Themes of Alienation and Control in James Joyces Araby...

Alienation of â€Å"Araby† Although â€Å"Araby† is a fairly short story, author James Joyce does a remarkable job of discussing some very deep issues within it. On the surface it appears to be a story of a boys trip to the market to get a gift for the girl he has a crush on. Yet deeper down it is about a lonely boy who makes a pilgrimage to an eastern-styled bazaar in hopes that it will somehow alleviate his miserable life. James Joyce’s uses the boy in â€Å"Araby† to expose a story of isolation and lack of control. These themes of alienation and control are ultimately linked because it will be seen that the source of the boys emotional distance is his lack of control over his life. The story begins as the boy describes his†¦show more content†¦But the boys must play in â€Å"dark muddy lanes,† in â€Å"dark dripping gardens,† near â€Å"dark odorous stables† and â€Å"ash pits† (Sample Essays). The boy cannot expect to have any control over the seasons or weather. Nevertheless, this bitterness contributes to his feeling of vulnerability. One of the more dehumanizing aspects of the story is that nowhere does anyone ever refer to the boy by name. He is always referred to as you or boy. This could be attributed to the fact that, on the whole, there is relatively little dialogue, and the story is rather short. However, the boy is also the narrator of the story and could have easily introduced himself. After all, in the first paragraph he introduces his setting, it would not have been unreasonable for him to have mentioned his name. It seems likely then that the boys name was omitted deliberately. By depriving the boy of a name, he is denied any sense of identity, consequently alienating him even further. The plot of the story is based around the boy attempting to go to the bazaar, Araby so that he may return with a gift that will please Mangans sister. While in some ways Mangans sister offers the boy some hope, she is also a m ajor source of the his alienation. He desperately lusts for her attention and affection. His recount of his mourning ritual: â€Å"When she came out on the doorstep my heart leaped. I ran to the hall, seized my books and followed her. I kept her brownShow MoreRelatedThemes in James Joyces Araby Essay667 Words   |  3 PagesIn the story of, Araby James Joyce concentrated on three main themes that will explain the purpose of the narrative. The story unfolded on North Richmond Street, which is a street composed of two rows of houses, in a desolated neighborhood. Despite the dreary surroundings of dark muddy lanes and ash pits the boy tried to find evidence of love and beauty in his surroundings. Throughout the story, the boy went through a variety of changes that will pose as different themes of the story includingRead MoreAlienation of Araby Essay1884 Words   |  8 PagesAlienation of Araby Although Araby is a fairly short story, author James Joyce does a remarkable job of discussing some very deep issues within it. On the surface it appears to be a story of a boys trip to the market to get a gift for the girl he has a crush on. Yet deeper down it is about a lonely boy who makes a pilgrimage to an eastern-styled bazaar in hopes that it will somehow alleviate his miserable life. James Joyces uses the boy in Araby to expose a story of isolation and lackRead MoreJames Joyce and the Dead Essay897 Words   |  4 Pagesthe year of 1882 in Dublin a famous writer of the name James Joyce was born and as of the year of 1941 in Zurich, Switzerland James Joyce passed away at the age of 59. Joyce began his career by writing short stories that engraved, with extraordinary clarity, aspects of Dublin life. These stories were published a part of the Dubliners in 1914. Fifteen stories of his filled the pages within Dubliners the stories are: The Sisters, An Encounter, Araby, Eveline , After the Race, Two Gallants, The boardingRead MoreEssay on James Joyces Araby3507 Words   |  15 PagesJames Joyces Araby I doubt there are book logs that commence with a note directing a reader, specifically you, even though I get the impression from Mr. Little to whom riding between pairs of glasses suggesting that in order to gather a bounty against my beloved head I must be obliged to fathoming on how to receive topic sentences with cradling arms and craters of dimples (have to love formalities, even of those lolling head-stumps, after all, it keeps NATO all trite