Araby Mangan's Sister

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As “Araby”, by James Joyce, progresses the reader sees the growth of the main male character, who has no name written in the story, and his love for this girl, Mangan’s sister. Mangan’s sister is a metaphor because she is the light in his life because of how dark it is “North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street”(1). It may seem that the street is only blind because it is a dead end but, the boy is actually saying the street is blind and dull, describing his atmosphere and life and emphasizing Mangan’s Sister. However his love for her instantly turns into a deep fantasy in which Mangan’s sister is his only happiness in the boy’s sad and lonely life.
There are many instances when the boy shows desire and affection for Mangan’s sister …show more content…
He observes two men flirting with this woman, which makes him realize “[…] I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger”(6) after seeing the flirts, he realizes that that’s what he wants to do with Mangan’s but if he keeps imagining it, it will never happen. So the boy doesn’t retrieve anything for her and the trip ends up being for him. The boy’s imagination took over him and gave him a sense of reality. Throughout the story the boy’s fantasy grows and declines with great speed. For example he see that on page 5 he rushes to the bazaar “[…] fearing that the bazaar would be closed, I passed in quickly […]”(5). It may look like he just trying not to be late but he cares about impressing Mangan’s sister so much that he feels the need to run to the bazaar. The boy realizes he was in a fantasy when he thinks “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger”(6). He sees himself as vain, because he realizes that he could probably never end up with a beautiful girl like Mangan’s sister. Thus bringing him back to reality and ending his long fantasy that had taken over his
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