Firstly, this seminar paper will look at the author, his biography and work and some details of the Irish short story and “Dubliners”. Secondly, the Modernism will be examined, with its historical background and the elements in literature to offer an overview. Afterwards, a closer examination will be undertaken in “Araby”, including a summary, characters, form and analysis and finally there will be a closer look at the interpretation and what the author wanted to tell us.
Joyce was one of the most important authors of the twentieth century; this era is also called the Modern Age. It is informative and interesting for literature studies to know about this period of time as there are many new views and developments and therefore the forms and function of this modern piece of writing will be analysed and explained.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. About the author and his work
2.1. Biography
2.2. The Irish Short Story
2.3. Dubliners
3. Modernism
3.1. Historical background
3.2. Elements and structures of modern writing
4. Araby
4.1. Level of histoire
4.1.1. Temporal and spatial setting
4.1.2. Plot summary
4.1.3. Main characters
4.2. Level of discourse
4.2.1. Mediation of the story
4.2.2. Story time vs. time of narration
4.2.3. Style and language analysis
4.2.4. Form
4.2.5. Imagery and figurative language
5. Functions and implied norms and world views
6. Conclusion and summary
7. Bibliography
Research Objectives and Core Themes
This paper aims to explore the forms and functions of modern writing in James Joyce's short story "Araby" through a structuralist and biographical lens, specifically examining how Modernist elements manifest in the narrative. The analysis focuses on the interplay between the protagonist's internal development and the socio-historical reality of Dublin.
- Modernist literary techniques and narrative structures.
- Biographical and historical context of James Joyce’s Dublin.
- Analysis of the "Level of Histoire" (content, characters, setting).
- Analysis of the "Level of Discourse" (narrative moderation, time, style).
- Themes of paralysis, epiphany, and the maturation process.
Excerpt from the Book
4.1.8. Imagery and figurative language
Paralysis is a major theme in „Dubliners“ and also in „Araby”. Joyce develops a set of images, and an atmosphere and impression of entrapment are communicated to the reader. (cf. Brannigan 1998: 72)
“North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brother’s School set the boys free. An uninhabited house of two storeys stood at the blind end, detached from its neighbours in a square ground. The other houses of the street, conscious of decent lives within them, gazed at one another with brown imperturbable faces.” (Joyce 2000: 21)
In these lines, the streets and houses of Dublin have human attributes to give the impression that the buildings are paralyzed. This is a personification because only people can be paralyzed. Words and phrases like “blind”, “brown imperturbable faces” and “gazing” show this paralysis. Dublin, therefore, seems to be a living being. The street and houses are uninhabited, quiet and lonely and the boy has the same feeling of loneliness at the end of the story. (cf. Brannigan 1998: 72)
There are also other words, which open up imagery. Words like “died”, “musty”, “enclosed”, “hung”, “waste”, “littered”, “old”, “useless”, “straggling” and “rusty” stand for decay. It could mean that people in Dublin are stifled from growing and limited. The protagonist of the story is surrounded by these things and there are also memories of a dead priest and the old yellow-leaved books. (cf. Brannigan 1998: 73)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the research context, outlining the focus on James Joyce's "Araby" within the Modernist period and describing the methodology of the paper.
2. About the author and his work: This chapter provides biographical details on James Joyce and situates his collection "Dubliners" within the context of the Irish short story genre.
3. Modernism: This chapter examines the historical background of Modernism and discusses the stylistic elements that define this literary period.
4. Araby: This chapter provides a profound structural analysis of the story, covering settings, characters, narrative mediation, and stylistic devices like imagery and epiphany.
5. Functions and implied norms and world views: This chapter analyzes how Modernist concepts such as absolute reality, social detail, and the representation of Dublin function within the story.
6. Conclusion and summary: This chapter synthesizes the main findings, confirming the presence of significant Modernist themes and forms within the novella.
7. Bibliography: This section lists the primary and secondary literature utilized for the research.
Keywords
James Joyce, Araby, Dubliners, Modernism, Short Story, Structuralism, Narrative, Epiphany, Paralysis, Irish Literature, Homodiegetic Narrator, Imagery, Personification, Maturity, Stream of Consciousness
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary objective of this seminar paper?
The paper aims to analyze the forms and functions of modern writing within James Joyce's short story "Araby" to demonstrate how the author utilizes specific stylistic elements to reflect the Modernist era.
What are the central thematic fields explored?
The paper explores themes of paralysis, religious devotion, maturation, the transition from childhood to adulthood, and the social reality of early 20th-century Dublin.
Which scientific methodology is applied?
The work employs a literary analysis approach, dividing the story into the "Level of Histoire" (the events) and the "Level of Discourse" (how those events are told), while incorporating biographical and historical context.
What characterizes the main character of "Araby"?
The unnamed protagonist is a sensitive, intelligent young boy who serves as a homodiegetic (first-person) narrator, dealing with feelings of alienation, love, and eventual disillusionment.
What is the significance of the "bazaar" in the story?
The bazaar represents a symbolic space of transformation and exotic hope, which ultimately leads to the protagonist's epiphany about the realities of life and unrequited love.
How does Joyce use language in this story?
Joyce uses naturalistic language, incorporating Irish dialect and specific imageries of decay, to emphasize the atmosphere of the urban environment and the psychological state of the protagonist.
What does the term "epiphany" mean in the context of this study?
In this paper, epiphany refers to the moment of spiritual revelation or painful truth realization experienced by the boy at the end of the narrative.
How does Mangan's sister affect the protagonist?
She acts as the catalyst for the boy’s external quest to the bazaar and represents both an object of romantic aspiration and a potential symbol for Ireland itself.
- Quote paper
- Christina Binter (Author), 2016, Forms and functions of modern writing in “Araby” from James Joyce's "Dubliners", Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1247263
