War and Peace: Two Short Stories by James Joyce

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Chapter 7: A Soldier's Prayer

A soldier in a trench is praying to Jesus, asking him to save him from the bomb attacks around him. He promises to be the best Christian possible if he survives. Even though the attacks immediately move away, he never fulfills his pledge in his entire life.

Characters

  • Soldier
  • Narrator
  • Girl in the brothel

Setting

In the battle scene, we can sense fear, death, and anger. In the brothel, it is much happier, full of joy, peace, and pleasure.

Narrator

The narrator seems to be internal, but at the same time, he is omniscient (9).

Theme

The narrator is ashamed and hasn't forgotten what happened at Fossalta, so he's telling everyone the story in the third person, but letting slip that it was he who was praying. The last sentence is the key to the whole story.

Repetition

Intensifies what is being said by repeating the conjunction "and." Line 2 creates an atmosphere of fear. Line 7 creates an emotionally charged atmosphere of tranquility and peace.

Structure

The story begins in the middle of the action, which shocks and impresses the reader. The first part of the story (lines 1-6) is structured with a setting, a description, and an action. The second half (lines 6-9) has the same structure, but there are two different settings, descriptions, and actions.

Araby

A young boy falls in love for the first time and tries to impress her by buying her something at Araby, but in the end, he doesn't buy her anything because his decisiveness starts flaking.

Characters

  • The boy
  • Mangan
  • The priest tenant
  • His aunt and uncle
  • Mangan's sister

Atmosphere

At first, there is optimism and physical attraction. Later on, pessimism, anger, and disillusionment.

Narrator

The narrator is the young boy in the future, talking about what happened to him in his youth. He is internal and non-omniscient.

Theme

Joyce pretends to criticize the cruelty and sourness of real life through the eyes of a young and naive boy.

Literary Devices

  • Metaphor: Line 1, "blind streets" - closed to traffic. Lines 5-6 is a personification of the houses - includes their being blind.
  • Extended metaphor: Lines 5.10-11 use Medieval Romance language to refer to his love for Mangan's sister and to those "infidels" who aren't pure enough to understand it.
  • Extended simile: Lines 5.18-19, the boy compares his body to a harp and her words to the hands playing the harp, meaning that when she speaks, he feels an inner vibration, a melodious surge inside.
  • Free indirect style
  • Epiphany: The story ends up being a revelation.

Analysis of Love

The young narrator is experiencing love for the first time and is having problems interpreting all the irrationality it conveys. He describes his love for her as "confused adoration," comparing his love for her to his love for the Virgin Mary, something extremely pure and benign.

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