The protagonist of James Joyce’s “Araby” is a young boy who is on the cusp of adolescence. He is naive, idealistic, and romantic, and his character is essential to the story’s outcome. He is a dreamer, and his romanticized view of the world leads him to believe that the bazaar, Araby, will be a magical place that will fulfill his desires. He is also naive in his expectations of the bazaar, believing that it will be a place of wonder and beauty, and that he will be able to find something special for the girl he loves. The boy’s naivety and idealism are what lead him to his disappointment at the end of the story. He is unable to find anything of value at the bazaar, and his romanticized view of the world is shattered. His character is also important in the way that it affects the story’s tone. His idealism and naivety create a sense of innocence and hope, which is then contrasted with the harsh reality of the bazaar. This contrast creates a sense of sadness and disillusionment, which is the main emotion of the story. In conclusion, the protagonist of “Araby” is a young boy who is naive, idealistic, and romantic. His character is essential to the story’s outcome, as his naivety and idealism lead him to his disappointment at the end. His character also affects the story’s tone, as his innocence and hope are contrasted with the harsh reality of the bazaar.
Daily Archives: February 25, 2023
Some words I would use to describe the boy in “Araby” by James Joyce are timid, innocent, and compulsive. The story states “When she came out on the doorstep my heart leaped…This happened morning after morning. I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.” This quote actively demonstrates the boy’s timidness. He was so shy when it came to Mangan’s sister (the girl he is describing his feelings about in the quote) that he couldn’t even speak to her. In the beginning of the story, the narrator starts out by describing the setting around him while him and his friends played in the street. Then, at the end of the story, the boy cries out of “anger”, because he couldn’t get Mangan’s sister a gift, like he told her he would, due to the fact that he was too late to the bazaar. These two events both prove the boy’s innocence. Also, the reader can tell he is definitely at a young age since he plays in the street. Throughout the whole story, we see the way that the boy describes Mangan’s sister and his feelings for her. He follows her, watches her every day/morning, and at the end, he proves that he’ll try hard to make her happy. This makes him seem very compulsive, or consumed by the girl and how he feels about her.
In the reading about Araby, I would describe the main protagonist as a boy with a crush. From the detailed description of the surroundings, weather, building structure, etc., I initially got the impression this was an older teen-aged boy, maybe 17 – 19. After reading further, and noticing the almost “obsessive” crush on his friend’s sister (her name escapes me at the moment), I realized he was younger. I still don’t think he is a “young boy” – young to me would be between 7 – 12, with the times he is able to travel by himself or with peers, but perhaps early teen years, between 13 – 15. The voice of a typical, teenage boy, with a crush, trying to prove himself, find himself and get the attention and adoration of a young girl. I also get the impression that he is used to doing things on his own to some degree, with the texts eluding to his uncle having a drinking problem, or coming home drunk fairly often; or even working, being busy or simply forgetting the boy. Due to his circumstances and home life, I feel this built a determined characteristic within him, with a hint of maturity to “always get things done”. He was informed most of the stalls would be closed, if not all, before he left the house to visit the bazaar, but still did his best to go. I felt that towards the end of the reading, the boy’s disappointment and anger was mainly towards his uncle, not the lack of items available to purchase. He was looking forward to going for some time; so much so that he couldn’t concentrate on his studies or tasks. He gave reminders up until the day of, and still forgotten. I believe his actions of just […]
In the story “Araby” by James Joyce the boy boy can be described as introspective, idealistic, and naïve. He is a young, inexperienced adolescent wrestling with his sexuality and desires. He is also portrayed as a romantic, drawn to the exotic charm of Araby and the prospect of discovering something transforming there. The boy’s character influences what occurs in the end because the narrative is recounted via his eyes and views. During the story, his hopes and aspirations grow as he anticipates eventually being able to visit Araby and buy a present for the girl he has a crush on. His idealistic dreams are crushed, however, when he arrives at the bazaar and discovers that it is nothing more than a business market, devoid of the magical and romantic elements he had envisaged. When he sees the emptiness of his aspirations and desires, his disillusionment leads to a tremendous sense of sadness and loss. Finally, the boy’s character is crucial to the development of the plot in “Araby,” since his point of view informs the reader’s comprehension of the events that follow. His idealism and naiveté ultimately lead to his disappointment and despair, transforming “Araby” into an emotional coming-of-age narrative rather than a normal love story.
The young boy in the story “Araby” by Joyce, can be described as an innocent, sensitive, impulsive and attentive boy. At the beginning of the story, one can see how the boy pays attention to every detail of everything in his surroundings, such as the streets and the person who lived there before him and his belongings. This demonstrates he was attentive. He noticed every little detail and described it as it was. He also was so sensitive, the way he acted every time he saw the girl he liked are examples of his sensitivity. He felt some kind of mixed emotions, felt so nervous and cried without explanation, he could barely speak to her. There are a few examples that show us he was so vulnerable and had intense feelings. This also shows he was so innocent, he didn’t know what he felt and didn’t know how to control his emotions. Also, his feelings for his friend’s older sister made him make some desperate decisions because all he wanted was that she liked him back so he wanted to get her a gift. In some scenes one can observe the boy’s behavior as an impatient person, such as when he was supposed to go to the bazaar to get the girl a gift, and his aunt told him “he may put his bazaar off for that night” (Araby), and he took the money and left. This is an example of the boy being impulsive. At the end of the story, he gets angry and frustrated by the fact that he was late to the bazaar and couldn’t get anything for the girl. This situation opened his eyes and he realizes he’s obsessed with her and if it wasn’t because of that he wouldn’t be so desperate to get the […]
