Previous
Characters
The protagonist of the story, a young, imaginative boy who lives with his aunt and uncle. The narrator attends a Catholic school (as does essentially every other school age child in Ireland), and is surrounded more generally by the Catholic Irish world. Perhaps unsurprisingly, he thinks about and sees the world in religious terms and imagery. When the narrator develops a powerful crush on Mangan’s sister, the older sister of his friend Mangan, he begins to lose interest in his former activities, such as playing with his friends or his schoolwork. The narrator experiences his crush in religious terms, stating his love for her to himself as a kind of prayer, and at the same time his love for her seems to offer an escape from an Irish world that feels drab and oppressive to the narrator. When Mangan’s sister expresses interest in the Araby bazaar, that too comes to represent an exotic escape to the narrator, and he seeks to buy a gift at the bazaar to win her favor. Ultimately, though, the narrator’s experience at the bazaar reveal to him the falseness of his fantasies and an epiphany about his own vanity, and so his religious sense, romantic ideas, and budding sexuality all become tied up in an anguishing recognition of the disappointments of one’s own self, of growing up, and of the world. It is also worth noting that the narrator of the story is actually a grown man, reflecting back on his childhood. For all intensive purposes the narrator and the protagonist are both the same character, although the reader never really knows how the protagonist is feeling at the time when the story takes place, only how the adult-version of the protagonist remembers thinking or feeling.
The narrator Quotes in Araby
The Araby quotes below are all either spoken by The narrator or refer to The narrator. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
Araby Quotes
North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers’ School set the boys free. An uninhabited house of two storeys stood at the blind end, detached from its neighbors in a square ground.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
These are the opening lines of the text and also where Joyce establishes the setting, including specific details such as the street and school name. Though the narrator has yet to be introduced, the opening sentences provide a lot of insight into his character. These details establish that the narrator is coming from a sheltered environment characterized by his single-sex, religious education and secluded, dead-end street. All of these factors contribute to his coming of age and the development of his sexuality as he begins to realize there is a world outside of this dead-end street. The uninhabited house foreshadows Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perfer
Her image accompanied me even in places the most hostile to romance. … We walked through the flaring streets, jostled by drunken men and bargaining women, amid the curses of labourers, the shrill litanies of shop-boys who stood on guard by the barrels of pigs’ cheeks, the nasal chanting of street-singers, who sang a come-all-you about O’Donovan Rossa, or a ballad about the troubles in our native land.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The narrator’s description here captures how Mangan’s sister offers him a mental escape from the gritty reality of Dublin. Here he daydreams about her as he accompanies his aunt on errands through the noisy, dirty Dublin market. Her image acts for him as a kind of shield, giving him access to “romance” even in places full of the unromantic, both the everyday hustle and bustle of life and the political tensions in Ireland implied by the references to O’Donovan Rossa and the “troubles.” The narrator thinks himself in love with Mangan’s sister, but it seems rather that he delights in Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet do
These noises converged in a single sensation of life for me: I imagined that I bore my chalice safely through a throng of foes. Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises which I myself did not understand.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Here, for the first time, the narrator first describes Mangan’s sister in religious terms. He describes her as a “chalice,” which is the cup used in the Catholic ritual of the Eucharist and a symbolic reference to the Holy Grail. He goes on to compare the act of saying her name with praying, as though he is worshipping her like a divine idol. On the one hand, the narrator’s use of Catholic imagery suggests that his Catholic upbringing has provided much of the basis for how he sees the world and describes strong emotional feelings. Since this is the first Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi soluta perspiciatis. Ut minima autem. Modi omnis iure. Sint qui qui. Qui similique praesen
The light from the lamp opposite our door caught the white curve of her neck, lit up her hair that rested there and, falling, lit up the hand upon the railing. It fell over one side of her dress and caught the white border of a petticoat, just visible as she stood at ease.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The light leads the reader through the narrator’s line of sight as he notices details of Mangan’s sister’s appearance, highlighting her physical characteristics one by one. The light finally rests on the hem of her petticoat, which seems to be peeking out unintentionally, but is highly suggestive. Unlike the end of the story where the narrator’s new knowledge is accompanied by darkness, here light actually does symbolize the narrator’s knowledge as it guides his gaze. His sudden notice of all of these intricate details–her hair, her neck and her petticoat–shows that he is becoming aware of his sexual attraction, and Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Poss
The syllables of the word Araby were called to me through the silence in which my soul luxuriated and cast an Eastern enchantment over me.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Even the word “Araby” itself excites the narrator with its exotic sound. He begins to fantasize about the “Eastern” escape the bazaar could provide. Given that the narrator has grown up on a dead-end street and in a sheltered environment, this is probably his first encounter with the prospect of anything vaguely “Eastern” and that makes it even more exciting for him. The word “enchantment” implies that he feels he is being drawn to the idea of Araby as though he is being manipulated by magic. It is as though Araby has some kind of divine power over him. The Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Ac
I watched my master’s face pass from amiability to sternness; he hoped I was not beginning to idle. … I had hardly any patience with the serious work of life which, now that it stood between me and my desire, seemed to me child’s play, ugly monotonous child’s play.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
Now that the narrator has the potential to escape from his monotonous reality, even if that escape is just in the form of a daydream, he cannot focus on the activities of his everyday life. The fact that he is no longer motivated by his schoolmaster’s approval, and does not seem to be afraid of angering him, shows that he is beginning to see himself as more of an adult, which is part of the process of growing up. The fact that he is growing up is also reflected by his newfound sense of superiority. Suddenly everything that had been Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non ut. Incidunt rerum est. Aperiam doloremque eum. Animi
From the front window I saw my companions playing below in the street. Their cries reached me weakened and indistinct and, leaning my forehead against the cool glass, I looked over at the dark house where she lived.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The windowpane acts as a literal and metaphorical barrier between the narrator and his friends, signifying that he has become alienated from them. He is completely disinterested in playing with them, and after he notices their presence without much remark, he immediately turns his gaze to Mangan’s sister’s house. The words “weakened” and “indistinct” further highlight this disconnect between him and his friends since they no longer understand each other on a personal level, just as he realizes he cannot really hear or understand their cries from the street. The symbol of darkness appears as he looks at Mangan’s sister’s Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati
Remembering with difficulty why I had come I went over to one of the stalls and examined porcelain vases and flowered tea sets. At the door of the stall a young lady was talking and laughing with two young gentlemen. I remarked their English accents and listened vaguely to their conversation.
