A & P And Araby Compare And Contrast

Sammy & the Boy “A&P” by John Updike and “Araby” by James Joyce are two shorts stories with similar male characters. Both Sammy and the boy of “Araby” are the protagonists. During the stories, they each go through a conflict that includes heartbreak. Sammy and the boy seem disconnected from the male figures in their life. The two main characters have unrealistic expectations. Unfortunately, Sammy and the boy both have a negative outcome. They both learn that everything is not what is appears to be. Sammy and the boy are similar because they are both distant from the male figures in their life, have unreasonable expectations, and end up in a negative situation. Sammy and the boy are both distant from the male figures in their life. In “A&P,” Sammy speaks about his dad and his mom but seems to have a stronger relationship with his grandmother. After quitting his job, Sammy says his grandmother would be pleased that he used one of her favorite catchphrases in his response to Lengel, his ex-boss. In “Araby,” the main character lives with his aunt and his uncle. The night the boy heads to the bazaar, he needs money to buy Mangan’s sister the perfect gift. His uncle is uneasy about him going to the bazaar; however his aunt does not mind. His aunt says, “...can’t you give
After quitting his job and not picking up a girl, “...my stomach kind of fell as I felt how hard the world was going to be to me hereafter,” (Updike 414). Sammy starts to regret his impulsive decision and realizes that life will be difficult without a job. The boy in “Araby” was extremely unimpressed with the bazaar. “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger,” (Joyce 333). He did not want to go back on his promise to Mangan’s sister. Sammy and the boy both realized that everything doesn’t work out as