An Iconic and Actantial Analysis of James Joyce's Araby through Greimas' Actantial and Semiotic Model

Abstract

The objective of this study is to examine the applicability of Algirdas Julien Greimas’s actantial model by identifying and analysing the actants within the narrative structure of James Joyce’s Araby. The actantial model, developed by Greimas, abstracts and simplifies the complex structure of a narrative text into six core functions or actants: subject, object, sender, receiver, helper, and opponent. These actants represent functional roles rather than specific characters, offering a theoretical framework for narrative analysis. Employing a structured inquiry alongside both quantitative and qualitative methods, this research identifies and interprets the actants and their respective functions within the story. The study finds that Greimas’s model can be effectively applied to Araby, and potentially to various forms or even sections of narrative texts. This approach may be further developed through comparative studies and interdisciplinary applications to enrich actantial analysis across diverse narrative forms.