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Historically, Araby was the name give to a gram fair held in Dublin 14th to 19th may in 1894. The fair was associated with glamour grandeur and pomp. The title of the short story Araby symbolises the dream world of romance and beauty. For the boy, it was father of hand of romance, to which he wakes journey for bringing a gift for the girl of his ideal. He is like a chivalrous knight to the mediaeval age going out on search of the Holy Grail. Araby is connected with oriental pumps romance, mystery and thrill. It symbolises the illusion of the boy about ideal beauty alluring the boy only to give him the hard shock of reality when he goes there, he finds that Araby is not what he has expected.
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| Araby by James Joyce |
The title of the story is deeply connected to the symbolism of the piece. The story tells the dreams and the frustration of a boy. It place of finding ideal beauty and romance, he finds himself in the midst of utter gloom and darkness. He feels the the passion to visit Araby on the request of his beloved the Mangan's sister. But to go there the author simplifies breaking of his dreams and ideals. Araby therefore is a symbols it is hidden in the title. It is a symbol of ideal beauty and romance which is however last in the dull reality. The boys quest for it and his failure symbolise the the aspirations and their frustration in every human heart. It represent and universal human experience search for the ideal in the drab surrounding and its frustration. Considered from the symbolical character of the story the title Araby proves fully appropriate.
As a short story it's appeal lies in its profound philosophy, that is the universal frustration of the expectance and dream and desires of mankind. The boy could not fulfill his pledge and symbolically it represents, frustration and chaos. As every short story is a universal panorama of life, so the short story Araby is also a document on the title theme of the ways of life bad luck, misfortune, sorrow and chaos and frustration. This is how this short story can be called as a greatly titled story written in English literary context.
An appropriate title of short story must contain the sign of general tone of the tale or any other literary work and at the same time, it should convey a deeper sense of perception. Which James Joyce’s title Araby is appropriately concern with every aspect both literally and figuratively. Araby is a affectionate colloquial term often used in the middle eastern region. The boy’s ideal notion of love does not become a reality. It remains ideal, far-off, just like the concept of Araby. Thus the title deserve appreciation for its name.