Life Changing

In this story a young boy is going through changes in life. He talks of playing with his friends in the road till late in the night and in some parts of the story he talks of being alone so it shows he is in the process of developing from a child into a teenager. In this story the boy is young and happy, then it talks how he has fallen in love, and in the end he is angry and upset.
In the beginning this story talks of young children playing in the streets at night after dinner and running wild. This reminds me of the days when life was so easy just being a child running free and doing whatever is enjoyable. It states that “we played till our bodies glowed”(1), showing that they just happily acted young and enjoyed being outside. This story makes me think back to the days my sisters and I played in the mud and stayed until the moon was out, having no worries and free from the responsibilities that we carry now. He reminds me of my nephews who have all the energy to continue on through the day without stopping.
The story shows a transition on how the boy talks of playing and running free
And then seems to be in love and then he states," her figure defined by the light from the half opened door. Her brother always teased her before he obeyed and I stood by the railings looking at her.”(2) He talks like he can’t stop looking at her and here he makes it known that he is interested in his friends sister. After reading this story a few times, it continuously reminded me of middle school. It makes me think back to when a boy was so intimidating, always trying to impress someone and to just be noticed. This young boy is very much impressed with this girl who he considers just her name to be “summons to all my foolish blood.” (3)He wants to be noticed as he states he leaves for school the same time every morning she leaves for school he quickly passes her right before they go separate ways. He is very interested in this girl throughout this story. Even though they have never spoken he considers her his love saying “o love, o love,”(4) as he presses his palms together until they tremble. One day she finally speaks to him and asks if he is going to Araby and he can’t remember his answer because he is so confused. The girl will not be able to attend the bazaar so the boy mentions if he goes he will bring her something. Maybe here he is trying to show he like her but mentions that if he goes he will bring her a gift.
The boy becoming angry is then shown when his uncle does not come home in time for him to make it to the bazaar. He says "When she had gone i began to walk up and down the room,clenching my fists"(5) When he arrives home from school the uncle as yet to return, the boy waits and waits. At nine the uncle finally arrives and has forgotten about the boy returing from his trip a little drunk. The boys asks hisuncle during dinner for the money so he can go to the bazaar. Around 10:00pm he gets off the train and fearing the bazaar was closed looked for an entrance. As he entered most of the halls were already dark and only a few people were still gathered. As he remembered the reason for coming to the bazaar he started looking around for a gift but could not find anything. As he left it was darker and he thought to himself “I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.”(6) This saying shows he was upset maybe only because he could not find a gift but for being so foolish and realizing he should not have gone to the bazaar just for a girl.

(1) James Joyce, Araby, quoted in Phillip Spioria,
Reading and writing about literature(Prentice Hall,2002) 38
(2) James Joyce, Araby, quoted in Phillip Spioria,
Reading and writing about literature (Prentice Hall,2002) 38
(3) James Joyce,Araby, quoted in Phillip Spioria,
Reading and writing about literature (Prentice Hall,2002) 38
(4)James Joyce, Araby, quoted in Phillip Spioria,
Reading and writing about literature,(Prentice Hall,2002) 39
(5)James Joyce,Araby, quoted in Phillip Spioria,
Reading and writing about literature, (Prentice Hall,2002)40
(6)James Joyce, Araby, quoted in Phillip Spioria,
Reading and writing about literature,(Prentice Hall,2002)41

Charles Wales and his mistakes

In “Babylon Revisited” by F.Scott Fitzgerald, the main character, people view Charles Wales differently. He has made many mistakes in his life but comes back to Paris to show that he has changed. After losing his wife and his daughter he sees that he needs to make a change in his lifestyle.
Charles Wales is a good man he has just made a few wrong decisions in his life and now he is dealing with the consequences. Before he lost his daughter and wife he thought his life was perfect. He had money, a good wife, and his alcohol. Helen and Charles enjoyed spending money and partying and having a good time. They would go around Paris night after night, drinking and being with their friends. In time, Marion, Helen’s sister was angry for the way they threw money away. One drunken night Charles and Helen got into a fight and he went home. Charles was drunk and upset so he locked the door to their house and thought nothing of it. Helen ends up at Marion’s house, which she will never forget how cold and upset her sister was. Marion blames that night on Charles and says he is the reason she died.
Lincoln is Marion’s husband and he can’t decide whose side to be on. When he’s not with Marion he agrees that Charles is ready to take his child home with him. When he’s around Marion he doesn’t stand up for Charles, he just sits back and lets Marion talk. She becomes upset with Charles very easily over his mistakes in the past. Marion wants Honoria to be where she thinks Helen would want her. When Charles first comes back to Paris and he begins talking to Marion about having his daughter back she automatically assumes that his drinking is not over and that he will drink again. It is hard to forget the past and to forgive someone for their mistakes but Marion blames all the wrongs on Charles. In this book she doesn’t mention Helen drinking and partying like she does Charles, even though she is her sister, Helen wasn’t always the best mother to Honoria.
He takes Honoria out to eat one day to talk to her and spend time with her. Charles wants to forget who he was in the past and look toward the future. He has been sober for over a year and wants to take responsibility for his daughter. At the time when he signed the papers for Marion to take Honoria, he was in no condition to take care if her. Marion has had Honoria since her mother’s death and now it’s time to let Charles take her, but she can’t forget anything he has done.
Charles past is a constant reminder to him and everyone else of his mistakes. Through out this story he is reminded many times of who he used to be. Marion thinks he hasn’t changed, Lincoln thinks he should have another chance, and Charles made himself change for the better. He walks around Paris night after night remembering his mistakes and how all that he has done was not worth what he has lost, his dear daughter. Honoria longs to be with her father as well as he longs to be a good father to her. He has missed enough in her life and he can’t handle missing anymore.
This story was really interesting, it reminds me of my husband and I. We both have made many mistakes in the four years that we have been together. There are people who mess up all the time and it’s either forget what they did or hold it against them . I had to do this with my husband, he didn’t always make the best decisions, so I could hate him for hurting me or forgive him. Marion needs to forgive Charles and let him be the father he wants to be, he deserves a second chance.