The narrator views the Bazaar called “Araby” as a mystical and exotic realm.
At first the idea of
going to this bazaar was told to him by Mangan’s Sister. The narrator told her that if he makes
the trip to the bazaar he will bring her back a gift. This is the most prominent reason for his
journey to the bazaar. The narrator is late in his trip to the bazaar because his Uncle was late
getting home to work. The boy does not buy a physical item in the bazaar instead he is greeted
by the realization that life is harsh. The stores at the bazaar are closing down and he cannot find a
gift for Mangan’s Sister.
The narrator at the end of the story feels as if he has lost his goal. He has a epiphany that turns
out the be negative, "gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided
by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger." The narrator becomes angry and upset
that he could not find Mangan’s sister a gift and he walks out of the bazaar.
The mood in the beginning of the short story “Araby” is content. The narrator talks of the past
occupant of the house, a priest who died in the study. The narrator mentions the three books that
the priest kept in the study, The Abbot by Walter Scott, The Devout Communicant and Them
Memoirs of Vidocq. He also talks about how he and his friends would play in the back alleys of
the street and hide in the shadows to void his uncles and Mangan’s sister. However, the narrator
enjoyed the moments when the sister would call for her brother on the street.
The Author doesn’t give Mangan’s Sister a name because he is showing how the boy envy’s
Mangan’s Sister and not truly loves her. He makes all attempts to hide from her in the shadows
and convince himself that he has love for her. A name is therefore not given as she represents a
object of lust and not a person of love. The author may also not of given the sister a name to
make her represent a emotion or a feeling and rather than a person.
The narrator feels angry and in vain at the end of the story due to his epiphany. The narrator gets
this epiphany from over hearing the conversation with the shopkeeper and her customers. The
Narrator realizes the insignificance of getting a gift and how the harshness of life and the closing
down of the bazaar has kept him from his goal.
The Author chooses “Araby” for the name of the bazaar because it infers something’s that cannot
be named or imagined. The bazaar is set up by the church and represents a mystical and exotic
fair that brings items of vanity from across the world that could otherwise not be obtained. This
feeds into the mystical aspect of the bazaar making the names just a name and not a symbol for
what the bazaar really is.
The meaning of the word vain is excessive pride in one's appearance, qualities, abilities,
achievements. It also means something worthless, trivial, or pointless. In this story the author
uses this word at the end of the story to describe the narrators feelings. "gazing up into the
darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with
anguish and anger." The meaning of vain in this line shows how he comes to the realization that
he does not truly love Mangan’s Sister. The she is pointless. Mangan’s Sister is just a symbol a
appearance of lust and not a true emotion. I agree with the narrator in this comment. He is driven
to the bazaar with the false emotion of love and with the goal to impress Mangan’s Sister with a
gift. He ends up noticing his true feeling.
In the Story Araby the epiphany occurs when he overhears the shopkeeper talking to her
customers. This makes the hero suddenly realize his true emotion for Mangan’s Sister and the
harshness of the world. The fact that he sees his love in vain causes him to feel this emotion of
anger.
The quote ‘Every morning I lay on the floor in the front parlor watching her door,” (pg 881,
Joyce) shows how the author is showing the narrators emotion and feeling towards Mangan’s
Sister in the beginning of the story. He is so envious and lusting of the sister that he savors the
moment in the morning that he gets to see her.
The quote “Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance,” (pg 882,
Joyce) shows how the narrator was in a trance to the image of Mangan’s Sister. At first he is
fooled that his feeling is his first true love and as long as he has her on his mind he will be safe
and in comfort no matter where he goes.
The Quote “Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers,” (pg 882, Joyce) shows
how the narrator coincides the love he has for the sister with religion. This quote is said when the
narrator is in the priest’s study –a place of religion and solitude, – and he can’t stop thing about
Mangan’s sister.
The quote “If I go, I will bring you something,” shows how the narrator is turned to the idea of
going to the bazaar by Mangan’s Sister and believes that he can complete his feeling of love by
bringing a gift to her and going to the bazaar a place that he believes the sister wishes she can
attend. This gift he hopes will bring the enjoyment of the bazaar back to her.
