Araby
James Joyce
Summary
The story
“Araby” is a beautiful depiction of the contrast between our imagination and
the reality. We are too imaginative that realty makes us sad when it is
revealed to us.
The narrator
of the story is a schoolboy. He loves the sister of one his playmate, Manga. He
cannot express his love to her. He loves her madly. Her word was more than a
law for him. He is always absorbed in her thoughts. He sees her through the eye
of imagination. He loves her too much to express to her confidently. He often
cries in her memory. He never dared to talk to her. Once the girl talks to her and asks him to go
to Araby, a bazaar.
The boy promises
that he will go there and bring something for her. So he went to Araby just
because she wished him to do so. He was late because he had to wait for his
uncle to get some money. He leaves for Araby very late with a very little
money. He goes to a shop, looks at things. However, he cannot buy anything
because of his little money. He repents
on his promise and his eyes burn with anger and anguish. (204 words)
What is the theme of the story “Araby”?
The
theme of the story “Araby” is that the subjective feelings of a person and the
objective world are two opposing things. There is no agreement between them.
First, we do not understand this disagreement, but later we come to understand
that, and we are disillusioned. Then we are sad and dejected.
The
narrator in the story is in love with his friend’s sister. To him his
subjective feeling of love is the only reality. All other things have no
importance for him. Nothing is important for him now. He usually weeps without
knowing why he is weeping. These are the subjective feelings of the boy. This
is his illusion.
His
objective world is that he is just schoolboy. Perhaps he is an orphan too. His
uncle is his patron. He should not have promised the girls that he would bring
something or her. He cannot bring anything for her, because he is himself
dependent on his uncle.
There
is great disagreement between his subjective feelings and the objective world. When
he comes to understand this disagreement, is disillusioned. Then he is sad and
dejected. (185 words)
With
reference to “Araby”, discuss the intensity of the schoolboy’s love.
Describe
narrator’s attitude towards Mangan’s sister.
The
schoolboy is a passionate lover. Discuss.
James Joyce shows the effect of love on its victims. Comment
In this
story, the schoolboy appears to be a passionate lover. We also come to know the
effect of love on its victims.
The
schoolboy is a teenager. He loves Mangan’s sister very passionately, but he
cannot express it. He is mad in her love. He wants to be around her. At school time
as soon as she comes out of her house, he takes his books, rushes out and
follows her without letting her know. He does some foolish acts under the
effect of his love for her. He keeps on thinking about her even in the
classroom and cannot focus on his studies.
He
is so intense in his love he cannot understand why his eyes are full of tears.
He says about his condition: “But my body was like a harp and her words and
gestures were like fingers running upon the wires.” He had become so much
intense in his love that now her image is always before his eyes.
So,
the writer has shown the intensity of the schoolboy’s love. His love had become
his whole business. This is the effect of love on its victims. (191 words)
Write a note
on the mental condition of the schoolboy after his talk with Mangan’s sister.
Why were the
schoolboy’s teachers annoyed with the schoolboy?
How did the schoolboy behave on Saturday when he was to go to
Araby? Describe his feelings.
After his
talk with Mangan’s sister, he started thinking about Araby all the time. He
thought about that not only during daytime but also in his dreams. He was so
impatient that he could not wait. He wanted to go to Araby at once.
On
Saturday, he was very restless and impatient. He wanted to go at once. Nevertheless,
he had to wait the whole day. He had to go to school and he had to wait for his
uncle’s return. Before leaving for school, he reminded his uncle that he wished
to go to Araby that day. He was not in a good mood when he left. His uncle did
not return until dinnertime. He wanted money from him. Therefore, he had to
wait.
He
was feeling cold and gloomy. He went from one room to another singing. From the
front window, he saw his companions playing. He looked at the dark house of the
girl. He started imagining that the girl was standing and before him. He saw
light touching her neck, her hand, and her dress. He stood there for an hour.
At
nine O’clock, his uncle returned home. At the dinner table, he asked for money.