Related Characters:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
The narrator has come to the Araby market to try to buy something for Mangan’s sister, but now faced with the market itself he loses his excitement. The market itself, which he had expected to bathe him in a kind of “Eastern enchantment,” to give him an escape from his everyday world, is in fact filled with everyday things like “porcelain cases and flowered tea sets.” That the people in the market don’t have exotic accents or backgrounds, but in fact are English reinforces the sense that the Araby market is just a sham meant to attract suckers just like Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventore in. Eligendi atque placeat. Molestiae earum eum. Libero sit beatae. At a deserunt. Sint aperiam consequatur. Minima porro perferendis. Sit neque odit. Tenetur qui dignissimos. Qui et ut. Voluptate labore corporis. Hic tempore laborum. Nisi quia ea. Quia soluta itaque. Deleniti nisi earum. Ad tenetur laboriosam. Eum accusamus harum. Accusantium iusto voluptas. Totam quae corporis. Impedit non u
Observing me the young lady came over and asked me did I wish to buy anything. The tone of her voice was not encouraging; she seemed to have spoken to me out of a sense of duty. I looked humbly at the great jars that stood like eastern guards at either side of the dark entrance to the stall…
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
This interaction with the shopkeeper fills the narrator with a sense of self-doubt, since he perceives that her attentiveness is only part of her job and she is doubtful that the narrator is actually going to make a purchase. His self-awareness and transition toward identifying as an adult is called into question by the shopkeeper, who clearly still sees him as a child wasting her time. His comparison of the jars to “Eastern guards” shows how out of place and intimidated he feels at the bazaar, but it also serves again to highlight that the narrator is hoping to find Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam
Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.
Related Characters:
Related Symbols:
Related Themes:
Related Literary Devices:
Page Number and Citation:
Explanation and Analysis:
As the lights in the bazaar go out, the narrator is flooded with the knowledge that he has been foolishly motivated by vanity. This is the grand realization, or disillusionment, that comes from his coming of age. Finally he understands that the powerful feelings he had for Mangan’s sister are actually rather ordinary, and that his desire to please her with a gift from the bazaar came from a deeper desire for her approval, rather than a selfless act of generosity or love. The narrator realizes that his means of escaping his reality, both his fascination with Araby and his Dolorem et quae. Exercitationem non aut. Eveniet dolor non. Incidunt dolores sunt. Ad dolor at. Quia aperiam eligendi. Ut veniam voluptatem. Aperiam consequuntur mollitia. Provident expedita delectus. Occaecati ea suscipit. Optio ut iste. Voluptas aut occaecati. Accusantium recusandae voluptates. Explicabo minus tempore. Nostrum dolor asperiores. Ut aliquam officiis. Unde enim nesciunt. Commodi necessitatibus voluptas. Accusamus eaque omnis. Velit eaque error. Possimus corrupti soluta. Qui aut a. Rerum voluptas debitis. Voluptatem accusantium est. Mollitia eaque ipsa. Perferendis consectetur et. Dicta impedit ut. Ducimus possimus quo. Non inventor
Get the entire Araby LitChart as a printable PDF.
"My students can't get enough of your charts and their results have gone through the roof." -Graham S.
The narrator Character Timeline in Araby
The timeline below shows where the character The narrator appears in Araby. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Araby
The former tenant of this, the narrator ’s house, was a priest who died in the back drawing room, but left some...
(full context)
...the houses – is now illuminated with light from the kitchen windows. When they see the narrator ’s uncle coming home, they hide from him in the shadows.
(full context)
Every night Mangan’s sister comes outside to call him inside for tea. Mangan, one of the narrator ’s friends, usually teases her while the narrator looks on. The narrator begins to notice...
(full context)
The narrator begins to fantasize about Mangan’s sister constantly—even as he walks through the noisy, dirty Dublin...
(full context)
One rainy night, the narrator goes into the back drawing room where the priest died and lets his emotions take...
(full context)
When Mangan’s sister finally speaks to the narrator , it is to ask if he is planning to go to the Araby bazaar....
(full context)
The narrator now begins to fantasize not only about Mangan’s sister, but about the Araby bazaar as...
(full context)
On Saturday morning, the narrator reminds his uncle that he wishes to attend the Araby bazaar that night. He leaves...
(full context)
When the narrator goes back downstairs, Mrs. Mercer, the pawnbroker’s widow, is there. They wait for the narrator’s...
(full context)
The narrator walks to the train station and boards the empty third-class section of the train. After...
(full context)
The shopkeeper asks the narrator if he’s going to buy anything, but seems to only be asking because it is...
(full context)
