Literature

The experiences one has during the growing up years have lasting impact on the mind of the individual. Childhood memories are with a person throughout his/her life. If the memories are pleasant, one derives pleasure from them while if they are painful they hurt extremely. Another phase of life that brings new experiences along with it is adolescence. This is the period of life when the wonderful feeling of love enters into one’s life. This stage of life and the blooming of love feelings are very well captured in the short story “Araby” by James Joyce. It narrates the story of a young boy who falls for his friend’s sister. The protagonist of the story pursues the girl he loves, thinking that his love for her is true and will make her to reciprocate but he is dejected when he realizes his vainness in seeking the fulfillment of an unachievable dream.  

    The young boy in the short story “Araby” is expressing his love for the girl whose thoughts have occupied his mind, “her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.” (Joyce).  Although the young boy has rarely spoken to her, he seems to be captivated by her beauty. The feeling of love has changed his attitude towards life. He is enjoying life and the thoughts of the girl are making even the simple things of life more interesting. The boy imagines himself to be a knight or prince who is fighting with his enemies and protecting his prized possession from them. And his prized possession is the girl whom he loves deeply and intensely. He thinks that his dreams would turn into reality one day, for he believes that his love for the girl is true, and so she would also reciprocate his love.

    The young boy promises his friend’s sister that he will bring her a gift from Araby, a
bazaar in Dublin, when he goes there. Although the boy goes to the bazaar and is given

the required money by his uncle, he returns empty-handed from the bazaar. The reaction of the
woman watching the goods at the stall makes the young boy to feel that his presence at the stall is not being liked by the woman. “Observing me, the young lady came over and asked me did I wish to buy anything. The tone of her voice was not encouraging; she seemed to have spoken to me out of a sense of duty.” (Joyce). The boy turns away from the stall realizing his inability to buy any of the things at the stall. At this moment, the boy realizes his vainness in pursuing his friend’s sister, for he is not sure whether the girl will accept his love.

    The young boy loved the girl intensely and thought that his dreams about the girl would come true. But in the end, he has to change his mind and give up the thoughts of the girl. His poverty and his uncertain future compel him to change his mind. All his frustration and sad feelings are presented in his last line, “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger. (Joyce). The new knowledge affects him deeply, as he is engulfed by sorrow and pain. When he fails to achieve his dream of meeting the girl, his life seems futile for him. His narration starts with happy thoughts and ends with dejection.

    The young boy is so attracted to his friend’s sister that he begins to imagine himself as a knight who is protecting his prized possession, the girl. He believes that his love for the girl is true and will make the girl to love him in return. But he realizes his vanity in chasing a dream which cannot be fulfilled, when he fails to bring a gift for her from Araby. His realization makes him dejected and depressed, as life seems to be meaningless for him. The thought that he will never be able to get the love of his life is so disheartening that his attitude towards life suddenly turns gloomy.