His uncle gave him one florin and started reading a poem, but he did not listen
to it and started for Araby. (222)
The schoolboy of the story “Araby” is the representative of the
adolescence. Discuss.
The schoolboy is the representative of his class. Discuss.
No
doubt, the schoolboy of the story “Araby” represents the adolescence. It is an
age when boys are not mature. They are inexperienced and sentimental. They do
not know anything about the bitter realities of life. To them their subjective
world is everything. They want such things as are out of their reach. However,
they do not come to know their real position until they are face-to-face wit
bitter realities.
We
see that the boy or the protagonist is just like that. He is immature and
inexperienced and only a schoolboy. He is sentimental too. He falls in love,
but does not know how to express it. He looks at his beloved in fascination
from a distance. He keeps on thinking about her not only at night but also
during the daytime. He remembers her when he is in his classroom and even when
he goes to market with his aunt. Her image always remains before his eyes. His
eyes are full of tears and he does not know why he is weeping. Now the serious
work of life seems to him child’s play.
He
does not know anything about the bitter realities of life. He promises to the
girl that he would bring something for her. He forgets that he depends on his
uncle and he does not have any money with him. He does not realize that until
he stands at the shop and perhaps sees the high prices of things written on
them. Now he is face to face with the bitter realities of life. He comes to
know that he has very little money and with that money, he cannot buy anything
for the girl. (279)
How does the
schoolboy come to know that he is wrong and he should not have promised to
bring something for the girl?
Why is the
protagonist angry at the end of the story and why do his eyes burn with
anguish?
“Araby”
describes a conflict between the subjective feeling of the protagonist and the
objective world.
What is the
disillusionment of the schoolboy or the protagonist?
Discuss the
narrator’s mental condition and the gap between his hopes and their
fulfillment.
Conflict is
a state of disagreement between opposing ideas. When we read the story “Araby”
carefully, we find that two opposing ideas have been presented. The first idea
is schoolboy’s subjective feelings and the second idea is his objective or real
world. There is a conflict between the personal feelings of a person and the
real world.
The
boy falls in love with his friend’s sister. To him his subjective feeling of
love is the only reality. All the other things have no importance for him. To
him the serious work of live is a child’s play. He keeps on thinking about her
all the time. Even when he goes to market, he thinks about her.
In
the classroom, he cannot pay attention to his studies. Nothing is important for
him now. He usually weeps without knowing why he is weeping. He promises to buy
a gift for the girl. These are the subjective feelings of the boy. This is his
illusion. His objective world is that he is just a schoolboy. Perhaps he is an
orphan too. His uncle is his patron. He should not have promised the girls to
bring something for her. He cannot buy anything for her because he himself is
dependent on his uncle.
Therefore,
we see that there is a big disagreement between his subjective feelings and
objective world.
It
is only at the end of the story that he comes to know what he is and what he
should not have done. He is disillusioned. With his little money, he cannot buy
anything for her. It was his vanity when he promised to bring something for
her. It is the sense of reality that makes his eyes burn with anguish and
anger. (289)
What are
symbolic meanings of the deserted train and dark bazaar in the story “Araby”?
Writers
always set the situation for the end of the story. The setting of story always
foretells the end of the story. If the end is pleasant, the writer always talks
about light, day, and good things. If the end is tragic, the writer always
talks about night, darkness, cold, gloom, death and other bad things.
Therefore, the desertedness of the train, its delay, and slowness all symbolize
the tragic end and the disappointment that the boy is going to face.
The
dark bazaar symbolizes the narrator’s ignorance. He promises to the girl that
he will bring something for her from “Araby”. He does not know that he cannot
buy a gift for the girl with his little money. Therefore, the darkness of the
bazaar shows his ignorance. The darkness of bazaar also symbolizes the bitter
realities of life. It is a reality that he is immature and inexperienced and
does not know anything about the power of money. Therefore, by looking into the
darkness, he realizes his foolishness. This darkness also symbolizes that we
cannot fulfill all wishes. Various things that are out of our reach and we
cannot get them.