James Joyce: Short Stories Themes

James Joyce: Short Stories Themes

The theme of death

The main issue discussed in the story, "The Sisters," is the priest's death. Before his death, the priest suffered three strokes, and the young boy knew that he would soon die. The young boy spent his evenings around the priest's house to know if he was still alive. One day as the boy was walking around, he overheard his uncle and friends talk about the death of a priest that day. The boy was very sad because he thought the priest would recover and train him to become a priest.

Adventure

The theme of adventure manifests itself in the story "An Encounter." Two boys are no longer interested in attending classes and decide to skip classes to go and enjoy themselves. The boys are eager to explore Dublin City. While walking in the streets, the narrator and his friend Mahon are approached by a strange man. While seated at the park, the man starts a sexual conversation, which makes the narrator and his friend uncomfortable, and they manage to run away.

The theme of love

In the short story "Araby," the theme of love is prevalent when an adolescent boy falls in love with his neighbor’s sister. The boy spends his time looking at Mangan’s sister every time she leaves her house. The urge to talk with the girl is overwhelming, and the boy decides to meet her. Finally, the boy meets the girl and has a short conversation. She suggests they meet at Araby, a bazaar. The young boy is happy and plans to buy the girl a gift in the next meeting, but his dreams are never realized.

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