Life is an unexpected combination of ups and downs. This continues to be true and evident in James Joyce's short story “Araby”. This story centers on a young, nameless boy who faces many challenges. These include family problems, first love, and growing up in a city that isn't the most ideal. In this dark tale, Joyce examines the boy's coming of age and the epiphany that occurs for him. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay The setting of this short story is Dublin, Ireland, in the early 20th century. This is a key detail used by Joyce to explain to readers the main character's life and how he personally viewed it. The description of the city from the boy's eyes was not happy. In many examples the narrator, who is also the boy, has used dark imagery to paint a picture of Dublin at that time. As professors Hal Blythe and Charlie Sweet said, "The setting is the poor side of Dublin... where the boy literally resides on a dead-end street." This is an important observation because it explains in a way why the descriptions within the story are so sad and bleak. The narrator further demonstrates this point when he explains that walking the streets is like: “Burning streets, pushed by drunken men and haggling women, amidst the curse of the workers…”. Living in such a poverty-stricken area did not seem to have a positive effect on the boy or make his home life much better. The boy does not seem to see his family or other adults in a different light than he sees his environment. Joyce did not provide much information about the boy's family, however it is known that he lives with his aunt and uncle. The narrator stated, “If my uncle was seen turning the corner, we would hide in the shadows until we saw him safely.” This quote does not give the impression of happiness or love, but more cold and separate, which seems to be the way his family life is portrayed. The lack of a good, loving bond at home further pushes the child to want and need a change. A considerable change in the boy's story and life appears in the form of a girl, Magnan's sister. When she is mentioned, the narrator's tone changes as he says, "She was waiting for us, her figure defined by the light of the ajar door... Her dress swayed as she moved her body and the soft rope of her hair tossed from side to side." other” (Joyce 2). This description is completely different from the way he describes everything else, making her seem like his light in the darkness. His infatuation and what is now his first love is thus made clear at this point they didn't speak to each other, which further fuels his obsession to be close to her. The boy's first conversation with Magnan's sister takes him on a journey he didn't expect words I was so confused I didn't know what to say,” the narrator says about the beginning of the conversation (Joyce 2). He later asked if the boy was going to Arabia and said he couldn't, which led the boy to say: “If I go, I'll bring you something” (Joyce 3). This led to the beginning of the quest to win over the girl by purchasing her a gift while she was at the bazaar, Araby (Rokeya 2). His upcoming trip to Araby was all he could think about and he began to leave behind his old habits, such as playing with his friends and focusing on his schoolwork (Joyce 3). The desire to go to the bazaar and to Araby itself led the boy to an important epiphany,.140.