James Joyce’s “Araby” is by no means a conventional short story narrating any traditional tale of situations and characters. It is, in fact, a symbolic story of human predicament – the aspiration of idealized love shattered by the realism of modern day life. Lets study Araby Summary Analysis Questions Answers.
Araby Summary Analysis Questions Answers
Summary of Araby
North Richmond Street where the author lived, was blind and normally quiet except when the school boys from the Christian Brother’s School were set free.
A priest was the the former tenant of the house. He died, and left some old books on the floor and an old bicycle pump in the garden behind the house. He was charitable and left his money to institutions and the furniture to his sister.
At dusk, after dinner, the author played with other boys. He was charmed at the beauty of Mangan’s sister when she came to call her brother to tea.
Remaining unseen behind the window, the author saw her and his heart leaped. He followed her until he parted and passed her, and went to school with books.
He carried her image in his mind through streets and markets, safely in his bosom like the holy grail through the enemies. He adored her who played upon the strings of the harp of his body and produced sweet music.
One evening it was raining. He went upstairs and was alone. He murmured words of love for her to himself.
At last, she spoke to him and asked him to go to Araby, an exhibition and said that she would not be able to go there because of her religious functions at school. He said that he would bring her something if he went there.
The syllables of the word, Araby, fell from her lips upon his soul like a magic incarnation. The interval was a tedious thing, and he wanted to destroy this interval. The serious work of life was like a child’s play. The aunt was surprised to know that he would go to Araby.
On Saturday the uncle was reminded that the author wanted to go to the bazar to which he replied that he he knew it. The author was in bad humour when he went to school. His uncle came very late. At eight o’clock in the evening, Mrs. Mercer left the house. The uncle came at nine o’clock. He had forgotten that the author would go to the bazar. On the intervention of the aunt, the uncle gave him a florin.
The author rushed to the station, and caught the train which moved slowly to the halt from where the author ran towards Araby. It was ten minutes to ten. He entered it when half the hall was dark and most of the stalls were closed. In one stall he found a lady talking with two young men. He found nothing to buy. The hall was completely dark. He found his dreams were all in vain. He was angry and pained at heart. He was completely disillusioned about Araby.
Title of the story Araby:
Araby was the name given to a ‘Grand Oriental Fete’ held in Dublin from 14th to 19th May, 1894. It was a special event when articles were sold for the benefit of charities. Sideshows were given for amusement. In James Joyce’s “Araby”, Araby is a symbol of the place of ideal beauty and romance which the boy-hero of the story bankers after to visit but fails to reach there just like each and every ideal being unattained by the mortals. This was the occasion James Joyce made use of in his story, Araby.
The title “Araby” stands for man’s universal search for the ideal and his universally frustrated search for it.
Araby as a modern short story:
James Joyce’s “Araby” is woven around the boy-hero’s dream and is disillusionment. This singular theme of the story is universalized by the writer to make every reader feel about his own dream and quest for the ideal and its ultimate futility in the reality.
The writer with some religious and abstract symbols scans the complex psychology of the boy-hero and the story ends openly making the readers puzzled and curious about the future of the boy-hero who till the end of the story remains lonely, helpless and aimless at his quest for the ideal. These qualities make “Araby” a short story which is ‘modern’ in its subtle and obscure images and its tone of isolation and complexity.
Questions Answers Analysis of the story Araby:
1. What was Araby ? Why did the boy-hero want to go there ?
Ans: Araby was the Grand Oriental Fete which was held in Dublin from 14 to 19 May, 1894. It was a bazar where goods were sold for the benefit of charities and side-shows were provided for amusement. The boy-hero in the story, “Araby” went to Araby on a Saturday night after being told by the girl whom he adored that it would be a splendid bazar and she would have loved to go there had there not been a retreat, an exclusive period for prayer and meditation, that week in her convent. She also suggested that he too would find it well if he could o there.
