Close examination of Dubliners

Paragraph 1: "Araby" 

At first glance, James Joyce’s “Araby “might appear like a failed love story of a boy who had been infatuated by a particular girl in his town of North Dublin Street. After all, when “the boy” is distracted by thinking about the girl all day and fails to accomplish his mission to bring something back to the girl from the bazaar, Araby, we could infer that the boy miserably failed to capture attention from the girl. The boy refuses the offer to buy some “teacups” on the lady’s stand and notices that his presence in the bazaar is now useless as he “allowed the two pennies to fall against the six pence” in his pocket. However, on the other hand, the boy’s failure in his love affair does not simply imply an abject ending; the reasons behind his ultimate failure – routine cycle of his duties like “prolonged meal” or “enduring tea time” – reveal that familiar things and events are indeed crucial to determining the fate of our lives. Therefore, it is perhaps more accurate to assume that “Araby” is an enlightening story that provides people with essential revelation about not forgetting the familiar things that surround us. In this sense, the boy is the border between excitements toward encountering new moments and dullness of facing familiarity.

Paragraph 2: "The Boarding House" 

James Joyce’s “The Boarding House” is a discomforting story that illustrates one woman’s selfish and manipulative behavior upon marriage of her daughter. In fact, Mrs. Mooney’s conviction about the “only one reparation” and her behavior of “counting all her cards” obviously unveils an avaricious desire to acquire greater material wealth and higher social status. When Mr. Doran laments his situation as “long years of service gone for nothing”, we invoke sympathy for the man and outrage towards the woman who acts immorally in favor of her own advantage. However, such attempts of negotiation do not simply reflect people’s desire to “fly away to another country” but shows a larger part of our society where diverse people join to create a whole under particular convention. Thus, on a broader perspective, “The Boarding House” criticizes people’s narrow aspect in a rule-governed society where people feel pressured to improve themselves from a certain class hierarchy. In this regard, the boarding house represents the hierarchical society where people experience the clash between morality and surreptitious desire to surpass others. 

World Lit Reading Journal: "The Student" by Anton Chekhov

“The Student” by Anton Chekhov portrays a clerical student who experiences remarkable change after sharing a story of Apostle Peter with two widows. In the beginning of the story, Ivan, a clerical student is walking back home on a bleak winter day, feeling hopeless and gloomy about the world surrounding him. However, after his encounter with the two widows, Ivan experiences a shift in attitude due to the changes that his story had brought to the despondent and uneasy widows.

The story was written during the late 19^th century in Russia, when numerous peasants and proletariats suffered from abject poverty. During the era, the overall atmosphere across the country was oppressive and gloomy and many people depended on religion to maintain their inner peace. Thus, Christianity, which was the dominant religion, was instrumental to purifying and enlightening people’s mindset; it usually united people under the name of God and made people heretical to theological beliefs. The characters in this story also represent the stereotypical aspect of people faithful to certain religion. They are easily affected by a short story that appears in the bible, the story of Apostle Peter who denied knowing Jesus three times. The story itself may seem irrelevant to religious beliefs, but the fact that it reveals human beings as powerless and passive creatures under superior authority (Gospel or God) gives the same message as those beliefs: people should subjugate themselves under religion to absolve their sins and become “better” beings. How could it be possible for an individual to change his attitude toward the world in such a short instant by telling a short religious story? And how could a person feel more optimistic after telling, not a story of a successful person or a respected man, but a story of betrayal and remorse?

The content of the story vicariously spoke for the miserable situation of the widows who had been denied by the villagers. Thus, it could be possible that the widows felt more encouraged after listening to the story of man of great sin because they could feel less guilty for themselves. It is true that the effect of religion (or story) on the characters in this story was hopeful enough to evoke compassion and supportive mind towards the effect of religion. Although the story did not bring tangible outcomes, its effect on spiritual aspect on Ivan and the widows, especially Vasilisa, was big enough to be considered striking. Nonetheless, the sudden change in Ivan’s attitude implies a need for change, revolution in religion and in people’s attitude toward accepting theological beliefs. The fundamental logic of having faith in religion have not changed until today, but nowadays people who are faithful to religion simply practice their convictions through practicing moral deeds and does not put much emotional attachment to theological stories or practices which is very different from the characters in “The Student”.