Theme Of Individualism In Araby And Sammy

Sammy from John Updike’s A&P and the boy from James Joyce’s Araby both experience the feelings of desire and yearn for recognition from the women who they see at first glance. For many young guys earning this recognition can be hard, and through their actions they try to win over that affection. Each character’s coming of age story is symbolic of many guys growing up as they struggle in their approach to gaining acceptance among the girls they wish to be with. Sometimes those first moments can be awkward as in the case of Sammy. As young men, they are growing up and finding their place in society by seeking love, which is shown in their quest for the affection of the girls whom they desire. They are contrasted in their efforts for love, which

Sammy, at this point, is rejecting what society deems to be proper and is asserting himself as an individual who doesn’t want to follow traditional norms. An example of his moment of individualism is when he quits his job even though his parents want him to be working because he believes he is standing up for something he deems right. In contrast to Sammy, the boy’s moment in Araby came when he became possessed with the desire to be with Mangan’s sister. He goes through all the motions of a man who is in love. This shapes his character in negative ways because which is demonstrated when he notices that his friends are having fun, meanwhile he is alone in his room staring at Mangan’s home. The boy states, “Their cries reached me weakened and indistinct, and leaning my forehead against the cool glass, I looked over at the dark house where she lived. I may have stood there for an hour, seeing nothing but the brown–clad figure cast by my imagination” (Araby 88). This is unhealthy behavior as he is now consumed with only thoughts of love and being with the girl, and he his giving up the joy of playing with his friends to stare bleakly at her home from a distance while he waits for his uncle to arrive so he can buy her something from the bazaar. This coming of age moment meant that the boy was entering a mature stage in life where he is in love and wants to be with the girl who captured his