araby

Araby Symbolism is the use of symbols to signify ideas and qualities by giving symbolic meanings that are different from their literal sense. Symbolism can take different forms. It is a way to give something meaning in a much deeper and more significant. For example, “smile” is a symbol of friendship. Similarly, the action of someone smiling at you may stand as a symbol of the feel of affection. Symbols could mean different things from positive to negative for example “chains”, this can mean a union of people or can mean imprisonment. Symbolic meanings of an object or an action are understood by when, where and how they are used. The meaning also comes from who is reading it and how they interpret it. (Literarydevices.net/symbolism)
James Joyce grew up a catholic and attended a school that was operated by priest of the Society of Jesus. He attended the University College in Dublin also operated by the Society of Jesus. His school years will filled with religion. Joyce renounced Catholicism because of the unbending rules and strict enforcement of them. In his stories he often mocks the church.
I believe he uses religion symbolism because the group in a deep catholic environment but he revealed and decided to mock the religion. He takes these religious symbols what mean so much to the catholic community and uses them in his work to lower the importance and create a visual for the reader.
In Araby when he writes about the boy’s reaction to the girl across the street he uses religious symbolism to emphasize how important this girl is to him to the point were it seems like he is obsessed with her. When Joyce writes about when the boy goes to the market on Saturdays the area is hostile and full of drunken men and bargaining women. He has her in his mind and he feels like he is carrying a chalice through a throng of foes. A chalice is a sacred item for the church that is protected and has a high symbolic value to the church like the girl is for the boy. He then