Araby is a story by James Joyce which takes place in Dublin in the .
late 1800's told to us in a first-person narrative point of view. It examines .
how a boy's infatuation with a girl is shattered when he sees what she is .
really like. The boy in "Araby", like Joyce as a youth, must begin to free himself from .
his dreams and see reality (Stone 375-410). This story uses many different devices to .
catch the reader's attention and interest. In order for this to work, Joyce uses many .
methods of fiction to get his point across.
From the very first paragraph the tone of the story is set. The way the .
boys are set free sounds like a prison even though it is not one, but they were "freed" .
into a world just as grim, a place where not even play brought pleasure.(Coulthard 1) .
Also the way he explains the houses as "brown with imperturbable faces" (Joyce 87) .
makes them seem drab and lifeless. This sets a somber dreary tone for the story.
James Joyce carefully creates a plot with events and happenings .
throughout the story. The main plot involves how a young boy overcomes a .
crush on his friend's sister. The girl tells him about a bazaar which she cannot .
attend, and the boy volunteers to go and bring her something back. .
When he arrives there it is nothing like he expects it to be, and he loses his .
luster for the girl, realizing he is driven by the appearance of the girl.
The way the characters are characterized gives one insight into why the characters .
react or respond to events and surroundings in a certain way. The boy is characterized as .
living in a middle class neighborhood. His use of language "he bores his chalice safely .
through a throng of foes" indicates that he is a spiritual person (Foster 91-108). Strong .
characterization is revealed throughout the story through Joyce's choice and arrangement .
of his words.
In Araby the theme is extracted from all the major methods of fiction. The theme .