Ending Explained! James Joyce's "Araby"

James Joyce is one of the greatest writers of all time, but that doesn't make his work easy to understand. This video covers the major events of his most famous short story: "Araby," and pays particular attention to those confusing last few lines.
Titled after a traveling, open air bazaar. "Araby" is the recollections of the unnamed narrator's first romantic interest and it's accompanying epiphany. Joyce published the story in 1914 as part of the short story collection: Dubliners.
Araby is just the start of Joyce's outstanding, hometown short stories. If you want to check out the whole collection, Penguin has a fantastic edition of it:
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[@elafire818]

You did a really good job explaining the story and I appreciate all of the work you put into this. Thank you.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for watching it and leaving such kind feedback!

[@QueenMabsJournal]

This is a thorough analysis. Amazing job.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Hey, thank you so much!

[@joeysoper6593]

Who else is here 4/21/21... no one? oh ok. Well, I got to hear Mr Oxford Comma lecture this in person. Lemme tell you, it was an experience. Truly was moved. Great work!

[@mayflyracha264]

I was supposed to read the whole thing but I have a very short attention span so I came here, THANK YOU SO MUCH! YOUR VOICE IS SO CALMING AND I LEARNED A LOT!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for the kind feedback! I'm glad you found it helpful!

[@ianpaine5380]

This needs more views. I was interested in Araby, but now I'm fascinated

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much, Ian! I hope it gets more views too, haha.

[@kuwonyo5998]

Had to read this for school, now i feel like imma seem smart in school tomorrow 😎

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Glad it could help! Thanks for watching!

[@addie4135]

same

[@martywhite2988]

You'll never seem smart using a phrase like "imma seem smart."

[@kuwonyo5998]

@@martywhite2988 😐

[@ahmadmokdad4412]

to be honest, i did read it before watching this video, but now i have realized how much i missed from it.....thanks very much for explaining it

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm so glad it was helpful, Ahmad! Thank you for watching!

[@09kaustubh]

There is also the boy's attempt to try to impress the young lady at the bazaar. He completely forgets about his friend's sister. This is highlighted by the fact that he forgets what he wanted to buy. One thing is his shifted attention and another thing is his inability to impress the mature young lady who is flirting with two boys her age at once. I think the end of the story is deliciously brutal. I liked your explanation. I understand one cannot fit everything about this magical story in one video.

[@liper13]

Amazing video. This is my favorite Joyce story after The Dead. Never thought of the Light vs Dark imagery before you highlighted it. I was blown away by Joyce’s depiction of young infatuation from a boy’s perspective. It was spot on and, frankly, beautiful. Joyce can be difficult, but he is an amazing writer if you are willing to work a little bit as a reader.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much for such high praise! "The Dead" is such a great story. I've been thinking about adding it to my class syllabus. And your last sentence about the need to put in work as a reader, I might have to share that with my students too.

[@budmckechnie]

Your explanations and your analysis of this story were superb. My only remaining question is how can you be so certain that Mangan's sister has already decided to become a nun? Many convents run a girls' school attended by many young girls, a few of whom decide to join the convent after completing high school, but the vast majority of whom choose to lead a married life instead. I personally attended a college prep high school operated by monks in a monastery, but only a very few of us decided to join that monastery after completing high school. A half mile from our prep school was a girls' school operated by sisters in a convent. Only a very small percentage of girls (perhaps only two or three percent) from that convent school eventually joined the convent after completing high school, and those individuals did not take even temporary vows until 18 months after they first became members of the convent. Those who did join after high school did not take their final (perpetual) vows until at least four or five years after joining the convent. At least half of those very few who did join the convent dropped out before making a final commitment. The girls in the convent school frequently ran dances at their school and invited boys from our prep school to attend. We also invited girls from the convent school to attend our dances. Saint Theresa of Lisieux desired to enter the convent at age 14 but was told by the pope himself that she needed to wait until she was a few years older

[@billychristophermaupin1979]

Thank you for calming my fears of: "That's IT?! What did I miss?!?" :) It really is beautifully written, but I honestly was worried if the version in the anthology was an excerpt there for a moment. Thank you for this gorgeously narrated analysis.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much! That's exactly how I felt the first time I read it :)

[@manasbarma6899]

Stream of consciousness, epiphany, autobiographical aspect, inner reverie,, these are things Joyce subjected in his Araby. By the way, your explanation was just wonderful,, thank you, you made it more easy to understand

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much! You're spot on with the writing techniques that Joyce utilized in this and many stories.

