Chapter 12: "Is That a Symbol?"

     Everyone has that first crush, that cute person they secretly gush to their friends about and blush when they walk by, and they are called crushes because they typically do not end well. This is the case in "Araby" as the young boy longs for an opportunity to woo his friend, Mangan's, sister, but she is unattainable, hence the "crushing" of the boys fragile heart. In the short story, the boy spots Mangan's sister as she stands on the opposite side of a fence. This obviously symbolizes the emotional barrier there is between the two characters; the boy can never have the girl. She is to join a convent which creates the road block in the relationship. The girl is unreachable to the boy.

     This fence could also represent how sheltered Mangan's sister is. She has very little freedom while attending the convent school, which becomes obvious when she tells the boy she is not allowed to go to the bazaar. Fences are sometimes built to protect, and she is overly protected by the convent. They can also be built to keep things in or out. It is assumed that Mangan's sister is held firmly in the convent, which further illustrates her lack of freedom. It also keeps things out of her life, for example, certain young boys that ceaselessly admire her.