Growing Up in Araby by James Joyce and Boys and Girls by Alice Munro

Growing Up in Araby by James Joyce and Boys and Girls by Alice Munro

In the stories “Araby” by James Joyce, and “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro, there is a common theme of growing up. In both of these stories the characters came to a realization of who they were and what they wanted to be. They both are of the age when reality strikes and priorities take on meaning. The characters in both stories evolve through rites of passage but the way in which these revolutions occur differ with each character.

These stories can be seen as different from each other in many ways. The young boy lives in a house in a suburban area without a mother or a father, but with guardians. He has a group of friends nearby he hangs out with. Though, he has no siblings. His revelation lets him realize the finer things in life, like women. He finds his friends are boring and no longer wants to play. Also, he obsesses over the young girl across the street in an unhealthy way. It almost seems as if he could grow to be a psychopath. He follows behind her on the way to school, waits for her before school, and watches her from his door.

The young girl on the other hand, lives in the outskirts of town, if not pure country. She does not play with anybody but a younger brother she has. She worships her father and neglects her mother. She also has no respect for her mother, although later in the story, she goes on about all the hard work she does. Unlike the boy, the young girl is kept occupied with lots of...