Araby tone

“Araby,” a short story from James Joyce’s Dubliners, recounts an unnamed boy’s transition from childhood into adulthood, from a life filled with fantasy to all the harsh realities of life in Ireland under British rule. The narrator of the story is the older version of the protagonist, and as a result the prose seems far from what a child would write—a preadolescent would not display such self-awareness and understanding. Further examination of the text shows that the narrator is actually embarrassed and chagrined by the confused adoration towards his friend’s older sister that marked his childhood, creating a reflective yet fatuous tone that is developed through the utilization of literary devices such as dramatic diction, simile, extended metaphor, and religious imagery. Joyce’s word choice both provides insight into and encapsulates his feelings regarding blind love and infatuation. In particular, the protagonist's effusive claim that “at times a flood from [his] heart seemed to pour itself out into [his] bosom” serves to hint at the narrator’s belief that his childhood actions were foolish and insane. Other instances of dramatic diction can be seen in the use of absolutes such as “a single sensation of life” and “all my senses.” Additionally, by claiming that he “did not understand” his love for Mangan’s sister and “could not tell why [his] eyes were often full of tears,” the older narrator is distancing himself from events that occurred in his youth. In order to accomplish this, he even goes so far as to reference his “foolish blood,” a phrase that displays just how deep the narrator’s shame runs. Another literary device used to portray distance between himself and his actions is simile—comparing himself to a harp indicates the narrator’s passivity, like that of an instrument’s, and general lack of association with events concerning his childhood love. While more pervasive than his use of simile, Joyce’s use of extended metaphor had a similar