There
are two direct references to religion in 's "." The first reference is to a priest who
used to live in the unnamed narrator's house. The second way the unnamed narrator references
religion is the way he talks about Mangan's sister, the object of his affection.
In the first two stories, "" and "An
Encounter," references to priests are primarily negative. In this story, however, the
reference to the priest is positive. This priest "left all his money to institutions and
the furniture of his house to his sister." References to priests in "The Sisters"
and "An Encounter" focus on the strict religiousness of these men; in
"Araby," the "very charitable" priest reads possibly anti-Catholic and
secular books such as The Devout Communicant and Vidocq's The
Memoirs.
The second reference the unnamed narrator makes in the
story is conflating Mangan's sister with religion. As if being a Christian crusader, he imagines
himself bearing his "chalice safely through a throng of foes." In addition, her name
"sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not
understand." These ideas could both be seen as blasphemous in Dublin at the time
"Araby" was published.
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