reveal Joyce’s attitude towards religion. While the community in Araby is greatly influenced by religion, the characters demonstrate the negative impact resulting from Joyce’s perception of religion and how it affects people’s lives. 

            From the beginning of the story, it is evident that religion greatly influences how people live their lives. The power that the Catholics enjoy has resulted to most schools adopting a catholic system (Joyce 1). The unnamed character lives in an environment that is relatively quiet until pupils are released from a nearby school. Being a catholic school, the disruption to the peace and silence that the character enjoys is used to show the negative side of religion according to Joyce. Religion in this case is presented as a nuisance rather than something that offers solace (Birgani et al. 60). The emphasis that the occurrence takes place each day only reinstates the unbearable conditions that the characters and other like-minded individuals have to bear under catholic rule. 

            The negative disposition that Joyce has towards religion is evident in how he describes the dead priest’s home and his last days on earth. The priest is said to have died in a drawing room and his belongings such as books and papers lay littered on the floor. The air is also described to have been ‘musty from having been closed for too long’ (Joyce 2) indicating that the priest stayed alone and had no one to look after the house and belongings after his passing. The priest is an important figure in the catholic religion. He is however presented as an undesirable character who is not only dead, but left evidence of an unfulfilling life.

The house is further described as having a ‘waste room behind the kitchen was littered with old useless papers. Among these I found a few paper-covered books, the pages of which were curled and damp’ (Joyce 2). The negative description of the house previously owned by the priest also indicates the impact that religion has on individuals, including those who abide to the religious practises and beliefs. Despite dedicating his life to religion, the priest has little to show for it other than a messy house. There is also mention of an apple tree that is located at the centre of the garden. In line with catholic beliefs, the apple is an indication of the role that religion played in the priest’s life (Fargnoli & Gillepsie 259). Unlike the creation story however, the priest’s garden is unkept with straggling bushes and a rusty bicycle pump. Everything that the priest cared for is presented as being in ruins after his departure as he can no longer work on it. The state of the priest’s home is an indication that religion only affects those that believe in it and carry out its practices. While the priest’s home may have been in better condition when he was alive, its state after his death can be said to prove that any developments in a person’s life are as a result of their efforts and not because of people’s beliefs.

            The influence that religion has on society is further revealed through the relationship that the narrator has with Mangan’s sister. The narrator is so obsessed that he compares the sister to a ‘chalice’ that needs protection from a ‘throng of foes’ (Joyce 2) and this is in reference to the Holy Grail. His obsession with the lady is so intense that he even worships her even without his knowledge. ‘Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand’ (Joyce 3). The emphasis on the narrator lack of understanding of such prayers only goes to prove that he may not be fully aware of the impact that religion has on his life. However, since his idea of love and how to express it is greatly influenced by his religious teachings, he approaches the relationship with her the same way he would with God. Although the narrator has only experienced family love prior to meeting Mangan’s sister, his inability to understand how to go about expressing his feelings is more as a result of how people treat religion.

In order to retain its affluence, the catholic faith is presented as the basis of reference in matters regarding life. Since the narrator’s community is heavily influenced by religion, it makes it hard for individuals to develop other relationships especially at the narrators age (Gale 15). The overinfluence of religion in this case has made it difficult for the narrator to express love in any other way other than through what people learn in the religious teachings. Instead of expressing his affection towards Mangan’s sister, the narrator ends up idolizing her, despite having idols being forbidden by his religious beliefs.

Despite existing in an environment that pushes people to be Catholics, the narrator is unable or unwilling to fully give in to the teachings regardless of how much they impact his life. Although unknowingly, the narrator’s approach when expressing his feelings towards Mangan’s sister can be seen as a form of idolatry (Seidel 50). The relationship between the two is an indication of the narrator’s inability to understand catholic teachings. This in turn makes it possible to feel attracted to someone at his age despite the religious restrictions that make it difficult for people to even understand affection to anyone other than God. The narrator’s infatuation with Mangan’s sister only proves that he is not as devoted to religion as other characters (Joyce 2). Although religion is in most aspects of what the narrator does and the people he interacts with, he remains confused when it comes to religion and is more interested in worldly things such as love.

An argument can be made that the challenges and confusion experienced by the narrator is because he is not as committed to religion as other characters in the story. At the end of the story, the narrator is said to be in regret and desires to go back to his religious roots. He describes himself as a ‘creature driven… by vanity’ (Joyce 3) with reference to the hardships that he has had to endure. He considers having feelings for Mangan’s sister a sin as a deviation from his Christian duties and this has resulted to the sin of infatuation. While this may be the case, religion still plays a significant role in the type of life that the narrator lives. He refers to himself as a creature in line with his teachings. While this is done as a way to try and trace back his roots, being referred to as a creature only goes to explain the author’s perception of religion (Joyce 30). Instead of human beings, the narrator considers himself a creature because he believes his sins have made him unworthy. Creature in this context is sued in reference to the demands of living according to Catholic teachings and this the author equates to living like a creature.

The living conditions that the narrator is exposed to make it difficult for him to enjoy even the basic aspects of life and this is as result of religion. Since the narrator is either unwilling or unable to understand the religious teachings, he is set to fail and lead a relatively unsatisfactory life. Through the narrator’s experiences, the author is able to entertain the idea that blind faith in something that one does not understand is likely to end in disappointment. Since religion determines the social interactions in the narrator’s immediate environment, his suffering, and any other outcome is as a result of the negative impact that an environment solely governed by religion has on the people that live in it as is the case in Araby.

 

 

 

Work cited

Fargnoli, A N, Michael P. Gillespie, and A N. Fargnoli. Critical Companion to James Joyce:       A Literary Reference to His Life and Work. New York, NY: Facts On File, 2006.        Internet resource.

Gale, Cengage L. Study Guide for James Joyce's "araby.". Detroit: Gale, Cengage Learning,        n.d.. Print

Joyce, James, “Araby” n.d

Joyce, James. Dubliners. New York: Open Road, 2014. Internet resource.

Mojgan Gaeini Mahnaz Soqandi, Shiva Zaheri Birgani. The Role of Religion in James      Joyce`s Dubliners: Cultural Materialism Reading. Advances in Sciences and     Humanities. Vol. 5, No. 2, 2019, p. 55-64. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20190502.13

Seidel, Michael. James Joyce: A Short Introduction. Malden, Mass: Blackwell, 2002. Internet      resource.