Foundations of Literature Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Foundations of Literature - Essay Example Neverthless, in order for a story to work it must have some basic elements. It must have a plot—or a narrative in which things happen and unfold. It must have characters—people and actors who do things and with whom the reader can relate. It must have a setting—in other words a place where the action happens. And it must have a point of view—a perspective from which the story unfolds. Without these things, the story would be of little interest to anyone. In order to develop the plot of a story, a solid narrative is most important. Things must happen, characters must act. Otherwise the plot doesnt exist. A plot is a compilation of events, usually leading towards some sort of climax. A good example of all of this is James Joyce’s story â€Å"Araby† is similar to many of the other stories in the collection Dubliners in that romantic ardour or feeling is influenced by the profound Roman Catholicism, which is a staple of Irish life. Many other stories feature narratives about love and religion in which both are often thwarted. The worship of â€Å"holy† figures, dead and alive, colours the lives of the living in Joyce’s stories, no matter how much they might try to blot them out. Plot, narrative, characters and setting are evident throughout the story. Araby is the story of a sensitive boy who worships a friend’s sister from afar. He spends so much time thinking about her that he effectively idealizes her, much as a more religious person might idealize the Virgin Mary or Jesus Christ. He imposes unrealistic expectations on the girl and his relationship with her and hopes that she will redeem or save him from the occasional drabness of his life. The overall message of the story is that religion creates unrealistic expectations of the world and costs much more than it is worth. Even if the narrator were able to go Araby and bring back the girl a