Essay on Araby, by James Joyce - 676 Words

In his short story Araby, James Joyce portrays a character who strives to achieve a goal and who comes to an epiphany through his failure to accomplish that goal. Written in the first person, Araby is about a man recalling an event from his childhood. The narrators desire to be with the sister of his friend Mangan, leads him on a quest to bring back a gift from the carnival for the girl. It is the quest, the desire to be a knight in shining armor, that sends the narrator to the carnival and its what he experienced and sees at the carnival that brings him to the realization that some dreams are just not attainable. Joyce uses the setting of the story to help create a mood and to develop characters and themes throughout the†¦show more content†¦Every morning I lay on the floor in the front parlor watching her door...At night in my bedroom and by day in the classroom her image came between me and the page I strove to read. This shows the extent to which the narrator desires to be with Mangans sister. During the narrators first encounter with Mangans sister, she turned a sliver bracelet around her wrist. Picturing this bracelet twisting and spinning around the girls wrist gives the reader a sense that the narrators emotions too are spinning round and round as he is finally talking to the girl of his dreams. He describes her silver bracelet, the white curve of her neck, and the white border of a petticoat to give Mangans sister a sense of innocence and purity. If I go, I said, I will bring something for you. This is where the narrators romantic quest begins. He has committed himself to going to Araby, an exotic carnival of wonder and enchantment, to bring back a gift for the girl he is in love with. What seems to be a simple task: go to the carnival, get a gift and bring it back; turns out to be one upset after another. The day of the carnival the narrators uncle, who has the narrators money, arrives home late. In his drunken state, the uncle hands the narrator the money and sends him on his way. I took my seat in a third class carriage of a deserted train.Show MoreRelatedAraby and James Joyce1207 Words   |  5 PagesThe short story â€Å"Araby† is clearly identifiable as the work of James Joyce. His vocalized ambition of acquainting fellow Irish natives with the true temperament of his homeland is apparent throughout the story. Joyce’s painstakingly precise writing style can be observed throughout â€Å"Araby† as well. Roman Catholicism, which played a heavy role in Joyce’s life, also does so in the story which is another aspect which makes Joyce’s authorship of the story unmistakable. As a result of Irish heritage displayedRead MoreAraby, By James Joyce1013 Words   |  5 Pages James Joyce’s short fiction, â€Å"Araby†, speaks of the loss of innocence when one enters adulthood. The narrator of â€Å"Araby† reflects back to his childhood and the defining moment when he reached clarity on the world he stood before. The young boy, living in a world lifeless and religious influence, becomes consumed with the lust of a neighbouring girl. The girl, Mangan, is symbolically the narrator’s childhood obsession with growing up. As she resembles the desire to become an adult, the Araby is theRead MoreAraby, By James Joyce917 Words   |  4 PagesAraby is a short story by James Joyce about a young boy who is infatuated a young woman who is the older sister of one of his friends. He watches her from afar and believes that his feelings are true love. He lacks the confidence to speak to her or confide in anyone else. The narrator speaks of her as if she were the most beautiful and wondrous human on earth, however, he does not realize that he is in love with the thought of her and not necessarily her. The narrator lives in Ireland as James JoyceRead More`` Araby `` By James Joyce1315 Words   |  6 PagesThe short story â€Å"Araby† by James Joyce is a young boy who has such an infatuation for his friend Mangan sister, he begins to idolize her as if she was a saint. This is when the idea of love and desire come into play. He simply can’t stop thinking about her and sees her in a godly like way. As the story begins to unfold the realization that the young boy doesn t quite understand the concept of the illusion and the reality of what Mangan’s sister really means to him. The young boy realizes that hisRead MoreAraby, By James Joyce956 Words   |  4 PagesIn the short story â€Å"Araby,† James Joyce uses religion to give a the story deeper meaning. The narrator of the story finds himself in a confusing love that is unrealistic and distorted. In â€Å"Araby,† Joyce uses an underlying theme of religion to portray a confusing admiration that is bro ught to a twisted end. Throughout â€Å"Araby† there is an underlying theme of religion. The boy himself lives with his uncle who is feared by the other kids on the street. If he is seen the kids â€Å"hid in the shadows† untilRead More`` Araby `` By James Joyce1885 Words   |  8 PagesJohn Updike and â€Å"Araby† by James Joyce both introduce two young protagonist who both share in blinded adoration for young women. Both young men attempts to woo the young woman by proving their nobility. Both efforts go completely unnoticed by both girls and both young men are left alone dealing the aftermath of their failed nobility, which changes the way they view themselves. James Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† is a medieval romance set in Dublin, Ireland. As we are introduced to the story, Joyce describes theRead MoreAraby, By James Joyce869 Words   |  4 Pages Araby In the short novel, Araby by James joyce which was one of the most influential writers in the modernist era of the early 20th century. In Araby, Joyce highlights a young boy who describes the North Dublin Street where he lives in a house with his aunt and uncle. The narrator recalls when he and his friends used to run through the dark muddy lanes of the house to avoid his uncle or when Mangan’s sister came out on the doorstep to call her brother in to his tea. He is obsessed with the youngRead More`` Araby `` By James Joyce843 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Araby†, James Joyce uses the young unnamed boy as her main character. Representing himself in this first person view, the main character takes us on a journey that suggests the verge of adolescence. The events that take place in this story create a very clear image for us, reflecting the difficulties a young boy may undergo during the last years of his juvenile life. The awakening is sometimes unknowingly refreshing. He would watch the girl he most desires at times throughout the day as if mesmerizedRead More`` Araby `` By James Joyce1451 Words   |  6 PagesJames Joyce, an Irish novelist, wrote fifteen short stories that depict Irish middle class life in Dublin, Ireland during the early years of the twentieth century. He entitled the compilation of these short stories Dubliners. The protagonist in each of these stories, shares a desire for change. This common interest motivates the protagonist and helps them to move forward in their lives. Additionally, the protagonist has an epiphany, or moment of realization or transformation. In â€Å"Araby†, the narratorRead MoreAraby, By James Joyce Essay1888 Words   |  8 PagesJames Joyce’s, Araby, is an emotional short story that centers around a nameless boy living in Dublin, with his aunt and uncle, who has a consuming crush on his friend’s sister. His love for her leads him to the Araby bazaar, and there he comes to a realizat ion about his immature actions. This event is the basis for the entire story, but the ideas Joyce promotes with this story revolve around the boy’s reactions to his feelings about his crush. Joyce spends much of the story describing the boy’s