The Cruel Conclusion of Reality in ‘Araby’ and ‘The Raspberry Bush’
Running head: THE CRUEL CONCLUSION OF REALITY IN ‘ARABY’ AND ‘THE RASPBERRY BUSH’
The Cruel Conclusion of Reality in ‘Araby’ and ‘The Raspberry Bush’
October 8th 2013
ENGL 2P56
The Cruel Conclusion of Reality in ‘Araby’ and ‘The Raspberry Bush’
Every now and then, people get caught up in the hype of things; there is not a person on the planet immune to it. A person’s expectations of certain scenarios and the emotion put into objects and said situations can lead to disappointment, frustration, and feelings of loss. Reality comes creeping around the corner and ends up hitting the naïve individual with an unfortunate recognition. Humanity comes with a whole lot of emotions and those emotions get the better of us from time to time. I think this is evident in two short stories, the first being “Araby” by James Joyce, the second being “The Raspberry Bush” by Sheila Heti. In both stories, readers alike can see clear themes of disillusionment, cruel realization, and each protagonist is swallowed up in despair as a result of placing their emotions into inanimate and idealized expectancy. Throughout this essay, we will explore such themes further, we will analyze and conduct an investigation into which story proves to be more effective when crossing their overall meaning of human and cultural concerns provided by the author’s strategy. I will also make an assessment from my point of view as to whether these themes are expressed noticeably.
Firstly, we look to ‘Araby’ by James Joyce, a short story published in 1914. It is a short story told through the perspective of a young boy - living in Dublin, Ireland – submerged in apathy with the world around him. The spirit of the children who played in the dark and dreary streets is the only source of charm in his eyes. However, the nameless protagonist becomes consumed with the idea of one of his friend’s sister. He seems obsessed with her romantically without even having a
The Cruel Conclusion of Reality in ‘Araby’ and ‘The Raspberry Bush’
October 8th 2013
ENGL 2P56
The Cruel Conclusion of Reality in ‘Araby’ and ‘The Raspberry Bush’
Every now and then, people get caught up in the hype of things; there is not a person on the planet immune to it. A person’s expectations of certain scenarios and the emotion put into objects and said situations can lead to disappointment, frustration, and feelings of loss. Reality comes creeping around the corner and ends up hitting the naïve individual with an unfortunate recognition. Humanity comes with a whole lot of emotions and those emotions get the better of us from time to time. I think this is evident in two short stories, the first being “Araby” by James Joyce, the second being “The Raspberry Bush” by Sheila Heti. In both stories, readers alike can see clear themes of disillusionment, cruel realization, and each protagonist is swallowed up in despair as a result of placing their emotions into inanimate and idealized expectancy. Throughout this essay, we will explore such themes further, we will analyze and conduct an investigation into which story proves to be more effective when crossing their overall meaning of human and cultural concerns provided by the author’s strategy. I will also make an assessment from my point of view as to whether these themes are expressed noticeably.
Firstly, we look to ‘Araby’ by James Joyce, a short story published in 1914. It is a short story told through the perspective of a young boy - living in Dublin, Ireland – submerged in apathy with the world around him. The spirit of the children who played in the dark and dreary streets is the only source of charm in his eyes. However, the nameless protagonist becomes consumed with the idea of one of his friend’s sister. He seems obsessed with her romantically without even having a