“Araby” Assignment
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Read “Araby” by James Joyce, Literature: The Human Experience, p.91-95.
Answer the following questions on your own paper.
Discuss your answers with a peer or small group.
Complete the essay. Be sure to follow EWU writing format.
James Joyce Websites
http://www.jamesjoyce.ie/
http://www.themodernword.com/joyce/
http://intranet.dalton.org/faculty/BENDER/slb.html
Questions for Discussion
1. The Setting and the Language
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Read the first two paragraphs carefully. What kind of environment does the boy live in? Pay
attention to specific details (“blind” street; musty room; dead priest, etc.)
2. The Characters and the Language
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Who is the narrator of this story? How old do you think he is?
Read the next three paragraphs. Who is it that the boy secretly loves? How does he describe his
feelings for her?
 What kind of “character” is Mangan's sister (round, flat, symbolic)? Pay attention to how she is
described in the third paragraph.
3. The Plot
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What kind of conflict is detailed between the boy and his environment and the boy and the
adults (aunt, uncle, and Mrs. Mercer)?
When does the main action of the story start? How does it change the narrator?
4. Religious Images
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What are the religious images/icons that the narrator uses to describe his love for the girl? Write
down the similes/metaphors used.
5. The Trip to the Araby (the bazaar)
 How is the bazaar described at the end of the story? What does this description tell us about the
world the boy lives in?
 What is the role money plays in the trip to the bazaar?
6. Theme
 Why do you think the boy loves the girl in such a devout manner?
 What do you think of the ending? What does he mean by “vanity”?
 This story is an initiation or rite of passage story. What do you think he learns?
7. Point of View
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Describe the point of view of the narrator? Is the narrator a young boy or an older man
remembering an important incident from his boyhood?
8. Tone
 Reread the opening paragraph. How does it set the tone for the story?
9. Free Response
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What is your opinion of the boy's love for Mangan's sister? Have you experienced puppy love
or infatuation before? How was your experience similar or different from the boy's?
Describe an experience that led you to realize that you were not acting out of the selfless
motives you thought you were.
ESSAY
Analyze the use of imagery and light in this story. Discuss how it illuminates the theme and expresses
the thoughts and feelings of the narrator and his infatuation with Mangan's sister. Be sure to use
specific quotes and examples from the text, and utilize intext citations correctly.