Religous Symbolism In ?Eveline? & ?Araby?
James Joyce (1882-1941) rejected his Irish-Catholic heritage and left his native
homeland at the age of twenty. Though he was ostracized most of his life, Joyce wrote
almost exclusively about his native Dublin. Although Joyce rejected his religion, he
relied on the use of religious symbols to make a point.
In ?Araby? and ?Eveline? Joyce uses religious symbols to show the importance of
the Catholic religion in both of the main characters? lives. Both of these stories take
place in Dublin, Ireland, a place that is very strong in its belief in the Catholic religion.
In ?Araby,? the imagery of the infamous ?Fall? is presented to the reader within the
second paragraph to indicate its importance. The themes of religious masses can be
found in ?Eveline.? The concept of the Catholic Ash Wednesday is presented throughout
both ?Araby? and ?Eveline.?
The second paragraph of ?Araby? presents the idea of the Adam and Eve story
known as ?The Fall.? ?The wild garden behind the house contained a central apple tree
and a few straggling bushes under one of which I found the late tenant?s rusty bicycle
pump.? In
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