Araby Conflict

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Recommended: The use of symbolism in the novel

Irish novelist, James Joyce, wrote a psychological story about a young boy whose round character makes vast changes. “Araby” is told in first person participant and as a result, the audience can realize that the narrator of the story is a young boy who is in love with his friend’s sister. However, the young boy soon discovers that a romantic future with the girl is only an illusion due to her social class. Although the boy’s age is unknown, Joyce is able to let the audience understand the boy’s internal conflict. Nevertheless, to further understand why the character of the young boy is dynamic and why he changed his feelings, individuals should look further into the factors that play role. For instance, it is evident the narrator’s environment, actions, and thoughts/feelings reflect his social status. One of the primary factors that reflects the social status of the young boy is his environment. In the first paragraph he describes the street as “quiet” and “blind” (Joyce, 200) and the houses as having “grown sombre” and having “dark muddy lanes” (Joyce, 200). Also, the narrator mentions …show more content…

The girl is considered a symbol because the narrator wants an abundant life like her. He perceives her as a form of happiness because of her wealth and desires to have a lifestyle like hers. This causes him to go great lengths for the girl by going to the fancy bazaar to buy her a gift. Consequently, the story began with the boy trying to be mature and being inspired by his desire to speak to his friend’s sister and buy her present. However, towards the end of the story, the narrator goes through a psychological change and his feelings for the girl and the bazaar vanish. He soon finds himself back in his dreary surroundings, loses hope for any romantic feelings, and becomes aware of his social

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