Adolescence, love and sex in James Joyce’s short stories "Araby" and "An Encounter‪"‬

Analyse zweier Kurzgeschichten von James Joyce "Araby" und "An Encounter" aus dem Sammelband "Dubliners"

This essay deals with the themes of adolescence, love and sex in two of
Joyce's short stories: An Encounter and Araby. The first part examines the
protagonist of An Encounter, how he differs from his friends and his being
contemptuous of them. His realisation that he cannot despise them because he
might be dependent on them is the conclusion of the "encounter with strangeness
and fascination". The second part examines the protagonist of Araby and his
existence as a puppet led by Mangan's sister. Both parts end with a short digression into symbolic colours. The last part – the vicious circle – compares both stories in terms of being on the edge of adolescence and ends with the foreshadowing of the boys becoming paralysed adults.