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Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences, 2023, 6(1); doi: 10.25236/AJHSS.2023.060120.

The Grown Up Version of Adolescent Crush--Self-Differentiation in “Araby”

Author(s)

Chen Yaya

Corresponding Author:
Chen Yaya
Affiliation(s)

College of Foreign Languages and Cultures, Sichuan University, Chengdu, China

Abstract

Self-differentiation refers to the differentiation of the past “I” and the present “I”, which exists in all self-narratives. In “Araby”, the third story of Dubliners, the adult narrator “I” tells the story of his adolescent love for his neighbour’s sister. The narrator tells his past story either in the language of the present “I” or of the past “I”. Therefore, the present “I” and the past “I” alternate, causing the difference in the language and consciousness of the narrator. With both unity and division, the tension of the two narrative voices is caused, which on the one hand enriches the meaning of the story and on the other guides naratees to actively participate in the interpretation of the story.

Keywords

James Joyce; Araby; Self-differentiation; Self-narrative; Acceptance aesthetics

Cite This Paper

Chen Yaya. The Grown Up Version of Adolescent Crush--Self-Differentiation in “Araby”. Academic Journal of Humanities & Social Sciences (2023) Vol. 6, Issue 1: 154-158. https://doi.org/10.25236/AJHSS.2023.060120.

References

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