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Innocence In Araby

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Innocence In Araby
A child’s innocence is extremely important as it is the essential path which is paved for their expanding thoughts and imagination. Over time as children face new challenges through their upbringing, they begin to lose their supreme innocence by making naïve decisions to overcome these problems. As all unexperienced children alike, the protagonists in “Araby” and “The Garden Party” by James Joyce and Katherine Manisfield respectively, both Laura and the narrator in “Araby” undergo crisis where they gain valuable life lessons all while being stripped of their innocence. The narrator of Araby is a young boy and his infatuation with Mangan’s sister takes him on a romantic pursuit during which he discovers the bitterness of unrequited love by …show more content…
She is held responsible for the task of organizing a garden party where she accepts the workmen's “crude language” and their insisting suggestions regarding the placement of the marquee puts forth her innocence and non discrimination towards social class while still possessing the authority to do as she pleases. The news of a poor man’s death from a delivery man puts things into perspective for Laura. Given the opportunity to pay her respects, she witnesses the tears of the dead man’s widow and his peaceful yet lifeless body where she experiences emotions which she is unable to describe. The road leading down to the mans house symbolically represents the deference in their social status as well as the journey of transition into adulthood which Laura embarks on. Ultimately, she realizes that there is more to life than lavish parties and fancy outfits. Both the young boy in “Araby” by James Joyce and Laura in “The Garden Party” by Katherine Mansfield experience dramatic situations causing them to lose their innocence. The two are brought out of their fantasy filled perfect world and the true colours of the world are shown to them, evidently the conclusion is hard for both to accept as they are filled with anger and tears. Although they initially believe they have everything they need to fulfill their fantasy, one small yet dramatic event changes the lives of each

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