The ecstatic delight on being spoken to by the girl and commendation for it enthused the boy magically to go to Araby and to bring some gifts for her.
2. What are the three books did the boy-hero of the story Araby find in the room of the dead priest?
Ans: In James Joyce’s “Araby”, the boy-hero finds three paper covered books in the back drawing room where their tenant, the dead priest lived. The books are – The Abbot by Walter Scott, The Devout Communicant – a Catholic manual and The Memoris of Vidocq which is an autobiography of Francis Vidocq who had a remarkable career of a soldier, a thief, the chief of the French Detective Force and a private detective.
3. “Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance.” – Whose image is referred to here ? How was her image accompanied by the narrator ?
Ans: The image of Mangan’s sister is referred to here. The narrator dwells upon his love for the sister of Mangan, playmate. The narrator had seen her dress swinging with her movement and the robin of her hair tossing with it. He hid himself behind the window to catch a glimpse of her as soon as she came out on the doorstep. He had no meaningful talk with her at any time.
Yet her name had an indomitable attraction for him. His heart leapt in joy at her sight and at the sound of her name. He had a mental image of the girl firmly embedded in his heart. Nothing could disturb this image of the girl. He went through the din and bustle of city life and carried this mental image of the girl. The love of the boy for the girl is cherished in his bosom to an extent that nothing could blur that image from his mind.
4. What does the expression, “come-all-you” mean in the story Araby?
Ans: In James Joyce’s “Araby”, the term “come-all-you” refers to a street ballad chaunted by the street singers in the market of Dublin. The ballad is so called because “come-all-you” is the opening words of that ballad. The ballad is about O’ Donovan Rossa which is the popular name of the 19th century nationalist, Jeremiah Donovan.
5. Explain the line – “I imagined that I bore my chalice through a throng of foes.”
Ans: The quoted line taken from James Joyce’s “Araby”, is uttered by the boy-hero of the story to express the secretness of his live for Mangan’s sister. Chalice is a large wine-cup, especially one from which consecrated wine is drunk at the Eucharist, that is a Christian ceremony based on Christ’s Last Supper. Therefore, the chalice is a symbol of sanctity and sacredness. In the story “Araby”, the boy-hero compares his love for Mangan’s sister to the chalice – both being innocent, sacred, holy and fragile.
6. What effect did the syllabus of the word “Araby” produce upon the soul of the narrator?
Ans: The narrator’s soul was delighted in the extreme and it cast an Eastern enchantment over the young lover as soon as the syllabus of the word, “Araby”, dropped from the lips of his sweetheart in James Joyce’s short story, “Araby”.
7. What is “Freemason affair” mentioned in the story “Araby” ?
Ans: The term “Freemason affair” refers to the matter connected with the Freemasons who were the members of an old established secret society with branches throughout the world. In James Joyce’s “Araby”, when the boy-hero wants to go to Araby on Saturday night, his aunt Hope’s that the visit is not due to some secret affairs like that of the Freemasons. The aunt’s doubts are due to the Freemasons’ reputation for anti-Catholicism.
8. What is “Arab’s farewell to his steed” mentioned in the story, “Araby” ?
Ans: “The Arab’s Farewell to his steed” is a sentimental poem written by the nineteenth century minor poetess Caroline Norton. In James Joyce’s “Araby”, when the boy-hero, being late to visit Araby remembers his uncle for the second time the destination of his visit, the uncle humorously asks him if he knows that sentimental poem and when the boy-hero leaves for Araby, his uncle is about to recite the opening lines of the poem to the aunt of the boy-hero.
9. What reason did Mangan’s sister give to the boy-hero for her inability to visit Araby?
Ans: While enquiring of the boy-hero if he would go to Araby, Mangan’s sister told him that she was unable to visit Araby because there would be a retreat, a period for prayer and meditation, that week in her convent. However, she added that it would be a splendid bazar and she would have loved to go.
