Araby: Setting, Atmosphere, and Objects (Week 4 extra)

Setting and Atmosphere

• North Richmond Street described as quiet except when the Christian Brothers' School dismissed its students.
• An uninhabited two-story house stood detached at the end of the street
• Other houses on the street were "conscious of decent lives" and had "brown imperturbable faces".
• The former tenant, a priest, passed away in the back drawing-room
• A musty atmosphere filled the rooms, along with old, useless papers in the waste room.

Objects and Books

• The narrator found paper-covered books in the waste room, including 'The Abbot', 'The Devout Communicant', and 'The Memoirs of Vidocq'.
• The narrator favored "The Memoirs of Vidocq" because its pages were yellow.
• The garden had a central apple-tree, straggling bushes, and the priest's rusty bicycle-pump.

The Priest's Legacy

• The priest was charitable and left his money to institutions
• He bequeathed his furniture to his sister.

Winter Evenings

• Dusk arrived early during the short winter days.
• Houses appeared sombre in the streets as evening approached.
• The sky was violet hued, while the street lamps cast feeble light.
• The children played until they glowed from the cold, their shouts echoing.
• Play led through dark, muddy lanes behind the houses.
• This involved navigating rough areas between cottages and dark gardens with unpleasant smells.
• The areas included odorous stables where a coachman groomed a horse.
• Light filled the areas from kitchen windows upon returning to the street.

The Narrator's Infatuation

• The narrator and his friends would avoid the uncle
• They would also observe Mangan's sister when she called her brother for tea.
• The narrator watched Mangan's sister from the shadows, fascinated by her presence.
• He admired her figure in the light of the half-opened door.

Obsessive Thoughts

• Every morning, the narrator watched Mangan's sister from the front parlor window.
• He secretly followed her to school, always keeping her in sight
• He never spoke to her beyond a few words
• He was deeply infatuated with her.

Fantasies and Reality

• The narrator's thoughts of Mangan's sister were all-consuming
• During Saturday evenings, while accompanying his aunt marketing, he felt like he carried a chalice safely through enemies.
• He would walk through flaring streets, jostled by men and women together
• The air would be filled with "curses of labourers", "the shrill litanies of shop-boys", and "nasal chanting of street-singers".
• The street-singers sang about O'Donovan Rossa and troubles in their native land.
• Her name came to his lips during strange prayers and praises.
• He felt emotional and overwhelmed.
• He was unsure whether he would confess his adoration, his body feeling like a harp to her touch.

Desperate Yearning

• One rainy evening, the narrator sat in the back drawing-room where the priest had died.
• He heard the rain and saw a distant lamp
• He felt thankful he could not see much, desiring to conceal his senses.
• He pressed his hands together, trembling and murmuring "O love! O love!".

The Conversation and the Promise

• Mangan's sister asked if he was going to Araby, expressing her desire to go.
• She mentioned a convent retreat prevented her from attending.
• While speaking, she turned a silver bracelet on her wrist.
• She stood near the railings and he noticed the light on her neck, hair, and dress.
• The narrator offered to bring her something from Araby

Anticipation and Frustration

• The narrator was consumed with thoughts of Araby after this conversation.
• He found the intervening days tedious, and schoolwork unbearable
• He asked for permission to go to the bazaar on Saturday night.

Saturday's Disappointments

• The narrator's uncle was curt when reminded about the bazaar
• The narrator felt the house's bad humour and reluctantly went to school.
• Upon returning home, his uncle was late, causing further irritation.
• He retreated to the upper rooms, watching his companions play from the window.
• He imagined the figure of Mangan's sister in the lamplight.

Delays and Forgetfulness

• Mrs Mercer's extended visit prolonged the evening
• His uncle arrived late, having forgotten about the bazaar.
• The aunt urged the uncle to give the narrator the money.
• The uncle apologized, quoting "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy."
• He inquired about the bazaar
• He began reciting "The Arab's Farewell to his Steed."

Journey and Arrival

• The narrator hurried to the station with a florin.
• The busy streets reminded him of his goal.
• He traveled in a deserted train.
• At Westland Row, a special train for the bazaar awaited.
• He arrived at the bazaar at ten minutes to ten.

The Bazaar's Reality

• The narrator found no sixpenny entrance and paid a shilling.
• The hall was mostly dark with closed stalls and a church-like silence.
• Two men counted money under colored lamps near a "Café Chantant" curtain.

Disillusionment

• The narrator examined porcelain vases at a stall.
• An interaction with a young lady talking with two men resulted in disappointment
• The tone of the lady was not encouraging
• He realized his efforts were futile and walked away.
• He heard a voice announce the lights were out, plunging the hall into darkness.
• He saw himself as foolish and driven by vanity, filled with anguish and anger.