The protagonist of the
short story is a little boy of thirteen or fourteen years. In this age usually the kids are trying
to find and know themselves. The gender
feelings are new for the kids of this age. They quickly grow physically as well as mentally. Their physical growth makes them conscious about the opposite sex. These are novel feelings for them so they keep these feelings as something very sacred. So the hero of the story is also going through this entire situation, he is conscious about his friend’s sister who often comes at her doorstep in the evening to call her brother. The hero observes her presence and can distinctly rebuild her image when alone. The boy is living with his relatives and anything about his parents is not mentioned. This further deepens his feelings as he already
feels himself alone. The whole atmosphere of the story is gloomy and sad. Dark evenings, rain and moist streets in the winter season signify the helplessness of a kid and his depressing state of life. So the presence of the girl is a sort of escape for him. She has become madness for him, he thinks about her all the time. He remains engrossed in her thoughts even in his classroom. He goes to market with his aunt and even there he carries her memory in his heart and thinks himself to be a hero of some legendary tale who picks up his cup of wine and successfully passes through the throngs of foes. He feels the pangs of love that wring his heart badly. He feels sad and cries without any reason, murmuring: O love! O love! Everyday in the morning he waits for her and as soon she comes out of her home to go to school he chases her and then to make his presence felt he crosses her. Day after day his sentiments grow deeper and deeper, her image clad in brown dress lit up by the lamplight, haunts him making him feel miserable. Then one day she speaks to him and talks about a splendid bazaar called “Araby”. The hero is completely stupefied and doesn’t remember his replies to her queries. Then he promises her that if he went to Araby he will bring something for her. After that day his already confused state further accentuates and the word Araby spreads all around his existence making him forget all the other things. One can guess how important Araby has become for the boy. After all his beloved has mentioned it …… so it has become an order for him. He takes permission of his uncle and is ready to go on Saturday. All that day, he is anxiously looking forward to go there. He is impatiently waiting for his uncle to get the money. Generally his uncle comes home near five but unluckily at that day he gets very late. He comes home at eight’ o’clock in the night, as he has forgotten about the boy’s visit to bazaar. The boy takes the money and hurriedly heads towards the station and boards a third-class carriage of a deserted train. This is a special train for Araby. It passes through gas-lit streets and river, and then stops at an improvised wooden platform. He looks at a large building that displays the magical name; ARABY. He has to give a shilling as entry fee to a weary-looking man. He enters to find himself in a big hall with a gallery at half its height. Nearly all the stalls are closed and the most part of the hall is in darkness. A gloomy silence prevails around. Some people are counting their money on a stall. He is so baffled and disappointed that he has almost forgotten the purpose of his journey. He goes to a stall of porcelain vases and flowered tea sets; a young girl is standing there talking to two young men. The young lady asks him if he wants to buy something, her tone is not at all encouraging. He looks at the great jars and then at the meager sum of money that he has in his pocket and murmurs, “No, thank you”……... The girl goes back. He stays before her stall for some time and then he turns dejectedly and walks down in middle of the bazaar. He lets the coins fall in his pocket, and then he hears a voice call from one end of the gallerythat “the lights are out” and the upper part of the hall goes in complete darkness. He looks up into the gloom and feels like a worthless creature that was mortified and humiliated by the forces of reality. His self-concept and his vanity were dishonoured and his eyes were burning with anguish. The story juxtaposes the world of reality and that of imagination. The little boy is treated brutally by the actuality where his personality, his beloved and his feelings for her are rendered worthless. The bloody claws of real world crush the protagonist and his imagination collides with the objective world leaving him desperate and desolate. Conclusively it is the legitimate power of the feelings that creates a reality significant enough to give meaning to the unreality. It depicts a psychological correctness that is convincing to the protagonist as well as to the reader.