10. Why were the eyes of the boy-hero burnt with anguish and anger after reaching to the Araby ?
Ans: In James Joyce’s “Araby”, when the boy-hero, after visiting Araby, realizes that the place is nothing but a bazar or a place of financial transactions, he is disillusioned. He feels that the Araby of reality is not the Araby dreamt by himself as a place of ideal romance and beauty. His eyes are burnt with anguish and anger when he notices that his dream and quest for the ideal has been spoilt and utterly lost. His eyes blaze with anger at his own helpless state in which he is unable to buy something for his beloved.
11. “But my body was like harp and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the words.” – What does the line suggest?
Ans: The quoted line taken from James Joyce’s “Araby” is the honest confession of the boy-hero’s love charged heart that feels an almost musical sensation while remembering of his beloved. Though the boy-hero can not meet his belived frequently, he bears her image and takes in his heart which seems to ring by the inaudible gestures of his beloved. Actually his body seems to be a harp whose strings are played upon by the invisible movement of his beloved’s fingers.
12. What is “cafe chantant” mentioned in the Araby?
Ans: In James Joyce’s “Araby”, the term ‘cafe chantant’ was written over a curtain in coloured lamps before a cafe in Araby. It was actually a singing cafe where musical entertainment was provided. This type of cafe was very popular in the first decade of this century. The boy-hero f the story, visiting Araby, noticed men counting money on a silver before the cafe.
13. When did the boy-hero reach Araby?
Ans: According to James Joyce’s “Araby”, the boy-hero reached his dream-land, Araby at ten minutes to ten.
14. What is “night of our land” mentioned in the story, “Araby” ?
Ans: In James Joyce’s “Araby”, the term “night of our land” refers to the Eve of Easter Sunday. When the boy-hero feels restless for his uncle’s coming late, his aunt is afraid that the boy-hero may put off the bazar for that Eve.
15. Bring out symbolism in the story “Araby”.
Ans: James Joyce’s “Araby” is teeming with different typed of symbol. Araby itself is a symbol of the place of ideal beauty and romance. The boy-hero is the symbol of every mortal whose hopes and dreams are universally frustrated in reality. Mangan’s sister is also a symbol of the ideal, the boy-hero hankers after. The disillusionment of the boy-hero also symbolizes the eternal disillusionment of the mortals trying to have the immortals.
The Chalice, both being religious and erotic symbol, symbolizes the sanctity of the boy hero’s love and also his jealousy to share his love with any one, which he desires to satisfy his barren mind. The sound of the counting of coins symbolizes stark materialism as opposed to the idealistic illusion of the boy-hero.
16. What was the effect of the visit to Araby upon the boy-hero of the story “Araby” ?
Ans: The young lover in James Joyce’s story, “Araby”, arrived too late at Araby, the Grand Oriental Fete, which was being held at Dublin. It was nearly ten o’clock at night when almost all the stalls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness. The immediate effect upon him was that of a silence pervading a church after a service. He could find nothing there worth buying for his sweetheart. The search for the ideal was frustrated. He cursed himself as a creature driven and mocked by vanity. His eyes burnt with anguish.
17. What did the boy-hero see in the bazar in Araby?
Ans: At ten minutes to ten at night, the boy-hero reached before a large building displaying the magical name of “Araby”. Then paying for his entrance, he went in and found himself in a big hall with a gallery. There almost all the halls were closed and the greater part of the hall was in darkness. A silence pervaded the place, and a few people gathered about the stalls which were still open in the bazar.
He moved farther and came across a Cafe Chantant where two men were counting money on a salver. He went over to one of the stalls and examined porcelain vases and tea-sets. At the door of the stall a young lady was talking and laughing with two young men.
Observing him the young lady came over and asked if he wanted to buy anything. The boy replied in the negative, although he lingered there for sometime. Then as he walked away slowly, he heard somebody shout that the light was out, and the upper part of the hall became completely dark.
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