[@snazzyhoops3471]

I got a quiz tomorrow on the story and this helped a lot. You better than my teacher lmao

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I mean, I'm not judging any teachers this year, but thank you for the compliment. And best of luck with your quiz!

[@thenatelopez38]

Fantastic job, with a very clear and precise explanation. Thank you for helping me understand the signifance of the title. I hadn't thought about that

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for such a nice compliment! I'm glad it helped!

[@devinj1424]

Thank you for this! You saved my essay!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm so glad it was helpful! Happy typing!

[@Mrfuniman]

Ty man. Alot of stress on my head and you blow it away. :)

[@blackdevil3989]

i have a midterm tomorrow it helps a lot to understand thanks

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Glad it could help! Good luck on your midterm!

[@reneetheday]

At first I was just here for my school assignment but now I really like the story. Thank you.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

That's honestly some of the highest praise a teacher can ever receive. Thank you, and best of luck on your studies!

[@learninglover286]

What a beautiful voice you have😊

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much!

[@LevMar-co4of]

Yes

[@ayellowpapercrown6750]

Saved my presentation. I didn’t understand the end at all haha.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm glad it could help! Knock em dead during your presentation!

[@tomxtotomato1806]

I had to do a presentation as a 8th grader about this and Im from a country that rarely speaks english this is so dumb.... did not understand anything...

[@robertbruce7079]

@@tomxtotomato1806 Lmao im doing this story in my first year of college

[@isabellaakashem]

Absolutely loved the analysis. I had it all in my head but I was struggling to put it down on paper and your video really helped me with creating the outline. Thank you very much! I hope to see more in the future. Awesome job!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for the kind feedback! I'm glad it helped!

[@amandarichel8762]

Quality work..

[@tirthosom5952]

Thank you very much! I totally missed the detail that she was going to be a nun! I broke into laughter after you pointed that out!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Glad I could help! Thank you so much for watching!

[@Kashifzafar10]

Thank you so much .

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

You're welcome. Thank you for the kind comment!

[@xlanarchie]

wow, totally missed that she's very likely to become a nun.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I did too on my first read. Joyce just kind of drops that detail in and moves right past it (much like his narrator).

[@YouTubeallowedmynametobestolen]

I have a feeling this otherwise insightful reading of the story might have missed the mark on this point. I found a different source that explained the significance of that word and that passage thusly: "Convent -- Girls’ Catholic school. She is going on a trip that is devoted to religious exercises." This seems more likely to me. The reference to a convent is a reference to a place of education, perhaps exclusively for girls.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@Pegasus You are correct in your research. It would have been a school for girls. It was was a track to become a nun, but not every girl would take vows at the end of her schooling. The number of nuns in Ireland was increasing at that this time though.

[@Jellybabynavan78]

@@OxfordCommaEducation Just becuase Mangan's sister went to school in a convent doesn't mean that she was studying to become a nun. It was quite normal for girls to receive second level education in convent schools without the expectation that they would become nuns. Could the convent having a retreat not mean that the catholic church was repressing Irish catholics and stopping from from experiencing new things and gaining new insights?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@Jellybabynavan78 Correct, she would not have had to become a nun. But going to a convent and said convent's retreats, would imply she's more likely to consider following that path than most others. Not sure about the idea of Catholic repression. Interesting thought for sure, but I'd have to do a lot more research on it. Thanks for your insight!

[@abbynaus3872]

This totally answered my questions! Thanks for the great explanation!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

So glad to hear that! Thanks for watching!

[@rahmanmoti]

my favorite story.

[@saturnran7294]

Just preparing for my graduate entrance exam. Thanks for your sharing this analysis!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

You're welcome! Hope your exam goes well!

[@ekagogoladze3706]

The story is amazing wonderfully written!

[@gloriouspurpose3139]

Best explanation!!! Keep it up. How you discussed the convent school portion was really moving.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much!

[@saulzx2965]

Thank you so much for this video, you helped me better understand "Araby" and I appreciate it very much.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you for watching!

