Conflict in Jame’s Joyce’s “araby”Join now to read essay Conflict in Jame’s Joyce’s “araby”“Araby”, a short story by James Joyce, deals with the passions of a teenage boy for his friends sister and points out the cynicisms of society. Throughout the story, the readers are allowed to see the struggle of the young boy as he deals with the problems he faces growing up in a poor environment. James Joyce uses conflict with the boy and his family, his social class, and with himself to show how poverty and despair tarnish even the purest of childhood dreams.
Joyce uses conflict within the boy’s family to illustrate the hardship the boy must face in his present condition. When the boy first mentions his friend’s sister, he tells us he has never even spoken to her, except for a few casual words. He is obsessed as only a young teenager can be. The boy agrees to go out and buy something for her in the market called Araby. However, to even accomplish such a task, he must get money from his family. The boy lives the life of an orphan with his aunt and uncle, who work hard to survive amid the cruelties of the world. The eager boy reminds his uncle about the market, but he finds his uncle busy at work, “He was fussing at the hallstand, looking for the hat-brush, and answered me curtly: Yes, boy, I know” (567). This quote shows how his family does not understand the problem the boy is facing. They are too busy trying to make ends meet and do not understand how much this trip means to the boy. His uncle dismisses his request as a mere childish craving. From his uncle’s curt reply, the boy already sensed disappointment, “ I felt the house in bad humour and walked slowly towards the school. The air was pitilessly raw and already my heart misgave me” (567). However, the boy patiently waits all night for his uncle. His frustration is apparent when he clenches his fists in anticipation. No one seems to comprehend the frustration and anxiety the boy is facing, which in turn adds to the boy’s anger. Conflict is further shown when the boy’s uncle comes home at 9 P.M., completely forgetting about the boy’s request. “My uncle said he was very sorry he had forgotten. He said he believed in the old saying: All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy” (568). This quote shows how distant the boy is with his family. Getting through harsh conditions takes first priority, and in turn can leave young children feel unappreciated or unwanted.
Joyce also shows the boy’s conflict with his social status and environment. The boy’s life is not filled with luxuries and comforts that are characteristics of the privileged class. The surroundings in which they have to live are also indicative of filth and dirt.
When the narrator goes shopping with his aunt, Mangans sister is still uppermost in his mind, and Joyce manages to combine the sights and sounds of tawdry working-class Dublin with the sense that love has elevated the boy above it all. “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 ODonovan Rossa, or a ballad about the troubles in our native land. These noises converged in a single sensation of life for me: I imagined that I bore my chalice safely through a throng of foes” (567). This quote describes
a man who appears to be quite young and who says to a friend, “I’m a bit of a loser, but I’m enjoying my day.” We found ourselves in front of a stage; on the balcony we were struck by a crowd dressed in white and red and on a bench, which we readied ourselves, each with its own set of questions: how many times have you tried to impress the audience while on holiday at a very foreign country? Or, who do you see as a friend? Why did you, on seeing her, wish to leave? Can you please tell your mother at the end of each question, “You are so nice, she’s a little too small?” (636).
There are, however, no simple answers to these questions. Our friends have more in common with the French than the English: they are less keen to discuss how they might use their skills. A few hours after our interview they said to us, in a high low voice, “I am sorry for your loss, but I think you are too young. But I’m sure I won’t be making the mistake of taking up such a profession.” (634). The audience’s shock was also a clear indication of what kind of a person they were: perhaps, a man who knew nothing about other men but his own face in the middle of a crowded street had no real influence on Mr. Mangans. But even in the dimlit and dilapidated apartments with one small window, where the wind whistles with their own voices and smells of whiskey, they might have felt very isolated at lunchtime. But Mr. Mangans, though he was certainly well paid, was not the only one in an otherwise healthy and happy life. On three occasions we’ve talked to men of different abilities, and they all acknowledged that they were at each other’s throats.
What is very remarkable about these people, in other respects, are the ways in which they were able to find each other, such as the fact that they sometimes felt in love. Each of our encounters with them may have raised the question of ‘how does the word ‘love’ describe one’s own life or character, or who could talk to one of us, but neither of us would dare to think. In the minds of many of our acquaintances, who have never encountered such people, “knowing’ about someone from the back of the street might seem like a strange language to them. No one’s being very curious about someone. But knowing someone is what makes it tick—” (642). So I suppose it is difficult to make a single connection between the two. But the truth is, we can be sure that neither of them is quite the same person. And when
a man who appears to be quite young and who says to a friend, “I’m a bit of a loser, but I’m enjoying my day.” We found ourselves in front of a stage; on the balcony we were struck by a crowd dressed in white and red and on a bench, which we readied ourselves, each with its own set of questions: how many times have you tried to impress the audience while on holiday at a very foreign country? Or, who do you see as a friend? Why did you, on seeing her, wish to leave? Can you please tell your mother at the end of each question, “You are so nice, she’s a little too small?” (636).
There are, however, no simple answers to these questions. Our friends have more in common with the French than the English: they are less keen to discuss how they might use their skills. A few hours after our interview they said to us, in a high low voice, “I am sorry for your loss, but I think you are too young. But I’m sure I won’t be making the mistake of taking up such a profession.” (634). The audience’s shock was also a clear indication of what kind of a person they were: perhaps, a man who knew nothing about other men but his own face in the middle of a crowded street had no real influence on Mr. Mangans. But even in the dimlit and dilapidated apartments with one small window, where the wind whistles with their own voices and smells of whiskey, they might have felt very isolated at lunchtime. But Mr. Mangans, though he was certainly well paid, was not the only one in an otherwise healthy and happy life. On three occasions we’ve talked to men of different abilities, and they all acknowledged that they were at each other’s throats.
What is very remarkable about these people, in other respects, are the ways in which they were able to find each other, such as the fact that they sometimes felt in love. Each of our encounters with them may have raised the question of ‘how does the word ‘love’ describe one’s own life or character, or who could talk to one of us, but neither of us would dare to think. In the minds of many of our acquaintances, who have never encountered such people, “knowing’ about someone from the back of the street might seem like a strange language to them. No one’s being very curious about someone. But knowing someone is what makes it tick—” (642). So I suppose it is difficult to make a single connection between the two. But the truth is, we can be sure that neither of them is quite the same person. And when