Similar to many stories by James Joyce,’ Araby’ uses a close first-person narrator displaying the world as it pleases his senses which leaves the readers with just a suggested instead of a clear moral story, the initial part of the story occurs around the Dubin, Ireland, which is the narrators home however at the conclusion of the story moves to bazaar across town.
The story’s narrator is a young man with an undetermined age though he is young enough to go to the neighborhood school. The narrator loves Mangan’s sister who lives across the street. She is the sibling to the young boy’s friend. She is also young but it is implied that she is older than the narrator because she can attend the convent. The narrator does not expand on his home life but he lives with his aunt and uncle. The uncle is the most significant in the story because he prevents the narrator from going to the bazaar on time.
‘Araby” is about an introverted young boy navigating towards adulthood with little guidance from the community or family. The young character in this story leaves the house at night when people are asleep with the approval of his guardians. The narrator’s uncle is good-natured but has a drinking problem. “Araby” adopts the form of a mission-a journey in pursuit of a precious or sacred thing however the quest is futile. Even if the young boy finally gets to the bazaar he is too late to buy a decent gift for Manga’s sister. Therefore it would have been better if he has stayed home.
The boy in this story knows that the real adventures must be sought abroad however setting his goals on something that sounds exotic such as Araby which equates to Arabia, the boy cannot reach there to have a worthwhile experience. This is because his uncle who would have made the experience possible was out drinking.
