Araby

In James Joyce's story "Araby," what is the relationship between the archetype of the questing hero and the archetype of the pure maiden?

• The romantic ideal of the pure maiden inspires the hero to begin his quest.
• The pure maiden is a helper during the hero's quest, giving him aid and comfort.
• The hero wins the prize the maiden requested so she accepts his love.
• The maiden dashes the hero's hopes when she forbids the hero to speak to her.

Refer to Explorations in Literature for a complete version of this story.In James Joyce's story "Araby," what impact does the archetype of the pure maiden have on the story?

• Mangan's sister prompts the loss of the narrator's innocence when she refuses his gift.
• Mangan's sister sets the hero's quest in motion when she requests a gift from the bazaar.
• Mangan's sister gives the narrator new wisdom when she speaks to him after his quest has failed.
• Mangan's sister begins the story when she introduces him to her brother, who becomes his friend.

excerpt from “Araby” by James Joyce
The wild garden behind the house contained a central apple-tree and a few straggling bushes, under one of which I found the late tenant’s rusty bicycle-pump.
excerpt from “Genesis 2.9” from the Bible
The LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground—trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

• “a central apple-tree” with “the tree of knowledge”
• “a few straggling bushes” with “the tree of life”
• “behind the house” with “middle of the garden”
• the… rusty bicycle-pump” with “good and evil”

Read these sentences from "Araby" about the boy's frustration as he waits for his uncle to come home. Joyce uses the setting to allude to how the boy feels about this particular time in his life.
I mounted the staircase and gained the upper part of the house. The high cold empty gloomy rooms liberated me and I went from room to room singing. From the front window I saw my companions playing below in the street. Their cries reached me weakened and indistinct and, leaning my forehead against the cool glass, I looked over at the dark house where she lived.
How does this allusion affect the meaning of this passage?

• It shows how the boy realizes he is outgrowing his friends as he looks down on them playing in the street.
• It depicts how the boy's frustration with his uncle's lateness sends him upstairs to find other distractions.
• It describes how the boy seeks higher ground as a refuge from his confusion and passion for the girl.
• It hints at how the boy's confusion about the girl makes him more understanding of his childish friends.

Read these sentences from "Araby" about the boy's frustration as he waits for his uncle to come home. Joyce uses the setting to allude to how the boy feels about this particular time in his life.
I mounted the staircase and gained the upper part of the house. The high cold empty gloomy rooms liberated me and I went from room to room singing. From the front window I saw my companions playing below in the street. Their cries reached me weakened and indistinct and, leaning my forehead against the cool glass, I looked over at the dark house where she lived.
How does this allusion affect the meaning of this passage?

• It shows how the boy realizes he is outgrowing his friends as he looks down on them playing in the street.
• It depicts how the boy's frustration with his uncle's lateness sends him upstairs to find other distractions.
• It describes how the boy seeks higher ground as a refuge from his confusion and passion for the girl.
• It hints at how the boy's confusion about the girl makes him more understanding of his childish friends.

In "Araby," James Joyce uses many archetypal images: the innocent youth, the mysterious female, and the distracted adult.
How does the distracted adult affect the meaning of the story?

• He changes the outcome of the story by making the boy regret wanting to go the market in the first place.
• He creates tension in the story as the uncle who gets home late and forgets about the boy's intentions.
• He is an object of the main character's affection as the bumbling uncle who likes to quote poetry.
• He is the antagonist of the story who constantly thwarts the boy's attempts to express his feelings toward the girl.