Araby
Araby by James Joyce, the story is told through the first-person viewpoint of an un-named protagonist, a little boy of about 11 years of age. He begins by describing North Richmond Street, the little boy is in love with Mangans sister who is older than him probably in her teen years, she does not share a mutual feeling with him as a matter in fact she doesnt even notice his existence at times. In his only conversation with her, she reveals that she will not be able to go to the "Araby" bazaar, although she would like to. She suggests that he should go, he speaks impulsively: "If I go, I will bring you something" (71). His opportunity has come to finally win her love by buying her something in Araby. He waits impatiently for the day of his quest in buying something worthy for his beloved to come. When the day came and he went to the bazaar it was not how he imagined it, as he walked he overheard a vulgar conversation that the young lady from a stall was having with two young gentlemen, the little boy decides to leave and as he leaves he experiences an epiphany from a world of magic and dreams to the reality of a cruel world and broken dreams. The little boy who is about 11 years of age lives with his uncles which are a parent like figure for him. He lives in Dublin, Ireland. The little boy is shy, imaginative, and mature.
The little boy is shy because when Mangans sister talks to the little boy he says At last she spoke to me. When she addressed the first words to me I was so confused I did not know how to answer (71) this shows that he is shy because if he wasnt he wouldnt be confused he would have just carried on the conversation, as they go on in the conversation she asked him if he was going to Araby. He then thinks to himself I forgot whether I answered yes or no (71) this proves that he is so shy he doesnt even remember what he is saying, of course it is also understandable that he likes her and when people like someone they get shy and nervous there are some exceptions of course in which when we like someone we feel comfortable and are not shy, but as we can see and understand the quotations listed above proves that the little boy is shy.
He is also imaginative because after the conversation he had with Managns sister he begins to says "What innumerable follies laid waste my waking and sleeping thoughts after that evening! I wished to annihilate the tedious intervening days...At night in my bedroom and by day in the classroom her image came between me and the page I strove to read. The syllables of the wordArabywere called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me" (71) as we can see he is a very imaginative boy, he imagines her when he reads and he doesnt even know what or how the bazaar is yet the way he says it is as if he imagines it to be this wonderful magical place in which he would be able to conquer his loves heart by buying her something. As he is waiting for his uncle to come home with money so he can go the bazaar [He] looked over at the dark house where she lived. [He] may have stood there for an hour, seeing nothing but the brown-clad figure cast by [his] imagination, touched discreetly by the lamplight at the curved neck, at the hand upon the railings and at the border below the dress. (72) Here we can see that he is imagining Mangans sister with great detail he even said so himself seeing nothing but the-brown-clad figure cast by my imagination (72) he himself is implying that he is imaginative.
He is also mature at first the little boy is well just a little boy but at the ending of the story when all of his hopes, dreams, and illusions are shattered by his visit to the bazaar as he leaves the bazaar he thinks to himself Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger. (73) This epiphany he has just experienced made him mature it hit him
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