A & P And Araby Compare And Contrast

The two stories “A&P” by John Updike, and “Araby” by James Joyce both focus on character personalities. Sammy from “A&P” and the young narrator from “Araby” both go through a transition from childhood to adulthood, something that everybody experiences growing up. Both stories are often compared and seen as a similarity, young characters that take an interest in women, and not being able to tolerate the rejection they receive. Both men fail their missions when Sammy defends the honor of the young women in relation to their bathing suit attire, and in “Araby” a present is promised but not delivered.
In A&P Sammy the main character is working as a cashier at a local grocery store when he spots a girl, the girl who he gives the name “Queenie”. …show more content…
“My eyes were often full of tears and at times a flood from my heart seemed to pour itself out into my bosom” (243). The boy was never noticed by the sister and unknowingly it would emotionally anger him, making him in desperate and hopeful need of her attention. The young boy has a conversation with her and tells her that he will go to Araby and return with a present for her. When he arrives at Araby he realizes that it’s not what he pictured it to be. It was dark, the shops were closing, and everything was expensive for a boy with little money, “Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger” (287). The narrator felt anger at himself for failing is mission and not returning with a present for his love.
The similarities in John Updike’s “A&P”, and James Joyce’s “Araby” show the difference between reality and the fantasies of romance that play in their heads. Both characters learned that you can’t become an adult or make adult decisions by doing childish acts; they also learned not to make decisions or get upset because of how a young lady makes them