Realizing Mistakes in James Joyce's Araby

745 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Literary Analysis

Many times in life, people set unrealistic expectations for themselves or for other people. This is not a very wise thing to do because people often feel disappointed and embarrassed for getting their hopes up so high. One good example of this is the narrator in the short story, Araby, by James Joyce. In the story Araby, a young man develops an infatuation with his friend, Magan’s, sister. Because his infatuation is so strong, he fears he will be unable to express his feelings to her, so when she mentions she cannot go to the local bazaar she has wanted to attend, he seizes this as a perfect opportunity and volunteers to buy her a gift. In the characters mind, giving Magan’s sister a gift will help him earn her attention and maybe in the long run, her affection. With this in mind, the character gets so excited, that he sets his hopes unrealistically high. When he finally arrives at the bazaar, it is then that he realizes his foolishness and decides not to buy her a gift. The narrator feels “driven and derided by vanity” (128) because he has set his expectations unrealistically high a...

Show More
Related

  • Leaving The Iron Lung Summary

    1401 Words  | 3 Pages

    To read a story that deals with this theme makes us realize that it is not everyone that can accomplish what they really want in their

    Read More

  • Optimism In The Novel 'Don Quixote'

    462 Words  | 1 Pages

    Optimism is a necessary quality for the average person. It allows one to strive for the best and persevere. But, can there be such thing as too much optimism? Can it blind individuals from the harsh truths of the world? The answer to both of these questions is yes; as is exemplified by the novel Don Quixote as well as numerous instances in history, Optimism overshadows the more realistic negative consequences of achieving a dream. Protagonist Alonso Quesada, self-dubbed knight-errant Don Quixote, embarks on a rather ill conceived journey in search of a quest. Upon seeing the windmills as giants, Quixote opportunistically takes advantage of the situation and attacks the harmless contraptions resulting in his inevitable defeat. However, the moment that shows the reader the optimistic

    Read More

  • Araby And A & P Literary Analysis

    1431 Words  | 3 Pages

    readers a dose of reality and human experience. People read literature and end up learning

    Read More

  • The Gum Thief by Dougles Coupland

    1735 Words  | 4 Pages

    In the present, many people focus on success in life while adjusting to modern society and its expectations, by using their contacts and friendships for personal benefit. In the past, friendship had a significant value in people’s lives; people met for dinner or social events, which consisted of spending more time with family and friends. Today, people favor spending their time alone, but avoid family events due to their lack of interest and insecurities about their social status. In the book The Gum Thief, insecurities are portrayed as a significant trait that causes the characters to lose their motivation towards success in life. The novel highlights that every individual has insecurities, which allows them to experience the obstacles of life.

    Read More

  • Comparison of A & P by John Updike and Araby by James Joyce

    675 Words  | 2 Pages

    John Updike's “A & P” and James Joyce's “Araby” are very similar. The theme of the two stories is about a young man who is interested in figuring out the difference between reality and the fantasies of romance that play in his head and of the mistaken thoughts each has about their world, the girls, and themselves. One of the main similarities between the two stories is the fact that the main character has built up unrealistic expectations of women. Both characters have focused upon one girl in which they place all their affection. Both Sammy and the boy suffer rejection in the end. Both stories also dive into the unstable mind of a young man who is faced with one of life's most difficult lessons. The lesson learned is that things are not always as they appear to be.

    Read More

  • Ambition in The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and Macbeth by William Shakespeare

    883 Words  | 2 Pages

    Any goal in life is achieved through ambition, fueled by determination, desire and hard work. Ambition maybe a driving force to success or to a pit of failure, the path chosen by an individual determines the end. Remember that any goal to be fulfilled needs desire, desire that strives to do good or greedy desire that is selfish. Also the actions that contribute to our ‘hard work’ need to be morally and ethically right to enjoy the sweet success. However, when the desire and determination is stronger than conscience, many tend to fail often reach or don’t reach what they strived for, leaving them emotionally or even physically dead. The inner lying consequence of ambition is clearly stated by Napoleon, he quotes “Great ambition is the passion of a great character. Those endowed with it may perform very good or very bad acts. All depends on the principals which direct them”. The undesirable consequence of ambition can be observed in the lives of the protagonists of ‘The Great Gatsby and Macbeth. This describes the direction in which ambition is driven could change the end result, it is simply based on the individual itself rather than the dream they seek to achieve. Therefore, the strong drive of ambition helps the seeker attain their goal but greedy desires and wrong paths taken eventually lead to downfall.

    Read More

  • The Power of Araby by James Joyce

    1923 Words  | 4 Pages

    It has been such a joy reading “The Norton Introduction to Literature” by Kelly J. Mays. Of all the stories that I was assigned to read, one story in particular stood out to me because of how the author used words to create a vivid image in my mind. The story I’m talking about is “Araby” by James Joyce. James Joyce does a great job creating vivid images in the readers mind and creates a theme that most of us can relate. In this paper I will be discussing five scholarly peer reviewed journals that also discusses the use of image and theme that James Joyce created in his short story “Araby”. Before I start diving into discussing these five scholarly peer review journals, I would like to just write a little bit about “Araby” by James Joyce. James Joyce is an Irish writer, mostly known for modernist writing and his short story “Araby” is one of fifteen short stories from his first book that was published called “Dubliners”. Lastly, “Araby” is the third story in Dubliners. Now I will be transitioning to discussing the scholarly peer review journals.

