Araby Theme Essay

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The story Araby by James Joyce about is the sudden awakening of a boy’s perception of the world—he comes to the realization that the world is a lot different compared to how he would like to view it. The story is full of both the light and dark sides. The young boy is innocent and pure, and the same goes for the girl. With the priest, you will learn he was living a double life by the reading found in his old room (The Memoirs of Vidocq a collection of sexually suggestive stories). His uncle, who was the only male role model alive, is an alcoholic; therefore, not very dependable. The young boy reminded his uncle the night before the bazaar—he was still late home. The manner in which the uncle came home that night, suggested that he was drunk. …show more content…

He was so taken back by talking to her that he forgets the answer to the question she had given him. “I was so confused that I did not know what to answer.” “I forgot whether I answered yes or no.” (Joyce). Being that she can’t go to the bazaar, he decides to bring her something from Araby. This brought his life to a halt until he is able to get something that symbolizes his love for her. “I wished to annihilate the tedious intervening days.” (Joyce). As the night of the bazaar approaches, the boy’s alcoholic uncle makes him late. When the boy finally arrives, he sees everything being shut down for the night. While in the shutdown bazaar, he cannot seem to remember why he was there. “Remembering with difficulty why I had come” (Joyce). The boy watched as two other boys mingled with a girl in a booth. At that moment, the boy realized that he wanted to defile the young pure girl he was also trying to protect. After that moment, he saw himself in a whole new light. Everything he stood for was different because of that one moment. “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.”

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