Theme of Initiation in Araby and A&P
Discussion
The unnamed boy in Araby, the narrator, described the North Dublic Street where their house is located and the games they were playing on the street. He thought of the priest who died in the current house before his family transferred. More of the boy’s narration, moment he most savors, focused on sister of his friend Mangan, who often comes in front of their house to call her brother. He glimpsed on Mangan’s sister every day and rushed out to walk fast just to pass her. They rarely talked to each other. His infatuation with her is so deep that she was always on his mind but he fears that he will never confess his feelings with the girl. One day, Mangan’s sister asked the boy if he will be going to Araby, a Dublin bazaar. She said that she cannot come to the event as she was already committed to attend her school retreat. Having recovered from the surprise of sudden conversation, the boy offered Mangan’s sister with something from the bazaar. On the day of the bazaar, the boy reminded his uncle that he will attend the Araby so his uncle should come home early and give him train fare. It turned out that his uncle came late; when he arrived at the bazaar, the stalls were starting to close down. He approached the open stalls yet he purchased nothing for Mangan’s sister. The boy was so disappointed and stands angrily as the lights of the bazaar went out.
Sammy is the main character in John Updike’s story, A&P. He is an arrogant, opinionated, and immature individual with very little knowledge and experience with the opposite sex. He was a teenager, who described girls entering the grocery store as second-rate. He not just observed the physical appearance of the girls but criticized their individual personality, on which he was going beyond the surface details and intensely had interests on a pure sensual way, just like with Queenie. He also had the superiority over his coworker. He set himself apart from the other to prove that he is different. He even said “I quit” to get the attention of girls in the store, especially Queenie. He failed and realized that they don’t even notice it. Sammy showed maturity in trying to exercise his desire to make a new life.
Analysis
They boy in Araby initially had the burning desire to please his infatuation with Mangan’s sister as he even offered the girl with something in the bazaar. But due to unplanned circumstance when his uncle came late to give him train’s fare and arrived at the bazaar finding that sellers were almost running to close down. His interest to please the girl and later express his feelings had gone. He gave up. For him, the chance to be noticed by Mangan’s sister through the stuff he would buy in the bazaar was all gone. The unnamed boy had not realized that his infatuation or desire to please the girl can be showed in other things other than giving her something from the bazaar. His understanding is confined to his innocence; that only through that “something in bazaar” could make the girl notice him and neglect other alternatives.
Sammy in A&P was a classic example of initiation. He was a young person who undergone from innocence to experience. When he realized that Queenie had not noticed his words, he changed his gestures and stand on his feet with his decision in resigning from his work. Even though he had perfectly imagined everything between him and Queenie, he was able to twist it and look for other opportunities that he had experienced in A&P. Looking forward for a new life with his new ideas and experience.