[@aaliyabamboowala1665]

Thank you for this beautiful and clear explanation

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

So glad it was helpful! Thank you for watching.

[@melabidin3136]

Thankyou so much!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

You're welcome!

[@gabrielleyanez6576]

Thank you so much, listening to your explanation of Araby really helped me see the meaning behind the realization he had himself rather than actually trying to find the reason and plot behind it when there was nothing but the epiphany. You explained the story quite well, thank you and I'll definitely be back!!!keep up the good work.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for such a kind and articulate comment! I'm so glad the video was of some assistance to you!

[@gabrielleyanez6576]

@@OxfordCommaEducation Would I be able to get your intake on something?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@gabrielleyanez6576 Sure thing!

[@gabrielleyanez6576]

@@OxfordCommaEducation In your opinion how would you say James Joyce captures the modulations of the mind of the narrator?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@gabrielleyanez6576 Good question. I'd say he uses first person, reflective narration. He also focuses on the narrator's senses (colors, smells, the feel of two pence in his pocket). Does that help answer your question?

[@ginelleannlizleal4313]

Thank you for explaining this I was also bewildered listening this from an audiobook haha :>

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Glad I could help! Thank you for the kind comment!

[@blergh5170]

I loved your explanation and now I finally understand the ending. You just saved my grades.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Glad it proved helpful!

[@samanthabree111]

Thank you. That was excellent

[@juliettedaigle4112]

Thank you very much!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

You're welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@kshitijghadge1739]

You gave a really Good explaination, It's really hard to find such intelligent and calm literature studs. Anyway my thoughts on the story were it's about the Boy getting to know the dull reality of world unlike his imagination, like the place Araby is nothing like he imagined and the girl is not the way he thinks of her too... Anyway again I loved your explanation I fell in love with your channel. I always wanted to be a Literature student analyse books but unfortunately....I'm studying Computer Science anyway it makes me feel wonderful when I see a literature student and students as good as you are just great...keep it up ♥️♥️

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much for this comment! I'm so glad to hear that you found value in this video. I love your thoughts on the dull reality of the world. If you don't mind, I'm going to use that in my class the next time I teach the story. Best of luck on your studies!

[@anki111]

Your voice is so soothing ❤️ stress relieving loved it 💋🧿

[@mi_ss_mka]

Thanks for the explanation 😍 just amazing

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Happy to help!

[@Nicky.Slunsky]

Holy shit, I totally missed the convent part! Great analysis, thank you!

[@cameronaydt1124]

great analysis! thank you.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for watching!

[@lvicahap23]

Thank you!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

You're welcome!

[@zoeb9582]

You're a legend!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you! I'm glad it helped!

[@saqre103]

Wow man that’s a good analysis

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you!

[@LaCrinkles]

Thank you very much for this, it helped me a lot for AP Lit :)

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Glad to hear that! Thank you for watching!

[@fiore4379]

The visuals were so helpful

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm so glad to hear that! Thank you for the comment!

[@reillymccullough2136]

"Great Irish literature" is certainly right! Great video and great synopsis, thanks so much!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for the comment!

[@andreiaf24]

Loved the comments, I really appreciated it. Thank you!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for the kind feedback!

[@englishvocabularyexpert2601]

Thanks for the explanation. It's really helpful.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Glad it helped! Thank you for commenting!

[@camdenadler235]

you respond to every comment, props! nice analysis, am i the only one who’s not here for school? lol

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for recognizing that! I really do enjoy talking with people interested in literature. And thank you for checking out the channel even though you don't have a paper due in two hours. lol.

[@Mal_Abd]

I had to read this story and was like, ' huh what did I just read?' hahah. but this video helped me understand, thank you!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

You're welcome! I'm so glad it helped!

[@petesbricks]

Great video this really helped me.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you! I'm glad you got some use out of it!

[@michelledel8241]

Thank you! Very helpful!

[@fiore4379]

Thank you! :)

[@shahdfahmy5489]

Thank you for your explanation

[@cavandavidson1185]

Wow. I am English and was educated in England. The standard you describe is ghastly and frightening. I wish you luck.

