Comparing Araby And Rushmore

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There are always books and movies about girls falling in love and rarely about boys. That theme changes when it comes to Araby by James Joyce and Rushmore directed by Wes Anderson. Araby follows the story of a young boy who falls in love with his neighbor. While Rushmore is a movie about a fifteen year old boy, Max Fischer, who falls in love with a preschool teacher at his school. James Joyce and Wes Anderson both exemplify how boys too fall in love and have their own tribulations. The boy in Araby was completely smitten with his neighbor and saw everything through the eyes of love. Everyday he has his own routine to make sure he would be able to see the girl. "Every morning I lay on the floor in the front parlor watching her door. The …show more content…

Cross, is at the top. Max stumbles upon Ms. Cross due to a quote she wrote in a book. Max becomes intrigued by Ms. Cross to the point that, "She puts a cigarette in her mouth and searches in her pocket for a lighter. A lit match appears in front of her. Max is holding it" (Rushmore). Max although he does not know Ms. Cross takes it upon himself to seek her out. He somehow finds her as she is on the bleachers and as soon as she needs a light for her cigarette he is there to provide it. He does not know this woman but becomes smitten with her quickly. That same day Ms. Cross expresses an interest in languages and Max brings up the fact that Rushmore is cancelling Latin. The next time they talk Max says, "I thought you 'd be pleased to hear they 're going to continue the Latin program" (Rushmore). Max makes a petition and an argument to the school to keep Latin in order to impress Ms. Cross. Without even truly having a full conversation with Ms. Cross, Max is already trying to impress her. Max may not be truly in love with Ms. Cross yet but he is showing extreme signs of liking her. Boys although they fall in love often do it recklessly without …show more content…

The boy from Araby decides to go to that bazaar for the girl. When he is there he concludes, "gazing up into the darkness I saw just as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger" (Joyce 1206). The boy goes to the bazaar for the girl even though she is a nun. At the end of the night he realizes how crazy his love and actions are. He calls himself a "creature driven and derided by vanity". This statement shows that what he thought was love truly was not but him just getting wrapped up in vanity. The love he thought he had has just caused him "anguish" and "anger". Where the boy from Araby comes to terms with reality Max continues to live in a fantasy. One day as Max helps Ms. Cross in her classroom she brings up the fact that Max is too young for her. Max after a few words between the two says, "and the truth is neither one of us has the slightest idea where this relationships is going. We can 't predict the future" (Rushmore). In Max saying this it shows just how far gone his imagination has gone with delusions of being in a relationship with Ms. Cross. He is aware of their age difference and the rules that prohibit it but continues to hold hope for a "future". Max is not living in reality and is letting his emotions cloud his judgment. Love can lead people to do a number of things it led the boy to the bazaar and Max to live in a

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