Araby

Use these questions or activities to help gauge students’ familiarity with and spark their interest in the context of the work, giving them an entry point into the text itself.

Short Answer

1. In contemporary Ireland, almost 70% of Irish people identify as Catholic. Consider the role of Catholicism in Ireland’s history. Has religion had a unifying or divisive effect on the people of Ireland? In which ways have the tenets of Catholicism shaped social expectations and the daily lives of Irish people?

Teaching Suggestion: This question orients students with the historical and religious context of Ireland. The Christian sect of Catholicism is an important aspect of Irish history and society. Initially brought to the island in the fifth century CE, the Catholic Church has been a defining element of Irish identity for hundreds of years. In this vein, the Church became more than a proponent of faith; it also functioned as a powerful institution that supported state building after the War of Independence from the UK in the 1920s, which ultimately led to the division of the Republic of Ireland from Northern Ireland, which remained part of the UK.

During the turbulent “Troubles” of the late 20th century, Irish Republicans (i.e., those who supported a united Ireland) fought to reunite the island; the bloody political conflict between largely Protestant Northern Ireland and the predominantly Catholic Republic of Ireland took many innocent lives. The government refused to recognize this conflict as a war, and the Catholic Church took no public stance. Joyce’s story, which was written prior to the War of Independence, exemplifies the profound impact, as well as intertwined nature, that Love and Religion could have on Irish adolescence; in fact, the characters’ lives ultimately revolve around religious-based activities, so much so that as the narrator tries to process his romantic attraction to Mangan’s sister, he instinctively does so in the same manner that he feels love for his religion. Furthermore, Joyce touches upon the idea of Innocence and Shame not only through the boy’s desire to mature from adolescence into adulthood but also in regard to his Catholic identity.

• Inglis (2007) explores the intersection of faith and identity, particularly as it relates to the concept of guilt, in “Catholic Identity in Contemporary Ireland: Belief and Belonging to Tradition.”
• The Jesuit Centre for Faith and Justice discusses the role of the Catholic Church in Ireland’s politics during the 20th century.

Short Activity

James Joyce was one of the most famous Modernist authors. For this Short Activity, you will research the Modernist literary movement and select one author and one of their texts to share with the class. In a brief presentation, share the following information: What was this person’s background? How is this person situated within the Modernist literary movement? What is a summary of the text you have chosen to share? Which themes does this person incorporate into the text? In particular, does this person touch on the themes of Love and Religion, Innocence and Shame, or Death and Absence? After sharing your findings with the class, consider the similarities and differences among your classmates’ selected Modernist works.

Teaching Suggestion: This Short Activity is an opportunity for students to explore and discuss the Modernist movement in literature, of which Joyce is a towering figure. Modernism, which roughly spanned the later part of the 19th century until World War II, departed from traditional styles of prose, often experimenting with fragmented and stream-of-conscious styles of narration. This Short Activity segues into the main Activity.

• This article from Yale University provides information on James Joyce in relation to the Modernist movement.
• “Modernism” on SuperSummary

Differentiation Suggestion: For a historical approach, invite students to create a timeline of literary movements, including Modernism, from the beginning of the 19th century to the end of the 21st century. Invite students to discuss the causes of Modernism and its effects on previous and following forms of literature. This Differentiation Suggestion can be done either in lieu of the above Short Activity or as a precursor to the presentations as an in-class exploration and discussion.

Personal Connection Prompt

This prompt can be used for in-class discussion, exploratory free-writing, or reflection homework before reading the story.

Why would a narrator choose to leave out important information about their life? Why would an artist choose to leave a blank space in their work? What is the impact of using negative space as opposed to spelling everything out? Which do you prefer when viewing an artistic piece: the explicit or the unspoken? Explain your preference, citing any relevant works.

Teaching Suggestion: This Personal Connection Prompt orients students with an important literary device in Joyce’s story: negative space (i.e., subtext). Joyce uses negative space as a way to make implications without explicitly using words. In particular, the absence of the narrator’s parents suggests a tragic story; however, the lack of discussion surrounding the absence of his parents equally suggests the narrator’s inability to discuss such trauma. In this vein, the negative space serves both as an aid in the author’s brevity as well as an example of character development, particularly in relation to the theme of Death and Absence.