Araby: How the Setting Reinforces the Theme and Characters The setting in "Araby" reinforces the theme and the characters by using imagery of light and darkness. The experiences of the boy in James Joyce's "Araby" illustrate how people often expect more than ordinary reality can provide and then feel disillusioned and disappointed. The author uses dark and obscure references to make the boy's reality of living in the gloomy town of Araby more vivid. He uses dark and gloomy references to create the mood or atmosphere, then changes to bright light references when discussing Mangan's sister. The story expresses its theme through the settin