Monday 3 November 2014

Describe the character of the protagonist in James Joyce's Araby. How does the protagonist feel towards Mangan's sister?

The nameless protagonist of James Joyce's "Araby" is an innocent, idealistic boy who is also something of a romantic. He's obsessed with the books in the library in his house, one of which is a historical romance. It's hardly surprising that the narrator idealizes Mangan's sister and views his crush on her as the perfect romance. Indeed, once the narrator promises to bring Mangan's sister back something from the bazaar, Araby, he becomes increasingly obsessed...

The nameless protagonist of James Joyce's "Araby" is an innocent, idealistic boy who is also something of a romantic. He's obsessed with the books in the library in his house, one of which is a historical romance. It's hardly surprising that the narrator idealizes Mangan's sister and views his crush on her as the perfect romance. Indeed, once the narrator promises to bring Mangan's sister back something from the bazaar, Araby, he becomes increasingly obsessed with the notion of winning her love and begins to neglect all other aspects of his daily routine.


Given his extreme obsession for Mangan's sister, the narrator's epiphany at the end of the story is especially crushing. Realizing that he has been controlled by idealistic, childish impulses, the narrator seems to set aside his ambitions to impress Mangan's sister and prepares instead to join the ranks of disillusioned adults. 

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