John Updike s A P And James Joyce s Araby - 1877 Words

Coming-of-age is a chapter that every individual must inevitably trek through in order to grow and mature into one’s own self. In John Updike’s AP and James Joyce’s Araby, the theme of growth permeates throughout both narratives as their respective protagonists fabricate an ideal world from their own naive perspectives, only to shed their ignorant fantasies about how they believe to understand that the world can bend to their decisions to truly understand the cruelty behind world they live in: reaching maturity through the loss of innocence. Dismissing the pragmatic aspects of life can lead to the downfall of a person’s ideals as they eventually come to the realization that their dreams are impractical, and even impossible to bring to†¦show more content†¦Instead, after overcoming obstacles like his apathetic uncle and the work of school, the boy arrives in Araby during closing time. After witnessing the store clerk’s lack of interest in hi m as a customer, he decides not to buy anything and then, upon his failure, he realizes how his crush will be fruitless through a negative epiphany. The boy inevitably understands the futility of his actions, as if the entire world was acting against his efforts to impress the girl he was obsessed with; his determination is suppressed after making it so far and failing at the final step of his mission. The inciting hope that the conversation instilled in him combined with the obstacles he had to overcome, only made his failure all the more bitter, but this harsh failure is the turning point that the boy needed in order to escape the childish and naive infatuation that he was experiencing. Failure was the lesson that made him understand that his love will remain unrequited, a realization that is the prerequisite for his sexual maturity. In a similar fashion, John Updike’s AP portrays the mundane life of a cashier named Sammy who works in a grocery store called AP. Sammy observ es the people around him — customers and fellow employees — and refers to them as â€Å"sheep† because of their conformity to society. The story begins as three girls clad in bikinis walk into the store; theyShow MoreRelated The Decline of Chivalry Explored in Araby and AP Essay1211 Words   |  5 PagesRomantic gestures have been seen as a useful motive to win hearts of women for centuries. However, as society constantly changes, the effectiveness of these chivalrous acts has diminished. In James Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† and John Updike’s â€Å"AP†, this theory is explored, both telling the story of a boy whose efforts to impress the girl of their desires fail. As said by Well’s in his critical analysis of these stories, â€Å"Both the protagonists have come to realize that romantic gestures—in fact, that the wholeRead MoreA P And Araby By James Joyce1200 Words   |  5 Pages AP by John Updike and Araby by James Joyce are two short stories that have multiple differences and similarities. AP is about a teenager and his lust for young ladies and Araby is about a young boy who had a crush on a older girl. I will be comparing and contrasting the portrayal of women, love and epiphany in the two short stories AP and Araby. I believe women are portrayed negatively in AP. I have came to this conclusion because I believe Sammy treats the â€Å"Queenie† positively but treatsRead MoreAnalysis Of John Updike s Araby 1967 Words   |  8 PagesJohn Updike s penchant for appropriating great works of literature and giving them contemporary restatement in his own fiction is abundantly documented--as is the fact that, among his favorite sources, James Joyce looms large.[1] With special affinity for Dubliners, Updike has, by common acknowledgment, written at least one short story that strongly resembles the acclaimed Araby, not only in plot and theme, but in incidental detail. That story, the 1960 You ll Never Know, Dear, How Much I LoveRead More`` Araby `` By James Joyce1885 Words   |  8 Pagesthe adult we are creating ourselves to be. â€Å"AP† by John Updike and â€Å"Araby† by James Joyce both introduce two young protagonist who both share in blinded adoration for young women. Both young men attempts to woo the young woman by proving their nobility. Both efforts go completely unnoticed by both girls and both young men are left alone dealing the aftermath of their failed nobility, which changes the way they view themselves. James Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† is a medieval romance set in Dublin, IrelandRead MoreBusiness and Management2600 Words   |  11 Pagesat the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Barnet, S., Cain, W.E., Burto, W. (2011). Literature for composition: Essays, stories, poems, and plays (9th ed.). New York, NY: Longman. All electronic materials are available on the student website. |Week One: Elements of Literature—Stories