James Joyce’s “Araby” is one short story out of his collection, Dubliners. It follows a nameless young boy and his love for his friend’s nameless sister through first person narration. There are many themes that this story addresses, but I argue that romance is the most crucial theme here. The theme of romance is spread by the boy’s idealization of Mangan’s sister which causes the contrasts of expectations and reality. As the story progresses, his idealizations falter and eventually he is fully aware of his true surroundings and reality. James Joyce uses this first-person perspective to showcase the theme of romance by the means of idealization, expectations vs. reality, and character development of the young boy.
Idealization of romance is …show more content…
Blythe and Sweet from, “The Romance of “Araby”” pointed out that, “As soon as the narrator mentions the object of his affection, Mangan’s sister, the language of the story makes a sudden and distinct change from the biting naturalism to semi-lyrical passages that, thus, call attention to themselves.” (Page 104). His consciousness is very present in the short story and it is apparent in the story that the boy is smart enough to realize his surrounding reality. In the beginning, the narrator explains his surroundings in much detail. He describes the drab neighborhood he resides in as well as specific names of books that all have the common theme of chivalric romance. This detailed report quickly changes the moment he becomes aware of his feelings. The narrator begins to focus more on a fictional relationship with the girl rather than real events that occur. Instead of statements, he is now unclear as to why he does certain things, “Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand. My eyes were often full of tears (I could not tell why)….” (Page 243). It is clear that he is naïve, but this does not deter him away from trying to win her over with the promise of a gift from Araby. Upon arriving at the bazaar, he becomes aware of his reality and of his relationship with the girl after noticing the conversation between the gentlemen and the lady. Cheryl Hunter from “The Coming of Age Archetype in James Joyce’s “Araby”” explains, “He realizes that the girl is just having fun with the boys, and he sees himself in them.” (Page 103). The conversation between these two allows him to realize that he is simply being toyed with instead of being taken seriously. The line, “I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity” showed that he can see what he truly is to the girl and
Idealization of romance is …show more content…
Blythe and Sweet from, “The Romance of “Araby”” pointed out that, “As soon as the narrator mentions the object of his affection, Mangan’s sister, the language of the story makes a sudden and distinct change from the biting naturalism to semi-lyrical passages that, thus, call attention to themselves.” (Page 104). His consciousness is very present in the short story and it is apparent in the story that the boy is smart enough to realize his surrounding reality. In the beginning, the narrator explains his surroundings in much detail. He describes the drab neighborhood he resides in as well as specific names of books that all have the common theme of chivalric romance. This detailed report quickly changes the moment he becomes aware of his feelings. The narrator begins to focus more on a fictional relationship with the girl rather than real events that occur. Instead of statements, he is now unclear as to why he does certain things, “Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand. My eyes were often full of tears (I could not tell why)….” (Page 243). It is clear that he is naïve, but this does not deter him away from trying to win her over with the promise of a gift from Araby. Upon arriving at the bazaar, he becomes aware of his reality and of his relationship with the girl after noticing the conversation between the gentlemen and the lady. Cheryl Hunter from “The Coming of Age Archetype in James Joyce’s “Araby”” explains, “He realizes that the girl is just having fun with the boys, and he sees himself in them.” (Page 103). The conversation between these two allows him to realize that he is simply being toyed with instead of being taken seriously. The line, “I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity” showed that he can see what he truly is to the girl and