Araby by James Joyce is far from a love story, it’s about infatuation, obsession and what it means to find light in the darkness of ones surroundings. The young boy’s environment was cold, somber and mostly quiet, until the Christians Brothers’ school was out of session. He explored his home a bit, revealing that the previous tenant had passed in that home, in the drawing room. He found old papers that have no relevance, books that were shriveled and moist. He explored the garden, that wasn’t being tamed or looked after. The boy’s home was even depressing.
He and his friends played in the cold and somber streets, which there’s a high chance that the young boy felt joy laughing and running around. Joy that he did not get at home or school. The streets were so dark that the lights from people’s houses filled his area with light. The young boy would hide if he had ever seen his uncle turning the corner, he would hide in a dark spot with his friends until they have seen his uncle go inside the house. But, when the young boys friend Mangan’s sister was to ever call out for Mangan, the young boy did not feel inferior. He felt intrigued and delighted to be near her, even if they never spoke, her presence was enough for him. The young boy described her so elegant and soft, that her figure was defined by the light of the house, her dress swaying with her when she moved and her hair so soft, moving side to side.
He watched her, he sought for her. As if she was something that made him light up inside. He could not stop thinking about her, even in times there was nothing about what he was doing she had any correlation to. When they finally had a conversation about the bazaar, he was the happiest he’s ever been. Even if he knew she did not or would not feel the same, this was enough for him to feel anything other than dreary emotions. She expressed that she would not be able to go the bazaar, he was determined to buy something for her. All he could think about was her and the bazaar, he was distracted to the point he did not pay attention in school. Asking his aunt and uncle for permission to go to the bazaar, asking for sufficient funds to buy something lovely for his obsession.
On the day of the bazaar, I bet he waited anxiously. Hours went by, his uncle was late. Almost making the young boy cancel his trip to the bazaar, but his aunt was gracious enough to defend for him and the uncle granted his wishes and apologized for his lateness and expressing work makes him a dull man. When he got to the bazaar it was almost closing time, most of the vendors were closed. He tried his best to find something, but no luck. His quest to buy his crush something was crushed, he felt hopeless and angered. All the joy he felt before had left him, knowing he would not be able to buy her anything.
