The stories “Araby” by James Joyce and “Boys and Girls” by Alice Munro offer unique perspectives into the traditional coming of age tale. These two short stories are very similar in topic, but quite a few differences can be found when they are explored further, especially with regard to the authors’ use of literary elements. There are many similarities and dissimilarities in the stories “Araby” and “Boys and Girls” in the use of setting, point of view, and character. It is important to appreciate the setting of both stories, as it is crucial to the issues the protagonists face. This is especially true in “Araby,” which is set in late 19th century Dublin, Ireland. In the third paragraph, Dublin is described as dark, dreary, and depressing. “When we met in the street the houses had grown somber… Our shouts echoed in the silent street. The career of our play brought us through the dark muddy lanes behind the houses, where we ran the gauntlet of the rough …show more content…
The reader is more able to immerse themself in the protagonists’ world than if the stories were written in the third-person. The nameless narrator of “Araby” is speaking of a far different time than the present, yet readers are able to understand, and even identify, with the young boy’s struggle. Many adolescent boys have experienced the same emotions so vividly communicated in Joyce’s coming of age tale: infatuation, awkwardness when talking to girls, and frustration at authority figures. Similarly, historically, countless young women have been treated as inferior, and undervalued, solely because of their gender. In this regard, women can relate to the challenges that the protagonist faces in “Boys and Girls.” When these authors write in the first-person, they draw the reader into their characters’ perspectives, which causes a more personal reaction than if the reader were detached from the