Thesis Statement

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Thesis Statement

• Araby is about the boys mental initiation

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IntroductionHow Dubliners Reflect the Life in
Dublin (Nicola and Sheryl)

• I.   Religion is the central part of the
  Dubliners spiritual life and standard of
  conduct.
• A.     Their life depends largely on
  religion, and religious experience is the most
  common experience among people.
• B. There are many examples of religious
  associations from the stories, such as the boy
  associated religious images to his lover in Araby
  and the priests in other stories.

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How Dubliners reflect the life in Dublin

• II.   Political and religious powers are struggle
  to be the dominant one.
• A.     The Parnells case had an enormous
  impact on the two powers.
• B. Nationalism and tradition of the
  Catholics are two strong debate topics for the
  Irish.

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How Dubliners Reflect the Life in Dublin

• Iii.   Serious drinking problem is among Irish
  labor class.
• A.     Drinking gives people a moment of
  fulfillment and hope.
• B.     People see that they can do nothing
  to help themselves to get out of their miserly
  state after they had their drink.

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How Dubliners reflect the life in Dublin

• IV.   The paralysis theme is throughout the
  stories.
• A.     Many characters tried to get away
  from the environment but all in vain.
• B.     Most people have neither power nor
  influence to change their present situation.

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How Dubliners reflect the life in Dublin

• V.   Childhood experiences made James Joyce see
  Dublin as a place people want to get out from.
• A.     His family degenerates in social
  position and had to move many times.
• B.     His first sexual experience made him
  realize the truth of his fear and respect for his
  religion.

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Repressed Sexuality(Dominique)

• The Image of Mangans sister is sexual and
  sensual.
• He is attracted to her physical appearance.
• Since her beautiful appearance and her (might be)
  higher-class family, her image is raised to a
  religious level in his heart.
• His adoration towards an older woman is a type
  of Oedipal attachment to mother.

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Repressed Sexuality

• Due to the gloomy and religious atmosphere, his
  sexual desire is restrained and revealed very
  limitedly.
• The general social air and religious
  regulation functions as superego to repress his
  id that desires the girl.

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Repressed Sexuality

• The way he expresses his sexuality is very
  obscure.
• The sexual orgasm is merged with religious
  ecstasy.
• He has to isolate himself from the bad setting he
  is in to get together with her in his fantasy.
• This rush is like a beastly impulse.

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Initiation of the Boy(Kim and Maggie)

• The boy is growing, changing and initiated by the
  girl.
• The boy is at first presented like a boy and
  often plays with other boys.
• Later, there are more and more scenes that he is
  alone and isolated with others, which shows that
  he is changing and growing.
• When exiting the train station, he goes out
  through the adult entrance.

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Unsuccessful socialization

• There is no powerful authority in family,
  religion and society.
• His uncle is drunk thus there is no strong father
  figure or authority for him to identify with.
• His aunt has totally no power in the family.
• The priest, who is the representative for
  religion in this play, is dead

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Unsuccessful socialization

• II. He learns what reality is and feels
  disappointed with this real world and its vanity.
• When he goes to the market with his aunt, he does
  not like the people there and the whole society
  then is just as vulgar as the market.
• The gossip between the neighbor Mrs. Mercer and
  her aunt again shows how vulgar the people in
  that society are.
• The conversation between the girl and two guys in
  Araby also shows what reality is like.
• He finally learns that his dreams and illusions
  cannot come true in the real world. He realizes
  the fact but he does not accept this vulgar
  society.

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Conclusion(Karen)

• The prevailing atmosphere in the society
  restrains the boys ability to express his
  emotions.
• The problems of weak authority and the vulgar
  society can not meet the boys spiritual needs
  though he eventually faces the reality.

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Conclusion

• This boy does not follow Freudian plots.
• He does not identify himself with the father
  image and does not reach the stage of
  socialization.
• The Oedipus complex does not totally appear.