Araby," by James Joyce, "The Aeneid," by

¶ … Araby," by James Joyce, "The Aeneid," by Virgil, and "Candide," by Voltaire. Specifically, it will look at love as a common theme in literature, but more often than not, it does not live up to the romantic ideal of love. Various authors employ this emotion as a theme that allows them to demonstrate some truth about the human condition that lies outside of the terrain of love.

ARABY" The third story in Joyce's "The Dubliners" is "Araby." At first it seems simply a story of a young boy experiencing his first love. However, there is much more to the story.

The boy reveals his feelings about the Church in the first paragraph, when he says the Christian Brothers' School "set the boys free." The girl he likes cannot go to the fair with him because she has a "retreat at her convent." These simple statements show the restrictions of the Church that apply even to the Catholic children, and how they affect their lives. What they do revolves around the Church.

Even in the bazaar that is nearly closed for the night, he likens to a "...silence like that which pervades a church after a service" (Joyce 13). He cannot get away from the influence of the Church, no matter where he goes. This is at first glance the first truly romantic story of the three. The young boy has his first adolescent crush, and it brings back memories of first love.

It is a charming story until it contents with the Church, and with the young boy's own anguish at not finding something suitable at the bazaar for his "love." Joyce shows us the innocence of young love mixed with the great influence the Catholic Church has over all her parishioners, even over their love. Joyce is chiding Catholics for allowing the Church to operate their lives here, and showing how easily manipulated people can be in the name of religion.

THE AENEID" The story of Aeneas and Dido is tragic at best. Dido has sworn not to love again after her husband is murdered. However, Cupid visits her and spears her with his arrow, "Th' unhappy queen with talk prolong'd the night, / And drank large draughts of love with vast delight" (Virgil I). She is almost mad with her love for Aeneas, so mad that she allows her love finally to consume her.

When she cannot have Aeneas, because he decides to leave her homeland, Carthage, she kills herself on a funeral pyre filled with mementos of Aeneas. She realizes she has compromised her future as a ruler, and ends her life. What a waste of a strong and viable woman; lost in uncontrollable love for a man who had other ambitions. Dido's love for Aeneas destroyed her as a ruler. Her people saw her lose her dignity as she openly obsesses over Aeneas and ignores her responsibilities.

"Further, by dallying with another foreigner, Dido alienates the local African chieftains who had approached her as suitors and now pose a military threat" (Gardner). She has ruined her rule, for a man. Before she met Aeneas, she was competent and confident, and afterwards her whole being depends on a man who leaves her to continue his own quest. This is certainly not the ideal of romantic love. In the romantic story, Aeneas would return for Dido, or stay to rule over her country with her.

This is a portrait of all-consuming love, unrequited love, (even though Aeneas loved Dido, he loves his quest more), and destructive love. These are all types of love that exist in society, however they are not discussed as often or as openly as romantic love. Here, Virgil brings them out in the open, and shows them for what they are, wasteful and unreasonable. CANDIDE" Cunegonde is the daughter of Candide's uncle, and Candide's lover. Her father catches the two kissing, and banishes Candide from the castle.

The warring Bulgarian army attacks the castle and kills Cunegonde's parents in the attack. Cunegonde is raped, and then sold by a Bulgarian officer to Don Issachar, who shares her with the Grand Inquisitor. Cunegonde watches Pangloss hang, and Candide being whipped. Cunegonde takes care of Candide, and during their reunion, Don Issachar finds them. Candide kills him with a sword, and then kills the Grand Inquisitor when he finds what they have done. Cunegonde is Candide's love interest throughout the book, and the cause of many of Candide's woes.

He commits murder for her, travels the world to find her, and loves her no matter what happens. She serves the purpose of continuity throughout the book, and proves that love never dies when Candide marries her in the end, even after she has turned ugly. "Ugly or handsome,' said Candide, 'I am a man of honor and, as such, am obliged to love her still'" (Voltaire). This view of love.