Araby The Dead Gabriel Analysis

Having to read about how a young childish boy falls in love with his best friend 's older sister really makes you think about how you were once this boys age, and once had that young love. Reading about Gabriel and his non returning love from his wife makes you hope that you never have to go through something like that yourself. James Joyce does a phenomenal job at explaining how the realization of both the boy and the old man don’t get the love they feel they deserve/ want. The ages of both protagonists might be different, but the overall feeling of losing someone or something is the same. The amount of time that the little boy did in waiting for the nerve to talk to the girl, the waiting for school to be over so he could see her,

In The Dead Gabriel is married to Gretta, and has put in years of his life and love into his marriage and cannot replace them. The little boy is young and can grow as a person and realize the true meaning of love which will lead him to find his person and do the adventure he was so willing to do when he was young. Gabriel can’t turn back the clock to the time where Gretta met him, or back to the time where she met Michael. He can divorce her, but imagine the pain and heartbreak that he will go through. Not just that, but the talk that will come from his family and friends. They have already judged him so about his choice of work and life. “ Well, I’m ashamed of you , said Miss Ivor’s frankly. To say you’d write for a rag like that. I didn’t think you were a West Briton.” (pg 188, Joyce). He is shamed upon because of the willing to find work in order to get money for him and his

What if the young boy didn’t fall in love with the girl? What if he realized he didn’t really love her before going to Araby? Gabriel, what if Gabriel never married Gretta? What if they hadn’t gone to the party? Gretta wouldn’t have heard the song that reminded her of Michael and Gabriel would’ve never know that she never really loved him the way he did. Or even what if Gretta never had met Michael? Or what if Michael never would’ve died? All possible situations that could never happen. Changing the lives these characters would be impossible, and would change the sad endings maybe into duller and boring