Araby by James Joyce is about a young teenage boy’s experience of first love. In the story, the boy realizes the pitfalls that come with the emotions of love. It is an ideal that one tries to conform to but when faced with the harsh realities of life, this idealism may fall apart. This is at the core of the lessons in the short story.
Metaphors
At the start of the story, we learn that the priest, a former tenant, passed away in the back room of the house. This signifies the depressing mood that envelops the entire place. The boy’s life is far from ideal. He lives with his relatives and his parents are not around. Even the mere mention of his parents is not allowed.
Gloominess pervades in the story. For instance, the author makes use of metaphors such as dark evenings, rain, moist streets, death of a priest, winter and others to present a depressing setting. The boys must play in "dark muddy lanes," in "dark dripping gardens," near" dark odorous stables" and "ashpits."
The girl who catches his fancy is the sister of his friend who comes at the doorstep to call her brother. The boy falls for the girl. She becomes the light that contrasts the dark and gloomy mood that surrounds him. He thinks of her even in the oddest places like the market or in the classroom. She serves as a wonderful escape from the harsh and depressing realities that confront him.
Every morning he would peek through the crack in the parlor to watch the girl next door leave the house and walk to school. He follows her but never speaks. He worships and desires her. His eyes are “often full of tears”. He cries “O love! O love!” in prayer to express his great love.
Then one day his prayers are answered. The girl speaks to him to ask if he is going to a bazaar called Araby. He could not remember exactly what he replies to her but he remembers promising to buy her something. The girl couldn’t go so the boy wants to bring her something from Araby as a gift to her.
After their short conversation, the boy could think of nothing but Araby. He could not sleep or study because he thinks of the girl all the time. He forgets about everything even his classes except Araby. He asks permission from his uncle and is set to go to Araby on a Saturday night.
Unfortunately, on the night he is to go to the bazaar his uncle comes home late and forgets about his promise to give him money. The boy becomes anxious as the time passes by, waiting for his uncle to show up. His uncle often comes home at five but that day he comes home at nine o’clock.
The boy hurriedly leaves for Araby when his uncle gives him the money. He boards a third-class carriage destined for the bazaar. He arrives ten minutes to ten in front of a tall building that bears the name Araby.
Since it was almost ten, most of the stalls are closed and a great part of the hall is in darkness. Silence pervades the place. Some people are counting their money. He feels so disappointed at seeing the place empty that he almost forget his purpose of going there.
He goes to a stall that offers porcelain vases and flowered tea sets. There was a young girl looking after the place who is absorbed in a conversation with two young men. She asks him if he wants something. He says “No thank you” upon realizing that the money in his pocket is not enough to pay for the beautiful jars.
He walks away feeling the full impact of the situation surrounding him. He allows the coin to fall off from his pocket. He then hears a voice call saying “the lights are out” putting the upper part of the hall in utter darkness.
Lessons from the Story
He looks up into the darkened hall and reality strikes him painfully. He feels his confidence ebbing at that moment. He feels totally helpless at the reality that presents to him. Much as he wants to please his girl but the fact remains that he arrives too late for the bazaar. His great excitement and anticipation are quickly replaced by utter disappointment.
This is the point where he discovers that what he imagines the entire time is not what confronts him in reality. That sometimes, reality and dream could be miles apart. His world falls apart. His feelings are crushed by the fact that he could probably disappoint his girl by not keeping his promise.
He suddenly feels worthless of her. At this point, he feels something akin to spiritual paralysis where his idealism vanish in the face of cold, harsh realities. This signifies the boy’s first step to the real and sometimes harsh world of adulthood where dreams do not necessarily come true. He comes to a rude awakening of what the outside world actually means.
In this moment of disillusionment, he realizes that he fails to see reality for what it is because he allows his emotions to overwhelm him. He is so absorbed by his ideals, by his feelings for the girl that he refuses to acknowledge the world around him and sees it only through rose-colored glasses. Araby signifies a young boy's painful transition to adulthood.
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