“Araby” by James Joyce is about growing up and loving. The scene is 20th century Dublin, Ireland, about a boy who lives in North Richmond Street and lives with his uncle and aunt. The author contrasts dark and light as a metaphor to show how the boy’s surroundings were full of bleakness, and this one girl he likes is the only light in his life. He thinks about her obsessively and believes himself to be in love with her. She asks if he is going to Araby, which is a bazaar. Since she can’t go due to prior commitments, he offers to buy her something from Araby if he goes to the bazaar. He also became obsessed with going to Araby to purchase a gift to win her favor. He fantasized about just how splendid a place this bazaar was and couldn’t wait to go there. Later in the story, when the day finally arrives, he asks his uncle for money to go to Araby. Still, unfortunately, his uncle was preoccupied with drinking and came home really late, so he arrived at Araby late. Unfortunately, most of it was already closed by the time he arrived, and the people at the stall that he visited were less than friendly. He also did not see anything he wanted or could afford to buy at the booth, and his disillusionment was complete. This moment is when the character grows up as he learns a painful lesson about being blinded by love and no longer believing something to be more wonderful than it is.
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