7- ARABY (By: James Joyce)
1. THEME OR MESSAGE OF THE STORY OR CRITICISM ON MODERN CIVILIZATION OR LOVE AFFAIR BETWEEN THE SCHOOL BOY AND THE GIRL / CHARACTER SKETCH OF BOY
Q: The story is of conflict between the subjective feelings of a boy and the objective reality of life. OR The story is a criticism on the dark aspects of modern civilization. Discuss. OR The theme of the story is the disillusionment of modern man. Discuss. OR The story presents a contrast between the world of reality and the world of dreams. Discuss. OR The story is a psychological study of a disappointed lover. Discuss. OR Give an account of the love affair between the school boy and the beautiful girl. OR How does the narrator express his love with Mangan’s sister? OR Why does the boy fail in his life? OR What are the difficulties that the boy faces in the fulfillment of his love? OR“Gazing up into the darkness, I saw myself as a creature driven and derived by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and horror.” Discuss.
Answer: – The story “Araby” is a criticism on modern civilization which has given birth to doubts and fears and caused disillusionment for the modern man. Actually, the writer points out the conflict between the world of reality and the world of dreams. When one has to face the worst reality of life, one’s dreams are shattered.
In the story, we come across a young boy of 14. He lives in the world of dreams. He falls in love with a girl. However, being coward, he is unable to express his love. He follows the girl when she goes to school. The image of the girl is always behind him wherever he goes. In the end, the thing that surprises the reader is that the girl herself talks to him, he does not have the courage to talk to her. The girl asks the boy to go to Araby and bring some gifts for her but he cannot buy anything for her because of two reasons. First, he does not visit the bazaar in time. Second, he cannot decide what to buy for her. Soon lights are out and darkness prevails everywhere. He returns home with his eyes burning with anger and anguish. He says; “Gazing up into the darkness, I saw myself as a creature driven and derived by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and horror.” He learns that every desire is not fulfilled. It also shows that the boy is emotionally suppressed child. He has no one to share his feelings.