Draw Connections: “A & P” and “Araby”
Both John Updike’s “A & P” (1961) and James Joyce’s “Araby” (1914) include protagonists who have important realizations, or epiphanies, about the world as a result of their attempts to be heroes for girls who aren’t quite interested in them. Both stories follow similar narrative patterns, and in the protagonists’ failings, they push the reader to recognize a moment when innocence about the world is lost. While the stories were written at different times and present different circumstances, they both remind the reader of this common experience in growing up.
Document links:
Annotated text of “A & P”
Annotated text of “Araby”