Synopsis

The nameless narrator in the story talks about the life on North Richmond Street, the place he stays. Basically, he is raised by his aunt and uncle. Moreover, he has friend named Mangan, and the narrator develops a crush on Mangan's sister. Mangan and his sister live in a building across the street. The narrator watches her always and waits for her to leave in the mornings so that he can follow her on part of his way to school.

One day, the girl finally speaks to him and asked if he will go to Araby. Here, Araby is the name of an upcoming bazaar based on Arabian theme. As she could not go to the bazaar, because of her religious retreat which will be held on the weekend. So, the narrator decided to find some kind of gift for her. He gets permission to go to the bazaar from her uncle. The day finally arrived, and the boy reminded his uncle that he wishes to go to the bazaar that night. Thus, his uncle will have to get home on time to give him the money for travelling expenses, as well as some spending money.

That night, his uncle was late and has forgotten about the bazaar. Eventhough it was quite late at that time but the boy still wanted to go to the bazaar. So, he took a small sum of money for the train and left the house. He arrived at the bazaar just as it is closing time. Thus, there were only a few stalls open. Nevertheless, he examined the goods, unfortunately they were too expensive and were also not under his budget So, the narrator felt very upset and angry about it.

Plot and Major Characters The narrator of Araby is a young boy living with his aunt and uncle in a dark, untidy home in Dublin that was once the residence of a priest, now deceased. The boy is infatuated with his friend's older sister, and often follows her to school, never having the courage to talk to her. Finally she speaks to him, asking him if he is going to attend a visiting bazaar, known as the Araby. When she indicates that she cannot attend, he offers to bring her something from the bazaar, hoping to impress her.

On the night he is to attend, his uncle is late coming home from work. By the time the young boy borrows money from his uncle and makes his way to the bazaar, most of the people have left and many of the stalls are closed. As he looks for something to buy his friend's sister, he overhears a banal young salesgirl flirt with two young men. When the disinterested salesgirl asks him if he needs help, he declines, and he walks through the dark, empty halls, disillusioned with himself and the world around him.

5) Bright light is used to create a fairy tale

SYMBOLISM CHURCH

RELIGION
DEATH DECAY

-The story takes us to a place with images of desolate, decaying setting. North Richmond Street, being blind = this being a dead and representing the end of his own faith. -An uninhabited house =an empty church -The other houses on the street, conscious of decent lives = the lack of faith in religion among those that inhabit the house -The former tenant of our house, a priest, had died in the back drawing room = represent of the death of the church and religion.

- Air musty from having long been enclosed, hung in all rooms, and the waste room behind the kitchen was littered with old useless papers = the church has been neglected and the bible has been forsaken (old useless papers).
-gazing at one another with brown imperturbable faces = These houses reflect the attitudes of their inhabitants, who seem satisfied and content with their lives. The unchanging people seem as though they are strictly catholic and extremely set in their ways. -Joyce describes the boys playing in the street, which is symbolic of the childrens lack to conform to the spiritual confines of the church, unlike the adults who are trapped on North Richmond. This point is conveyed further by the aunt and uncles lack of enthusiasm concerning the boys trip to Araby.

-A few yellowed books, donations to institutions, furniture, and a rusty bicycle pump= represent all that the priest left on earth with one special exception: no evidence of a spiritual legacy remains.

POINT OF VIEW -Point of view is the perspective from which the narrator tells the story. -In this story, the writer uses first person as the point of view. -First person uses the pronoun I and place the narrator in the story. We see through the view of that character; eg the way how he described his experience and feelings towards the girl. -The narrator sees through that characters eyes and we see what he or she sees. As the reader of this story, we know what this one person experiences.

MARXIST / SOCIOLOGICAL CRITICISM

While Dublin, Ireland, has seen change since the turn of the twentieth century, when Joyce wrote "Araby," many of the conditions present then remain today. In 1904, all of Ireland was under British control, which the Irish resented bitterly. The nationalist group, Sinn Fein (part of which later became the Irish Republican Armythe IRA), had not yet formed, but Irish politics were nonetheless vibrant and controversial. The question of Irish independence from Britain was one of primary importance to every citizen.

Ireland's major religion, Roman Catholicism, dominated Irish culture. Many families sent then-children to schools run by Jesuit priests (like the one the narrator in "Araby" attends) and convent schools run by nuns (like the one Mangan's sister attends).

Socio-economic crisis - The middle class struggle due to the financial problem faced by them during that period. As we can see in the story of Araby, the narrator faced financial difficulties when he thought of buying some gift for Mangans sister. At the same time, he had only two pennies which he got it from his uncle.