[@cavandavidson1185]

I am genuinely grateful that people like you are working to educate people. If we cannot express ourselves with accuracy and nuance to each other in our mother tongue we will be in deep trouble..

[@Eivnid5899]

I was definetly not motivated to read the entire story, thank you for this :)

[@chayanmodak6164]

Nice observation

[@azizazitani6014]

Thanks a bunch

[@silverlining6516]

Thank you so much sir for your help, it is really helpful 🤗😇🧚

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Of course! Glad it was helpful.

[@murukan19841]

This really helped! Thanks a lot..😊

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm glad it helped! Thank you for watching and commenting!

[@cassiesimpson7649]

This was so helpful omg thank u

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm glad to hear it. Thank you for watching!

[@britbarbi3]

Best book analysis video I have ever seen! Fast but effiecent

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much for the incredibly kind comment!

[@raouneknanoshka2354]

You did a great job now i can say that i understand it clearly ..... Thank you so much😇 Simple question ... Can please explain the figures of speech used in this story?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thanks for the kind feedback! Do you have any specific figures of speech in mind?

[@chantym08]

Thank you! X100000

[@thvmylf]

Thanks :D

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

You're welcome. Thank you for watching!

[@revilitajn1030]

great video! this video really helps my paper. but could you please explain to me the tension of 'Araby' from the New Criticism approach? if you don't mind of course. thank you!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I don't mind at all! New critics typically look for opposites (tension) in a work. For "Araby," there is a lot of tension between descriptions of light and dark as well as seen and unseen. Because new critics focused exclusively on the text (not looking at biographical or historical context) they would form their arguments/interpretations based on these instances of tension. In "Araby" the Light-Dark pairing could represent the hope of being with Mangan's sister and the reality of his hopeless infatuation. The Seen-Unseen helps readers understand how alone and misunderstood this crush has left him feeling. I hope that helps! Thank you for watching and good luck with your paper!

[@revilitajn1030]

@@OxfordCommaEducation omg this really helps me a lot. Thank you so much and have a nice day!

[@stephanieguzman_xo]

Thank you so much for this video ! I was struggling writing a paper because I did not understand the story at all after reading it twice 😅.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm so glad it was helpful, Stephanie! Hope your paper turns out great!

[@something2thinkabout227]

Its somewhat ironic that the speaker becomes knowledgeable of his vanity when he is surrounded by literal darkness, because we typically associate the concept of knowledge with light, as in "en-light-ened." The opposite is true when he describes the girl with all of that light imagery, at which point he is at the height of ignorance about himself and denial about the girl's life choices. Points to Joyce for turning these classic binaries on their heads. Also, I have a question: how does Joyce's story relate to the uncle character's recitation of the "Arab's farewell to his Steed"? In the poem, the speaker is thinking of leaving something he loves: his horse; but the speaker in Araby is trying to gain someone he loves, or thinks he loves. Aside from the connection between the Arab and the marketplace being called Araby, I'm not sure how they relate. Maybe both stories are warnings against impulsive decisions, because both the Arab and Joyce's speaker end up regretting their poor choices

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I think you're spot on with both points. Joyce loves to challenge traditional ideas - not by saying they are always bad, but by saying that they shouldn't be blindly followed. I think the uncle thinks of that poem because of the Arab-Araby connection. The thematic similarities are probably just there to reward astute readers who take the time to look up the poem.

[@something2thinkabout227]

Well, I was assigned the poem with the story, so it saved me the trouble of looking it up.😉

[@sbarr10]

Boy you said it. If you're looking for plot I just don't see it in James Joyce. He was very good at characterization though.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Couldn't agree more!

[@rookie4582]

This video was done very well! Thanks a lot. Is this for a school project or are you wishing to help troubled students?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thanks for the compliments! I'm an English teacher. I wanted to make videos to help students who are absent or need extra review, and the channel has been growing from there.

[@rookie4582]

Oxford Comma It was super. Do you have another story to speak about anytime soon?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@rookie4582 I have a few drafts that I've been starting, but nothing for sure yet. Is there anything you'd like to see?

[@rookie4582]

@@OxfordCommaEducation Have you read or are you familiar with the story of Big Fish from Daniel Wallace?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I've never read it, but I have seen the musical, haha. Not sure how closely it follows Wallace's original story.

