ABrief Analysis of the Application of Adjectives in Araby

蒋振朔

“Araby” is the third story in James Joyces Dubliners （1914），which is a famous short fiction noted for its unique narrative point of view and its abundant use of symbols.Apart from using these two writing techniques，Joyce employs a lot of adjectives of low key tone to create the dark and somber atmosphere that is helpful for expressing the theme of disillusionment.In this paper，an attempt will be made to analyze how these adjectives function in constructing the depressing visual and auditory images.

To begin with，different adjectives are used to convey the same theme.In “Araby”，there is no comment about the story and the protagonist.Instead，Joyce adopts the objective narrative point of view that mostly relies on the description of the environment where the story is happening.Therefore，from the very beginning Joyce presents such a scene to the readers： “NORTH RICHMOND STREET，being blind，was a quiet street …An uninhabited house of two storeys stood at the blind end，detached from its neighbours in a square ground” （Joyce，39）.Next，the back drawing room where a priest had died comes into sight： “Air，musty from having been long enclosed，hung in all the rooms，and the waste room behind the kitchen was littered with old useless papers.Among these I found a few paper-covered books … I liked the last best because its leaves were yellow” （Joyce，39）.These underlined adjectives are put together to describe the then dwelling environment and help to lay the foundation of the repressed and gloomy keynote of the story.Actually，the building and the room modified by these adjectives reveal the dreary life and spiritual emptiness of Irish people and seem to predict that in such kind of society my hope and dream are unattainable.Still，in the fifth paragraph Joyce continues to write： “On Saturday evenings when my aunt went marketing I had to …We walked through the flaring streets，jostled by drunken men and bargaining women，amid the curses of labourers，the shrill litanies of shop-boys …”（Joyce，40-41）.In here，the vulgar and secular life of Irish people is presented to us and suggests that people show numb attitude toward life and endure the hardship instead of standing up and fighting for a better life.This to some extent implies my failure seems unavoidable in the end under such kind of social circumstance.

Furthermore，there is an obvious contrast between the adjectives dark and white.Even though “I” am surrounded by this depressing social environment and lodge at my uncles，“I” still hold my dream and hope to obtain some girls love.Thus，“I” fancy my love for Mangans sister and yet “her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood” （Joyce，40）.In my eyes，she is a holy and innocent girl representing my ideals and beauty far beyond the ugly reality.Such image is given to the readers： “She held one of the spikes，bowing her head towards me.The light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck，lit up her hair that rested there and，falling，lit up the hand upon the railing.It fell over one side of her dress and caught the white border of a petticoat，just visible as she stood at ease” （Joyce，42）.In here，the atmosphere seems a little bit bright because the adjective white is used twice to symbolize that my dream is about to be lit up.Just because the unknown girl takes up an utter important position in my heart “I” promise to bring something for her.Therefore，Araby the bazaar activates my inner better wish and embodies a mysterious place where “I” would come close to my ideals toward love and life，just as what the sentence tells the readers that “The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me” （Joyce，42）.After a long and anxious wait，“I” finally can go to Araby.However，when “I” enter into the bazaar，“Nearly all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness” （Joyce，45）.At this time the “white light” seems to go out pretty soon.“I” am very disappointed after having heard a boring and meaningless conversation between a young lady and two gentlemen and realize that Araby is not different from any tedious place in the society.“ I linger before the ladys stall until the upper part of the hall was now completely dark” （Joyce，46）.This symbolizes that the only “light” dies out and my dream is shattered.Therefore，the adjectives dark and white are endowed with symbolic meanings and the contrast of them represents the remote distance between the beautiful dream and the cruel social reality in the then Ireland.

Last，some adjectives are repeated to highlight the theme.In Araby，Joyce repeats some adjectives such as “confused” and “dark” to arouse the readers attention and lead them to participate in the story.More importantly，from the repetitive words the readers can find out the attitudes that the narrator shows toward him and the then society which will better help them understand the theme of the short fiction.For example，“if I spoke to her，how I could tell her of my confused adoration.But my body was like a harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires” （Joyce，41）； “At last she spoke to me.When she addressed the first words to me I was so confused that I did not know what to answer” （Joyce，41）.The repetition of the adjective confused tells the readers that “I” am not aware that the adoration is not real adult love but adolescent fancy for the female so “I” have no idea of how to talk with the girl.Actually through the emphasis on the word，Joyce shows the narrators confusion about how to hold his dream under such severe social circumstance.To create such an image of social environment，the adjective dark is repeated three times in “The career of our play brought us through the dark muddy lanes behind the houses … to the back doors of the dark dripping gardens where odours arose from the ashpits，to the dark odorous stables where a coachman smoothed and combed the horse or shook music from the buckled harness” （Joyce，40）.Even though “I” am confronted with the tough reality，“I” still believe in my ignorant teenagers love for a girl and base my hope on Araby.However，“the dark entrance to the stall” and “a voice called from one end of the gallery that the light was out” predicts that “I” would receive a serious defeat.As it turns out，“gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity； and my eyes burned with anguish and anger” （Joyce，46）.By this time “I” become disillusioned with my innocent and beautiful wish for a better life and gain the epiphany that one cannot escape from the cruel social reality and his life is destined to suffer from it.

To sum up，as a great master of language，James Joyce is excellent in word choice and using symbolistic and impressionistic writing techniques.In “Araby”，the adjectives of shade color such as dark and blind are successfully applied to create the gloomy atmosphere and symbolize that the protagonists dream is destined to be broken into pieces.

References：

[1]Levin，Harry.The Portable James Joyce.Middlesex： Penguin Books Ltd.，1976.Print.

[2]Joyce，James.“Araby.” The Portable James Joyce.Middlesex： Penguin Books Ltd.，1976.39-46.Print.