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Why does the narrator want to go to the bazaar?
The young narrator in “Araby” wants to buy something at the bazaar for Mangan’s older sister, with whom he is infatuated. During their brief interaction, Mangan’s sister says she would love to go to the bazaar, but she can’t because of a retreat at her convent. The narrator replies, “If I go . . . I will bring you something,” and this mission consumes his thoughts for days thereafter.
Is “Araby” a standalone short story?
No. “Araby” is part of a collection of short stories by James Joyce called Dubliners which is about the lives of middle-class Irish people set during the early twentieth century.
What does the apple tree symbolize?
The narrator mentions that there is an apple tree in his backyard. Apple trees often symbolize loss of innocence because of their association with the Garden of Eden. In the context of “Araby,” the apple tree represents the narrator’s departure from the innocence of childhood to the sensual adult world.
What does it mean when the narrator says that North Richmond Street is a “blind street”?
A blind street is another word for a dead-end street, meaning it is a street that can only be entered from one end as opposed to both ends.
Why are most of the characters in “Araby” unnamed?
“Araby” is a bildungsroman or coming-of-age text. Joyce does not name any of the text’s principle characters in order to encapsulate the universality of the story.