[@chrisheatleymulhall3950]

It would mean that her religious observance of a requirement had to take precedence, she couldn't absent herself

[@avriloconnell8902]

Good analysis but one thing I would note is the mention of "convent." In Ireland, schools for young ladies were and often still are ran by nuns and are often referred to as "the convent" or "my convent". I went to a nun-ran school and certainly was not training to be one. Its just slang for a Catholic school. If Mangan's sister was training to be a nun she would have been living in at the convent. We are also told that every morning when she would be leaving the house, the narrator would hastily pick up his books to leave at the same time as her. This further suggests that she was attending a convent school and not entering a convent to become a nun. Just thought I'd draw your attention to this as an Irish student studying Joyce.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thanks for the insight! One of the coolest things about KZbin is getting to learn from people all over the world.

[@avriloconnell8902]

@@OxfordCommaEducation no problem at all. The sisterhood was totally a popular profession for young women in Ireland at the time however. The promise of stability and being looked after your whole life, as well as the sense of pride it brought to many families. So it's very possible Mangan's sister could have become a nun all the same :)

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@avriloconnell8902 Very interesting! I'm grateful that I'll now be able to teach this story with more accuracy. Best of luck on your studies!

[@una877]

Hmm I always understood that the retreat that the girl goes on is just a school retreat, as lots of girls schools in Ireland are also convents ie. ran by nuns, especially during Joyce's time. Great analysis btw!

[@adnanardinutsha1620]

a quick question..Did you made this video for college students in UK?Is it included in syllabus??

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Hey, thank you for checking out the channel! I'm actually a dual credit teacher in the United States.

[@adnanardinutsha1620]

@@OxfordCommaEducation wow..cool..I actually enrolled this year in a university as a english literature student...This story was om syllabus..I didn't understand a bit..so I came here looking for this...so then I wondered if its included in another colleges too..

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@adnanardinutsha1620 you're totally right. "Araby" is a pretty standard short story in English literature classes. I teach it through the perspective of epiphany, but there's a lot of different lessons and interpretations. Thank you for checking out the channel and best of luck with your studies!

[@shiroguimary3883]

Thanks man really helped (no sarcasm intended)

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for watching!

[@maxlarock8788]

Thanks this helped

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

So glad to hear that! Thank you for watching!

[@kristinamarallag3763]

Can I know if what's the theme of this story? Thank you in advance for those who will answer my question...

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Good question. There are a number of themes in the story: love, growing up, shame, etc... But I focus on epiphany/self-realization when I teach it. Hope that helps, and thanks for watching!

[@kristinamarallag3763]

Thank you so much ...❤️❤️❤️

[@lilshawano1014]

I honestly wouldn't read this on my own. I had to for my College course...I had a hell of time staying focused to this story. I am unsure why but I couldn't wait until it was over.

[@lilshawano1014]

However, I appreciate this break down of the story. Thank you.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I'm so glad you found it helpful! Modernism certainly isn't everyone's cup of tea. I hope your professor has something more excited coming up!

[@heatherv8120]

Hi I was wondering how the setting of Araby influenced the plot?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Great question! "Araby " original appeared in a collection called Dubliners, so the story is pretty seeped in references to the city. More specifically, I'd say that the boy's house, being in a blind alley and having once been home to a priest who died, gives the story a secluded almost homely atmosphere. It's also autumn which is a time of the year that symbolizes change. Hope that helps a little!

[@78g476]

This is a great analysis. But I was wondering the significance of the title? Why did Joyce decided to name it after a place (where the epiphany happens) ? Why is that important?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

That is a really interesting question. I'm not sure I can offer mush more than my own theory. But I'd say he opted for it because the Araby is catalyst of the story. It's arrival fills the narrator with hope and ends up being the place where he feels the lowest. Thank you so much for giving me something new to think about!

[@78g476]

@@OxfordCommaEducation "It's arrival fills the narrator with hope and ends up being the place where he feels the lowest". Reminds me of Guy de Maupassant's "The Necklace".

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@78g476 Another great short story! I may have to add that to my video list.

