In the second paragraph of James Joyce's "Araby," the narrator remarks, "The wild garden behind the house contained a central apple-tree."
This allusion to the Garden of Eden in the book of Genesis, and the tree which bore forbidden fruit, introduces a series of references to the story of the fall that stretches through the story. Like Adam, the narrator is captivated by the beauty of a woman, who for him is the first woman, and this leads to his downfall and the loss of innocence.
Adam's love for Eve made him forget his love for and duty to God. The narrator says, "But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires."
In the Bible, David was renowned for his skill with the harp, and his playing pleased the Lord and caused the evil spirit to depart...
Unlock This Answer Now
Start your 48-hour free trial and get ahead in class. Boost your grades with access to expert answers and top-tier study guides. Thousands of students are already mastering their assignments—don't miss out. Cancel anytime.
Already a member? Log in here.
from Saul in the book of Samuel. This reference, therefore, suggests a misappropriation of divine power, as the boy worships the girl like a deity.
At the bazaar, the narrator says,
I looked humbly at the great jars that stood like eastern guards at either side of the dark entrance to the stall.
This takes the reader back to the book of Genesis and the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden. God places two angels at the eastern end of the garden to prevent them from returning, just as the boy in "Araby" can never return to the innocence of childhood at the end of the story.
Araby, which comes from the word Arabia is an archaic word. It represents some time of a mystical world found in the archaic fantasy tales. The protagonist goes on a quest to the Araby to find a 'chalice' which, in biblical sense, represents the vessel which Jesus used at the Last Supper. The chalice is something sacred and precious that the protagonist goes on a quest to obtain the treasure. As most adventurers do, he is soon met with multiple obstacles to overcome to complete his journey and in Araby, these obstacles are represented by the uncle, train and the confusion with the entrance. This journey to find the chalice represents the Holy Grail and the Crusade in a sense to depict the narrator's acquirement of knowledge and maturity.