Critiquing James Joyce's "Araby"

As I read "Araby" by James Joyce, the shadows encompassing the boy's life crept up on me. The story is viewed through the eyes of an adult male who is reflecting on his childhood memories of the young inexperienced adolescent he once was. The almost lifeless appearance of the surroundings, in which the story takes place, creates a suppression of the soul. His outlook is very dismal, except for the luminous potential of a first …

…has endured several disappointments. He cannot believe that he has allowed himself to be mocked by his own self- importance. The final line of the story, "Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger," shows how intense his feelings are. The narrator exposes the core of his difficulties in life, perhaps a testament to a life not quite fulfilled.