[@YouTubeallowedmynametobestolen]

This analysis is appreciated. I do disagree on one point: the significance of the convent. You suggest that since she belongs to a convent, she is headed for the vocation of a nun. Somehow I got the feeling that wasn't right. I thought maybe "her convent" might have a different connotation in Joyce's day and place than it does for 21st century North Americans. So I did a little looking and found a source that explained the significance of that word and that passage thusly: "Convent -- Girls’ Catholic school. She is going on a trip that is devoted to religious exercises." This seems more likely to me. The reference to a convent is a reference to a place of education, perhaps exclusively for girls. It seems to me a rather egregious oversight of the fellow on the verge of manhood not to catch on if the convent reference had really meant she was studying to be a nun. What do you think?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thanks for adding your in-depth research to the discussion! You're correct that a convent was a school for girls. Many girls would take their vows at the end of their schooling and become nuns, but certainly not all of them did. It was kind of like the path you took if your were considering becoming a nun. So we can't say with certainty that she would have become one, because Joyce doesn't give us all the details. So I am probably speaking in too much of an absolute, but her entering the order has always been how I've read it. I guess we should consult an expert in 19th century Irish Catholicism. Thanks for helping add to the conversation!

[@YouTubeallowedmynametobestolen]

@@OxfordCommaEducation My pleasure. Thanks for the video! You went to a lot of trouble to help people understand this story better. (And goodness knows I needed that help!)

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@KZbinallowedmynametobestolen Anytime!

[@saltmelda]

I WISH I COULD PUT THE LIKE IT MORE THAN ONE !!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

I wish I could love this comment more than once! Thank you so much for your support!

[@SidharthR]

Convent here refers to a convent school.

[@yippycat5303]

I thought he didn’t have enough money to by anything good for her lol, thanks for the clear up!

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Hey, not worst reading. Thank you for the comment!

[@yippycat5303]

@@OxfordCommaEducation np man, it’s a pretty good explanation, what you should catch though is some of the vocabulary in the story regarding the time period. I caught the word “Florin” (which was the currency) which gave a location of Great Britain putting the story in a 1849-1970s, and further pushed by the use of trains more or less putting it in the 1830-1922s. Which was a pretty cool catch on my part, I may however be looking too much into it.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@yippycat5303 That's excellent insight! Fantastic use of historical context.

[@rahafhiasat5109]

thank you so much do you mean that " Araby " is the name of the bazar ? and how do you know by the way ? Do you think that is it related to Arab world ?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

You are very welcome! Araby, as used by the characters in the story, is the term for a traveling bazaar. Historically, these attractions would go from city to city selling goods. You'll notice that the people working the stalls are English, so it was more of a business venture than a cultural exchange. And you're correct, the word does invoke Arabia. I've read this in various editions of the text, but I'm not sure where I first learned the definition. However, there is a poster from an Araby that traveled to Dublin when Joyce was a child (just search for "Araby Dublin Poster" online. Hope that helped, and thanks for watching!

[@rahafhiasat5109]

yaah I get your idea

[@rahafhiasat5109]

I think you are interested in literature , and I need your help about something please

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@rahafhiasat5109 I'd be happy to try. What can I help with?

[@rahafhiasat5109]

can you tell me your email or your facebock account ? If you dont mind

[@windeelinemalapitan2068]

Can you give me the link where did you found the photo in your thumbnail?

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Sure thing! Here it is pixabay.com/photos/dublin-street-man-walking-ireland-2428730/ Also, it's free to use so you don't have to worry about copyright.

[@satchelsatchel]