    Read More

  • The Ungrateful In The Necklace

    522 Words  | 2 Pages

    Guy de Maupassant’s The Necklace expresses the theme of being spoiled and ungrateful will only make things worse in many ways. Mathilde Loisel is a beautiful woman who is born into a family of poor clerks and feels she has nothing even though she wishes to have the best of everything. At times she can be charming and elegant, but she also possesses the unpleasant traits of being spoiled and ungrateful as shown in the story multiple times.

    Read More

  • First Paper: “The House on Mango Street”

    917 Words  | 2 Pages

    However, when what people accomplish in their lives do not meet their expectations, frustration and disappointment may come alone. This is Esperanza...

    Read More

  • Self-fulfilling Prophecy

    1640 Words  | 4 Pages

    More often than not, the outcomes of events that occur in a person’s life is the product of the idea of the self-fulfilling prophecy. It is that which “occurs when a person’s expectations of an event make the outcome more likely to occur than would otherwise have been true” (Adler and Towne, Looking Out, Looking In 66). Or restated, as Henry Ford once put it, “If you think you can, you can. If you think you can’t, you’re right!” This brief research paper touches on the two types of self-fulfilling prophecies, those that are self-imposed and those that are imposed by others. Additionally, it gives a discussion on how great of an influence it is in each person’s life, both positively and negatively, and how it consequently helps to mold one’s self-concept and ultimately one’s self.

    Read More

  • Macduff Foil In Macbeth

    1742 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since the beginning of mankind, it has been the need to attain a specific goal, which has driven humans to work hard. Without any ambition, humans would not be inspired to overcome adversities and challenge themselves to become increasingly adaptable. When one is motivated by certain factors in their environment, the probability of them being satisfied with the results of their deeds depends on the moral value of their inspiration. If the individual is aware of the fact that their deed is immoral, then no matter how dire their circumstances which forced them to perform the actions, they will not be content. The irony establishes itself in the fact that those characters who are motivated by a cause bigger than themselves, tend to be happier,

    Read More

  • Illusion vs. Reality in Macbeth

    1741 Words  | 4 Pages

    ...rn day society, illusive ambitions can be incredibly detrimental, just as they are demonstrated to be in Macbeth. Ambitions, if they are untamed, can be an impediment to free will; they can overpower your good conscience, possibly leading you into causing death and destruction. They can also corrupt one’s mental health, while practically morphing that person’s perception of reality into something demonstrably wrong and twisted. Finally, they can boost ones ego to a point where that person is engulfed and imprisoned in the vehemence of their own denial, which can ultimately bear fatal consequences. If one’s hopes and desires are innately destructive, then it logically follows that that one’s ambition is also innately destructive; be wary of one with an immense ambition.

    Read More

  • Glass Menagerie Essay

    646 Words  | 2 Pages

    In life, the mistakes and events of our past often shape our dreams, hopes, and aspirations for the future. People all have different ways of coping with their disappointment and mistakes. Some people try and better the lives of their children in spite of themselves, whereas others try and fix the mistakes of their parents by leading a different or better life. In The Piano Lesson by August Winston, Doaker is actively trying to get rid of the piano because he feels it represents the mistakes and terrors of his family’s past. Discordantly, In The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams, Amanda forces her dreams, which she was not able to achieve, onto Laura, hence living vicariously through her daughter.

    Read More

  • Critical Analysis Of Epiphany In Araby By James Joyce

    1298 Words  | 3 Pages

    The visual and emblematic details established throughout the story are highly concentrated, with Araby culminating, largely, in the epiphany of the young unnamed narrator. To Joyce, an epiphany occurs at the instant when the essence of a character is revealed, when all the forces that endure and influence his life converge, and when we can, in that moment, comprehend and appreciate him. As follows, Araby is a story of an epiphany that is centered on a principal deception or failure, a fundamental imperfection that results in an ultimate realization of life, spirit, and disillusionment. The significance is exposed in the boy’s intellectual and emotional journey from first love to first dejection,

    Read More

  • The Necklace

    903 Words  | 2 Pages

    In life, it is important to appreciate what you have, because it could all be gone in a moment. In other words, be content with what you are given and do not take what you have for granted. The importance of being appreciative of what you have is discussed in Guy de Maupassant’s short story, “The Necklace.” Maupassant begins the story in Paris, where the main character, Mathilde Loisel, fantasizes about leading a life of wealth, but is only a middle class housewife. Frustrated of her image, she is determined and will do anything to have the appearance of being more wealthy and higher on the social ladder than she really is. Due to not being thankful of who she is and what she has, she eventually gets in a situation where she ruins

    Read More

More about Realizing Mistakes in James Joyce's Araby

Open Document