Setting

How do the setting affect the stories of Joyce and Updike? How would the stories work in other settings?

In both stories Araby by James Joyce and A & P by John Updike, the settings affect how the stories take place and how the characters change.This story by James Joyce is the awakening of a boy to how different the world is compared to how he would like to see it. In the beginning of Araby, the setting of this story is very dark and gloomy. " When the short days of winter came, dusk fell before we had well eaten our dinners. When we met in the street the houses had grown sombre. The space of sky above us was the colour of ever-changing violet and towards it the lamps of the street lifted their feeble lanterns. Our shouts echoed in the silent street." This setting symbolizes the loneliness of a child and the sadness of his childhood. The point of the story is that basically it's about a small crush. A young boy's first time falling for an older girl. “She was waiting for us,” “I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.” He wants her to feel the same for him so he decides to buy her something that will mean alot for her. Something that will show his affection towards her.

He goes out of his way and travels to " Araby" (bazaar) a small market away from town. As he gets there he starts to look around to see what he should buy her. He finally finds something that he would love to get her but gets distracted by the sales woman that is flirting with two young men. She asked him if he needed any help with an annoyed tone and a rude way. Things here begin to change. He becomes aware of how things really are. And that he might like her but she might never feel the same for him. He gets upset by what he has seen and decides to leave and buy her nothing.

In the second story, A & P by John Updike, the setting as well fits perfect for the theme. The story "A & P" by John Updike is a story of a young man who gets caught up in his desires and lets his anger get in the way of his thinking and in the end, ends up quitting his job. This story is written in first person, as told from the point of view of a 19-year-old grocery clerk named Sammy. One day, while Sammy is working, three girls walk into the A & P supermarket wearing nothing but bathing suits. At first, one of the girls intrigues Sammy. Everything is fine and nothing is said until the manager comes out. He tells them that they are dressed inappropriate and shouldn't be coming inside the store that way. They are embarrassed and get upset. Sammy can't believe the way he is treating these girls and decides to defend them as they walk out the door. Hoping that they here his heroic way he quits in front of everyone and walks out. But it was too late, because the three girls were long gone. Both settings correlate to one another in the sense of loneliness.