Love is… Love is one of the basic instincts to which all of the human race is affected. In James Joyce’s “Araby” and John Updike’s “A & P” show different ways that the protagonists are affected but these acts are unrecognized by the recipients of their love. The authors manage to apply a tone, style and language that eases the reader’s thoughts into the same familiar situation of a crush. Joyce and Updike work with this familiar feeling and have the protagonists struggling over their actions.
In “Araby” the protagonist travels to the bazaar wanting to impress his love, Mangan’s sister who wishes to visit, although “she c [an] not go… ” (9). If Mangan’s sister had not mentioned the bazaar the trip would never have happened. The narrator arrives at the bazaar to search a trinket for his love, he stops looking for a “sixpenny entrance” as he fears the bazaar will be closing (25). This is a fruitless endeavor as the narrator realizes he is broke. The narrator painfully admits defeat and realizes that the journey he made is only for her.
This epiphany is acknowledged with his words “gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger” (37). In “A &P” Sammy stands up to his boss, Lengel, by quitting his job. “I know you don’t, I said, ‘But I do” (30). This evokes the readers thought that Sammy has made up his mind to leave and is not deterred by the threats from Lengel. “Sammy you do not want to do this to your Mom and Dad” (31). Sammy is unfazed by the consequence of upsetting his parents and is focused on the embarrassment endured by Queenie.
His heroic act is only to his benefit and we believe that as Sammy walks out of the store his life is beginning. Both authors limit the amount of dialogue in the stories and this demonstrates a trait that magnifies what is teenage crush. Built on fantasy and passion, often crushes are not apparent to the other party. In “Araby” the narrator is never given a name not even his love interest has a name. The narrator sees her in a haloed light, the way “her dress swung as she moved her body and the soft rope of her hair tossed from side to side” (3). Invisible to the world, these details are only noticed by him.
There is one sentence that is spoken between them and the others recollected by him. It is confusing to tell whether it is in his mind or this happens. When played out in our imaginations our crushes seem real. While Sammy in “A & P” gives details of his feelings towards Queenie that consider his emotions. “… this clean bare plane of the top of her chest down from her shoulder bones like a dented sheet of metal tilted in the light. I mean, it was more than pretty” (3), shows his delight and not of the concern of her entering the store with just a bikini on.
Another similarity that the authors have is their description of the scenes. Joyce employs the darkness and somberness of the winter afternoon to reflect the directionless life of the narrator. He is in a life that is dark and somber and this infatuation becomes an escape. This is seen as the narrator waits for the girl’s arrival in the morning and that his heart leaps upon her sight (4). He trails her around just dying for her attention; he does not wish to initiate contact. Likewise Updike puts numerous details into the descriptions of the characters especially the girls.
Sammy describes the store clientele as ‘sheep'(5). They all follow behind one another checking their lists and picking items from the shelves. Sammy would rather follow Queenie around. The girl’s decadence in comparison to the ‘sheep’, in all but swimsuits. The girls represent the glamour and color of a world outside the store. A difference between the two pieces is Joyce to include religion; Updike uses teenage activities. Joyce’s Irish Catholic background and of being trained for the priesthood could be the reasons behind this decision.
He references a “chalice”, and “palms together” (5). The chalice is commonly presented in religious ceremonies and “palms together” gives the impression that he is praying. Joyce also refers to a past tenant a priest that is dead potentially inferring that religion is dead. It is known Joyce left the Catholic church and this line shows his feelings towards the religion. Updike focuses his writing on teenage life and distant from churches and religion. The analogies of the store to a pinball machine, and the mention of records and music, an emphasis largely to teenage entertainment.
The story is set in a period when there was little for teenagers to become involved in except music and film. Updike’s analogy of the store as a pinball machine gives the impression that he spent time playing such games. The two protagonists find their love puts them in strange positions. Lengel’s friendship with Sammy’s parents ensured his employment. Sammy’s infatuation with Queenie has him soul searching for his own future. In the store, Sammy stands alone strong and immovable in his position against Lengel but once outside he feels the implications of walking away.
He is now on his own and that is the uncomfortable or alien feeling. The narrator in “Araby” feels that his love is so foreign to him. In the way that society frowns upon a priest’s love of a woman. The narrator feels used the moment he realizes that his visit to the bazaar was by the command of love. The realization that the infatuation will never amount to a relationship, but is a dream, is not devastating. It is a rite-of-passage that he is destined to pass through. Both protagonists coming of age events show how infatuation altered their state’s of mind. Infected with love, they have no control over themselves.
They pull through the fever of infatuation and grow from boys to men. Joyce’s narrator is complicit with his infatuation and it is not until his final lines he realizes how fixated he has become and he lost the battle. Sammy argues his position and stands up to Lengel only to realize that the girls are long gone and his feelings towards Queenie will not be returned. Queenie is the starting point of his coming of age as Sammy already had his doubts whether he would work in the store for the rest of his life. Sammy has regrets, but is comfortable with his actions.
