Examples Of Disillusionment In Araby

Tension and disappointment pervade James Joyce’s “Araby.” Demonstrating a rather harsh yet benign example of how disillusionment and disappointment can disappoint a naïve, exuberant young man, this story’s unnamed protagonist’s realization that he will have to disappoint the object of his infatuation is a harsh one that creates a shift in his self-perception as hero from the beginning of the story to failure at the end of the story.
The shift this young man experiences is due, in part, to the angst and ignorance of most young people who are on the cusp of discovering themselves, the opposite sex, their perceived meaning of life, and their way in the world is pervasive throughout the space time continuum. Whether today or over a hundred years ago as in this short story, young men and women find challenges in navigating the path toward adulthood and both the interconnectedness and the detachment of the opposite sex. An example of this coming-of-age awareness is chronicled in Joyce’s “Araby” when the young, male protagonist in this short fictional story is infatuated with his friend’s

This young man is so infatuated with this older girl, in fact, that he spends a week strategizing how to impress her, talking with her on one occasion to find out more about her, asking her to join him for an outing, being rejected, and finally coming to the conclusion that he will attend a local bazaar, Araby, by himself at the end of the week in order bring her a gift from there that will surely impress her into liking him more. He tells the object of his infatuation this, thus solidifying his perceived commitment to her. He looks forward to the occasion all week, making plans with his uncle to go to Araby and asking his uncle for money in order to make his gift purchase. Unfortunately, the young man is unable to get to the bazaar in time due to his uncle’s seemingly apathetic attitude toward the whole affair, and so the young man fails to make good on his promise to