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Araby by James Joyce

Araby is a short story by James Joyce. It is part of his book Dubliners. The story is about a young boy who lives in Dublin. He has feelings for his friend’s sister. He wants to buy her a gift from a fair called Araby. But in the end, he feels sad and disappointed.

Theme

The story talks about dreams and reality. The boy has big dreams about love and happiness. But life is not what he expects. He faces disappointment. Another theme is loss of innocence. The boy starts with hope. In the end, he understands the truth about life. Another theme is loneliness. The boy feels alone in his thoughts and feelings.

Tone

The tone is serious and sad. The boy feels excitement at first. Later, he feels unhappy. The way he talks about the city and his home sounds dark. This creates a tone of sadness.

Mood

The mood changes in the story. In the beginning, there is hope. The boy dreams about Araby. But later, the mood becomes lonely and sad. He realizes that his dreams will not come true.

Settings or Background

The story takes place in Dublin, Ireland. It happens in the late 19th or early 20th century. The boy lives on North Richmond Street. His house is quiet and dark. The street is dull. The city looks grey and lifeless. Araby is a fair where people sell things. The boy believes it is magical. But when he reaches there, he sees it is empty and ordinary.

Style & Structure

The story is written in first-person. The boy tells his own story. The language is simple but deep. There are many symbols. The story starts with the boy’s thoughts and dreams. It ends with his sadness and disappointment. The structure is simple. It moves from hope to sadness.

Characters

  1. The Boy – He is the main character. He is young and full of dreams. He likes his friend’s sister. He wants to do something special for her. But he learns that life is not like a dream.
  2. Mangan’s Sister – She is the girl the boy likes. She is kind and polite. She talks to him about Araby. She does not know how much he likes her.
  3. The Uncle – He is the boy’s uncle. He forgets to give the boy money for Araby. He comes home late. He is not very caring.
  4. The Aunt – She is kind but quiet. She does not help the boy much.
  5. The People at Araby – They are not kind. They act like the boy is not important. This makes the boy feel bad.

Detailed Summary

The boy lives in Dublin on North Richmond Street. He stays with his aunt and uncle. His house used to belong to a priest. The house is old and dark. He plays outside with his friends. His friend’s sister is kind to him. He starts to like her. He thinks about her all the time.

One day, she talks to him. She asks if he is going to Araby. He says he will go. She says she cannot go because of school. He decides to bring her something from the fair. He becomes excited. He waits for Saturday to come.

On Saturday, he waits for his uncle to give him money. But his uncle comes home late. The boy feels sad but still goes to Araby. When he reaches the fair, it is almost closing. He looks at the stalls. He sees that things are expensive. He hears people talking rudely. No one cares about him. He realizes that Araby is not magical. He understands that his dreams are not real. He feels empty and disappointed.

Figures of Speech or Literary Devices

  1. Symbolism – Araby is a symbol of dreams. The dark street and house symbolize sadness.
  2. Imagery – The story has many pictures in words. The house is dark. The street is quiet. Araby is almost empty. These images create feelings in the reader.
  3. Irony – The boy thinks Araby will be special. But it is not. This is ironic because he expects happiness but gets sadness.
  4. Personification – The houses are described as watching people. This makes them seem alive.
  5. Alliteration – Some sentences have words that start with the same sound. This makes the writing smooth.

Important Quotations

  1. “The street, like the rest of the city, was blind.” This means the street is dull and lifeless. It also shows that the boy does not see the truth at first.
  2. “Her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.” This means he feels strong emotions when he hears her name. He is young and full of dreams.
  3. “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity.” This means he realizes that his dreams were foolish. He feels ashamed and sad.

Araby is a story about dreams and reality. The boy starts with hope but ends with sadness. The writing is simple but deep. The setting is dark and lonely. The symbols help in understanding the meaning. The ending is powerful and emotional.