György Lukács, the controversial Marxist literary historian and philosopher, proposed that as far as the context of literature is concerned, it reflects the condition of social life (Lukacs). Therefore, rather than appreciate a literary work from its aesthetic values, we can appreciate more from this perspective. Moreover, we cannot separate the process through which a literary work is created from the actual condition and environment of its creation. When it comes to literary works, they are greatly influenced by the socio-economic condition. In this case, authors would reflect this condition in their works. One such literary work that we can see from this viewpoint is the short story “Araby” by James Joyce (Kelly). In this short literary work, Joyce depicts how every aspect of our life is determined by economy.
“Araby” is a short fictitious story in which an unnamed body falls in love with his friend, Mangan’s sister. Joyce has written this story as a first person narrative in which this unnamed boy recalls an episode from his childhood. Although the central theme of “Araby” is a remembrance of the boy’s first love, but we can go further from this if Joyce’s work is analyzed from a Marxist literary criticism perspective. There is no doubt that Joyce is implying how mighty money is in our society. Economy shapes every action that we take.
James Joyce explicitly illustrates class conflict in “Araby” (Potts ). This conflict exists in the life of the narrator as well; his economic status prevents him from having the one thing that he truly wants. The narrator belongs to a working class family. His uncle, with whom he lives, earns a living by working hard from day till late night. In this short story, the narrator’s fate is determined by his economic status, since he had to wait to get money from his uncle and as a result, he is not able to make it to the Dublin bazaar on time. His uncle returns home from work at 9 p.m., and by the time he reaches the bazaar, it is too late because all the stalls have already begun closing down. As he recalls, “I could not find any sixpenny entrance and, fearing that the bazaar would be closed” (Joyce). He had promised Mangan’s sister, the girl he loves, that he would bring her a gift from the bazaar, but he is not able to keep his promise. It becomes apparent that a person’s fate can indeed be determined by their economic status. Had the narrator been from a bourgeois or capitalist family, he would have immediately gone to the bazaar and purchased the gift.
Economic determinism can also affect society through materialism (Resnick, and Wolff). When money occupies a great role in a society, then people begin viewing things based on their economic values. People begin regarding commodities, which are the product of capitalism, with high esteem as if they are venerable. In “Araby,” the narrator becomes a victim of such a system. He believes that by buying Mangan’s sister some grand gift, a commodity, he will be able to win her love. Therefore, after learning that she cannot visit the bazaar because of a prior commitment, he quickly offers to purchase something for her by going to the bazaar himself. Unconsciously, the narrator and Managan’s sister begin revering a ‘commodity’ as something glorious. As a result, these characters show how well capitalism is succeeding in its aim. Not only the narrator, but Mangan’s sister also belongs belong to working class families. Ironically, they are the ones who work hard to produce these commodities, and ultimately, they are the ones purchasing the commodities they have produced. The capitalists are the ones who benefit from this since the money is cycling only around them (Marx).
The laborers working in the bazaar and even the narrator’s own uncle reflect how capitalists derive benefit by making use of the working class. Most of these laborers work long shifts until late at night, but they still do not get as much benefit as the capitalists they work for (Marx). Unfortunately, they do not realize this. All they want is a higher social status by making more money; they do not seem to care how long they have to work to earn that money.
“Araby,” the Dublin bazaar can be interpreted as an example of how the mind’s of working class people are brainwashed by capitalists. From a Marxist point of view, it can be argued that policies created by capitalists are simply a means of showing that they care for the consumers. These policies created by them appear to be ‘down to earth’ and universal, but the truth is that they create them to serve their own interests. The bazaar in James Joyce’s story is an example of capitalist policies through which are able to take advantage of the society. The products available in the bazaar are all sold cheaper than their usual price. As a result, consumers are attracted to buy more of these products, and the more products are sold in a single night, the more the capitalists get to benefit and profit.
Moreover, the boy that Joyce has used as the narrator is a reflection of how the labor class is viewed by the capitalists. The capitalists regard the working class is regard as a ‘little boy,’ who is dependent and weak. Therefore, they believe that they can easily influence and manipulate the minds of the working class. In conclusion, analyzing James Joyce’s “Araby” from a Marxist perspective reveals that every aspect of an individual’s life, even their fate when it comes to finding love, is indeed determined by economy. This is a reflection of the socioeconomic condition of the people of today, where a great role in society is taken up by capitalists. Just like all the characters in James Joyce’s story, the people of today unconsciously accept the ideology and politics of capitalists.
Works Cited
Kelly, Joseph. "James Joyce." The Seagull Reader: Literature. 2nd ed. New York: W. W. Norton & Company, 2008. Print.
Lukacs, Georg, and gdg dgdf. The Meaning of Contemporary Realism. London: Merlin Press, 1979. Print.
Marx, Karl, and Friedrich Engels. The Communist Manifesto. London: Merlin Press, 1998. Print.
Marx, Karl. Theories of Surplus Value: Volumes One-Three (Great Minds Series). Amherst, New York: Prometheus Books, 1999. Print.
Potts, Willard. Joyce and the Two Irelands (Literary Modernism). Texas: University of Texas Press, 2010. Print.
Resnick, Stephen A., and Richard D. Wolff. "Marxist Epistemology: The Critique of Economic Determinism."Social Text. 6. (1982): 31-72. Print.
