Summary “Araby” is the story of an adolescent boy who passed through the emotional turmoil caused by initial sexual urge. The narrator was an adolescent boy who lived at the Richmond Street. The boys used to play on the streets in the evening. The narrator felt attracted towards the elder sister of one of his friends, called Mangan. Her physical features-voice and gestures- cast a strange fascination over him. He noticed with her fascination that her dress swung as she moved her body and her hair tossed from side to side. The white curve of her neck, the white border of her petticoat, all cast a strange spell. He used to lie hidden in the parlor in the morning before going to school to see when the girl came out to the door steps. As soon as she appeared there he rushed out and crossed her on the junction of the roads. At times he talked to her but it was just formal and casual. But her very name was an irresistible call to all his blood. He thought of her in all situations, even the most unromantic ones and her image accompanied him everywhere, even when he was passing through the dirty streets. He felt he was a harp played upon by her words and gestures.
One day she spoke to him and asked him to go to the Araby, a market, for her. She could not go as her school had retreat. The narrator was highly excited though there was nothing special in her request. The time between Saturday and the present seemed tedious. He wanted to annihilate the gap. He asked his uncle and aunt to allow him to go to Araby on Saturday. However, on Saturday night, his uncle was quite late in returning home. He had forgotten that he had to give some money to the boy. He came at about nine. It was too late and no shops would remain open. Yet the boy was bent upon going to Araby. The uncle suspected that it must be something like love and he thought it was a transition from adolescent to adulthood. The boy walked down the Buckingham Street to the railway station. He got into a train and went to the station where there was Araby.
The boy was in a hurry. The market was going to be closed. So he paid a shilling for entry. He went through a big hall and found that almost all the shops were closed. There were a few people in front of the stall that was still open. Two men were counting money on a salver before a stall, Café Chantant. The boy went to a stall that had porcelain vases and tea-sets. A young lady, the sales girl, was arguing with two young men. She asked him if he wanted to buy something. The narrator told her that he did not. The young lady went back to the young men and began to talk. The narrator however continued to be there as if he was interested in the goods there. He walked down the middle of the market. He put his two pennies into his pockets where there was six pence. The hall was now dark as the lights were switched off. The narrator realized that he was simply guided by vanity. He was in anguished. But he realized his adolescent folly. It is through such experiences-illusions and disillusionments-that adolescent grows out of adolescence into an adult.
James Joyce(1882-1941) 1882 He was born into a middle-class family in Dublin, Ireland.
1893 His family sank into poverty. His father became an alcoholic an was unemployable.
1898-1902 He received a strong classical education at University College, Dublin, where he studied modern languages.
1902 The twenty-year-old Joyce went to Paris. He spent in France a year, returning when a telegram arrived saying his mother was dying. He stayed in Ireland until 1904, and in June that year he met Nora Barncale, the Galway woman who was to become his partner and later his wife.
Discussion Questions 1. Why does the narrator want to go to Araby? 2. Why do you think Mangan‘s sister suggests that the boy go to Araby? Does she really care if he makes it or not?Why doesn‘t he buy anything for Mangan’s sister at the end of the story? 3. Define the narrator’s feelings for Mangan‘s sister. 4. Identify words and phrases in the story that are associated with religion. What purpose do these references to religion serve? 5. In what sense is “Araby” an initiation story?
1.He wants to go to the Araby bazaar and bring something back for Mangan’s sister. 2.She doesn't care what she said or if the boy would buy her a gift or not. He realizes that Mangan’s sister fails his expectations, and that his desire for her is actually only a vain wish for change. 3.Extreme idealism. 4.Joyce uses religious symbols to depict his rebellious view about the Catholic Church. 5.The story is an initiation story, meaning that the boy experienced growth, from one stage of his life (e.g. childhood) to another (young adulthood).
Summary
ReplyDelete“Araby” is the story of an adolescent boy who passed through the emotional turmoil caused by initial sexual urge. The narrator was an adolescent boy who lived at the Richmond Street. The boys used to play on the streets in the evening. The narrator felt attracted towards the elder sister of one of his friends, called Mangan. Her physical features-voice and gestures- cast a strange fascination over him. He noticed with her fascination that her dress swung as she moved her body and her hair tossed from side to side. The white curve of her neck, the white border of her petticoat, all cast a strange spell. He used to lie hidden in the parlor in the morning before going to school to see when the girl came out to the door steps. As soon as she appeared there he rushed out and crossed her on the junction of the roads. At times he talked to her but it was just formal and casual. But her very name was an irresistible call to all his blood. He thought of her in all situations, even the most unromantic ones and her image accompanied him everywhere, even when he was passing through the dirty streets. He felt he was a harp played upon by her words and gestures.
One day she spoke to him and asked him to go to the Araby, a market, for her. She could not go as her school had retreat. The narrator was highly excited though there was nothing special in her request. The time between Saturday and the present seemed tedious. He wanted to annihilate the gap. He asked his uncle and aunt to allow him to go to Araby on Saturday. However, on Saturday night, his uncle was quite late in returning home. He had forgotten that he had to give some money to the boy. He came at about nine. It was too late and no shops would remain open. Yet the boy was bent upon going to Araby. The uncle suspected that it must be something like love and he thought it was a transition from adolescent to adulthood. The boy walked down the Buckingham Street to the railway station. He got into a train and went to the station where there was Araby.
The boy was in a hurry. The market was going to be closed. So he paid a shilling for entry. He went through a big hall and found that almost all the shops were closed. There were a few people in front of the stall that was still open. Two men were counting money on a salver before a stall, Café Chantant. The boy went to a stall that had porcelain vases and tea-sets. A young lady, the sales girl, was arguing with two young men. She asked him if he wanted to buy something. The narrator told her that he did not. The young lady went back to the young men and began to talk. The narrator however continued to be there as if he was interested in the goods there. He walked down the middle of the market. He put his two pennies into his pockets where there was six pence. The hall was now dark as the lights were switched off. The narrator realized that he was simply guided by vanity. He was in anguished. But he realized his adolescent folly. It is through such experiences-illusions and disillusionments-that adolescent grows out of adolescence into an adult.
James Joyce(1882-1941)
ReplyDelete1882 He was born into a middle-class family in Dublin, Ireland.
1893 His family sank into poverty. His father became an alcoholic an was unemployable.
1898-1902 He received a strong classical education at University College, Dublin, where he studied modern languages.
1902 The twenty-year-old Joyce went to Paris. He spent in France a year, returning when a telegram arrived saying his mother was dying.
He stayed in Ireland until 1904, and in June that year he met Nora Barncale, the Galway woman who was to become his partner and later his wife.
Discussion Questions
ReplyDelete1. Why does the narrator want to go to Araby?
2. Why do you think Mangan‘s sister suggests that the boy go to Araby? Does she really care if he makes it or not?Why doesn‘t he buy anything for Mangan’s sister at the end of the story?
3. Define the narrator’s feelings for Mangan‘s sister.
4. Identify words and phrases in the story that are associated with religion. What purpose do these references to religion serve?
5. In what sense is “Araby” an initiation story?
1.He wants to go to the Araby bazaar and bring something back for Mangan’s sister.
ReplyDelete2.She doesn't care what she said or if the boy would buy her a gift or not.
He realizes that Mangan’s sister fails his expectations, and that his desire for her is actually only a vain wish for change.
3.Extreme idealism.
4.Joyce uses religious symbols to depict his rebellious view about the Catholic Church.
5.The story is an initiation story, meaning that the boy experienced growth, from one stage of his life (e.g. childhood) to another (young adulthood).