I’ll lead by saying that the analysis offered in this video is first-rate. I’m not proposing that any of the information in the video is incorrect. And any students who are facing an impending deadline should attend to their work, and not to my arguments. My response, although critical, is meant to compliment the video, not to contradict it. I’m trying to extend the discussion. My points are in chronological order, relative to the audio. A child can develop a relationship with his aunt and uncle that is as close with them as the relationship he has with his parents. Can’t he talk with an aunt and uncle, as he would talk with his parents? And it’s wishful thinking, to suppose that a parent would ever understand what a child “is going through.” Many younger Catholic girls, up until the Great War, would follow what we would today call the “track” of becoming a nun, with no serious intent of eventually becoming one. It was a default societal behavior. It’s highly improbable that we can be certain that the young lady has already personally committed herself to a chaste life, based on her attendance of a retreat at a convent. “Grace,” is another story in _Dubliners_ and it has several non-clerical adult male characters attend a retreat (led by priests), with the intent of developing their spirituality. This isn’t the exact same type of event, but it’s similar. At the end of the story, it’s not that the boy wasn’t really in love with the girl. As the video says, “vanity” is pride in one’s accomplishments. The boy’s mistake was that he perceived the gift he intended to purchase as his key to winning the heart of his beloved. In truth, a gift is not necessary to winning someone’s affection. (Although gifts have their uses, primarily that of maybe gaining for the donor the recipient’s attention.) At the risk of making too fine a point, I’d venture that vanity is an hyperfocus on, or dependence upon, one thing, whether it be a specific characteristic of one’s own personality or a present one has purchased. And the cost of vanity is the loss of confidence or faith in one’s overall makeup, a mistaken wandering away from dependence upon one’s holistic self. As an extension of that, perhaps part of the boy’s anguish is that his quest to find the answer has actually led him physically far away from his goal. As evidence that the boy is suffering due to his having placed his hope in his acquisition of something from the fair, note that when the boy desponds, he has just then witnessed other males wielding their wit to woo females. It seems to me that is pain is due to his abandonment of (or his not yet having grasped) the realization that he, himself, is enough for any potential mate. And must be enough. Any such situation-where a gift would make the difference between acceptance or rejection of his suit-is already precipitously precarious. I’ll close by stating something that the video implies: The boy in the story is very perceptive and very sensitive. He precisely figures out his uncle’s emotional state, based on a few clues. He is observant and whatever he sees and hears, he deeply feels. It’s possible that he’s the subject of this story because of his demonstrative over-reactions, even if such behavior is typical in some boys who are at his same age.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you for adding your insight in such a respectful and well written manner. If there's anything that uploading these lectures has taught me, it's that literature lends itself to a plethora of interpretations, and that no matter how many times I read a story, someone else will catch something I missed, oversimplified, or flat out misinterpreted. If anything, I'm trying to be more explicit in my newer videos: that I'm not suggesting an absolute interpretation - rather just one voice in the conversation that stretches across the globe and through many generations. Thank you again for helping inquisitive readers gain more ideas and insight. (including myself).

[@shimaatahoon8692]

I want to know the significant of this quotation "I bore my chalice through athrong of foes.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

In reality he's carrying groceries and packages for his aunt, but in his head he's carrying a precious chalice (expensive cup) through a collection of enemies in order to deliver it to the fair maiden he's infatuated with.

[@liper13]

That chalice can also have religious implications as well. Joyce was very bigoted against Christians, and Catholics in particular.

[@PimpmyChip]

NICE VID

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you! And thanks for watching!

[@thatdinosaur7724]

subbed

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate it

[@chrisheatleymulhall3950]

Her name was a summons to my blood... Wow, he knew how to tell a story

[@TheMontoGawe]

The girl is the sister of Mangan, the friend of the narrator. Friends usually talk about their family, hence, the narrator must have known her name.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

That's a good observation, but the name is never mentioned for a reason. Certainly, he knew it: "her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood." Leaving it out makes more of a statement about their relationship than including it.

[@YouTubeallowedmynametobestolen]

@@OxfordCommaEducation "Leaving it out makes more of a statement" Great point. If he had given the name, the reader might take it that that particular name held some kind of mystic charm for the boy. But in fact (IMO), whatever her name had been would have held that kind of charm for the boy. It could have been Lavinia or Gertrude, and the result would have been the same. It is he that imbued the name--because it was the girl's name--with the charm.

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

@@KZbinallowedmynametobestolen That's a good observation. It's almost like having the name in there would make it less universal. The reader can almost fill in a name.

[@aravindm6677]

Sir iam facing situation like boy in Araby

[@OxfordCommaEducation]

Been there... been there. I think that's what makes the story so timeless. It's a part of growing up for sure. I hope that things work out for you!

[@user-lj1jd9pc7m]

that voie tho..

[@chrisheatleymulhall3950]

The soft rope of her hair... He was a captive before he spoke to her

[@123Jim91]

Still better than modern American TV which boils down to: "White bad, man bad, men and women being into each other bad, oh look we made a previously White character black or brown."