Essay on Comparison of A P by John Updike and Araby by...

John Updikes â€Å"A P† and James Joyces â€Å"Araby† are very similar. The theme of the two stories is about a young man who is interested in figuring out the difference between reality and the fantasies of romance that play in his head and of the mistaken thoughts each has about their world, the girls, and themselves. One of the main similarities between the two stories is the fact that the main character has built up unrealistic expectations of women. Both characters have focused upon one girl in which they place all their affection. Both Sammy and the boy suffer rejection in the end. Both stories also dive into the unstable mind of a young man who is faced with one of lifes most difficult lessons. The lesson learned is that things are not†¦show more content†¦This is shown in â€Å"A P† when Sammy quits his job in protest over the girls being mistreated. He hopes to impress the girls with this. It is this example of self-deception that both stories concentrate that brings the young man to his emotional knees as he is forced to return to normal life after the rejection by the girls. For example, one aspect of the girls that fascinates and interests both boys is the whiteness of the girls skin. In â€Å"Araby† the boy mentions the softness and the white curve of her neck. This demonstrates the interest he places in the less noticed features. Sammy is equally as enthralled by the sensuality of his ladys long white prima-donna legs. Also, in â€Å"A P†, Sammy has found himself holding a dollar bill that he obtained from his lady love, to which he says to himself it just having come from between the two smoothest scoops of vanilla I had ever known. In the end, the two boys are faced with the grim reality that the girls have no desire for their company. This is their awakening of themselves. It shows how despair can be both disheartening and uplifting at the same time. The gifts each young man offered his love interest are not well received. No matter their efforts, both young men fail miserably in their attempts to win their respective ladies. Sammy knows what he has done will change his life forever and that nothing can change that now but, is alsoShow MoreRelatedThe Stages of Maturation in James Joyce’s Araby John Updikes AP from the Authors Perspective902 Words   |  4 PagesWhen comparing the views of both James Joyce and John Updike on maturation from adolescence to adulthood it will be important to continually compare two of their similar works in Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† and Updike’s â€Å"AP†. James Joyce and John Updike follow similar views with the latter using Joyce as a foundation a nd following in similar footsteps; both authors follow a process of maturation based on the allure of love, while doing it at different stages of each of the protagonists’ lives resulting in similarRead MoreEssay On Similarities Between Araby And A P1046 Words   |  5 PagesThe stories of James Joyce’s â€Å"Araby† and John Updike’s â€Å"AP† share identical literary traits from each character which are the protagonist. The main point of the two is that they revolve around a young male who is pressured by his conscience to untangle the difference between the harsh reality and the fantasies of romance that play in his head. The young man does indeed recognize the difference is what turns him in the direction of an emotional catastrophe. One of the comparisons between the storiesRead MoreAnalysis Of John Updike s Araby 1967 Words   |  8 PagesJohn Updike s penchant for appropriating great works of literature and giving them contemporary restatement in his own fiction is abundantly documented--as is the fact that, among his favorite sources, James Joyce looms large.[1] With special affinity for Dubliners, Updike has, by common acknowledgment, written at least one short story that strongly resembles the acclaimed Araby, not only in plot and theme, but in incidental detail. That story, the 1960 You ll Never Know, Dear, How Much I LoveRead MoreBusiness and Management2600 Words   |  11 Pages | | | | |Boys and Girls, Alice Munro (pp. 772-781) | | | | |â€Å"Araby,† James Joyce (pp. 879-883) | | | | |Everyday Use, Alice Walker (pp. 1087-1093) |