Isolation In Araby

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In James Joyce’s short story, Araby, the author utilizes a first-person narrative to accurately relay the narrator’s sense of isolation in his society. The story begins with this theme already heavily hinted, as the narrator describes his house as “detached from its neighbours in a square ground” (Joyce). The street the narrator returns home to is described as blind, void of children playing or the friendly eyes of neighbors. Even the surrounding houses take on the personas of their inhabitants, “[gazing] at one another with brown imperturbable faces” (Joyce). As the plot develops, this sense of isolation remains a prevalent component of the narrative. The narrator’s growing affections for Mangan’s sister are not a result of interaction or

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