Compare the use of similar themes and language devices in both 'Araby' and 'Eveline' by James Joyce.

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James Joyce uses similar themes and language devices in both ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline.’ Although this is so, there are also important differences to be noted. Joyce wrote these stories over one hundred years ago but yet we can still relate to the issues covered in the modern world today.  

James Joyce could have written these short stories as an inspiration from his own background or based them on the events happening in Dublin at that time. These stories were written as a new century was beginning. The people of Dublin soon realised the sense of hope for the new century had faded due to the fall and death of Parnell. This relates to both of the stories as a sense of false hope is given in each. Joyce sensed exhaustion and emptiness in Dublin and these are also the emotional results in both stories.

In ‘Araby,’ the story is written in first person narrative. This gives you a chance to get a detailed point of view of the boy’s feelings. This makes you more emotionally involved in the story, as it becomes more convincing if you understand the range of emotions the boy is going through. On top of this, the story is written as though it were an event, which happened many years ago. It could have been a significant event in his life as it is very much portrayed in this way. In ‘Eveline,’ the narration is third person. Although the feelings are not expressed deeply, you can still get a sense of the emotions she was feeling. These emotions are expressed greatly through rhetorical questions.

Themes are an important issue in both stories. Both stories contain the themes of blind love, religion, family, poverty and paralysis. In ‘Araby,’ the boy falls for a girl whom he does not know. He is only attracted to her appearance: ‘Her dress swung as she moved her body, and the soft rope of her hair tossed from side to side.’ This could be described as blind love as he becomes infatuated with the girl and is willing and determined to do anything for her.

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Family is also a significant theme as the boy relies on his aunt and uncle on almost anything he wants. Firstly, he asks their permission to go to the bazaar. Then he depends on his uncle to give him money to go to the bazaar. A quote to back this up would be, ‘When he was midway through his dinner I asked him to give me the money to go to the bazaar.’ By depending on his uncle, this meant the boy had to wait for hours before he could attend the bazaar. This may suggest that the boy is ...

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