TheLoser
Rightfrom the beginning, he knew he was breaking the law by seeking topunish the individual who had hit his car on the back. However, thecrazed man intended to teach the driver a lesson for causing anaccident and then fleeing the site. He set a huge boulder on a steepplace so that he can push it down as the driver was passing by theroad.
Theman had not seen the car that caused the accident, but an unknowngave driver gave him a description of the vehicle. He informed himthat a red station wagon, which passes on that road every day between11.00 pm and midnight, hit him. In addition, the car has only oneheadlight and has a cracked exhaust pipe that makes a whistlingsound.
Justto be sure, the man had first waited at a hidden point two days. Heproved that there was an old car that passed at the place between thetimes he was given by the unknown driver. Determined to teach thedriver a lesson, he set a boulder that he intended to drop on thecar. On the third day, he successfully accomplished his mission. Therock landed squarely on the windscreen and then hit the driver. Thecar veered into a ditch. The evil man walked a few meters to theplace where he had his car and drove home happily.
Thefollowing morning, he received a call from his mother-in-lawinforming him that his ex-wife had died after a boulder crashed intoher car on her way home the previous night. She also informed himthat his daughter was hospitalized two hours earlier with traumafollowing her mother’s demise. The man was tongue-tied with shock.He felt hollow and remorseful that he had killed the mother and thesole provider of his daughter. His mind was blank while his eyes werefull of crocodile tears. Just as the adage goes, what goes around,comes around. He killed his family in an act of road rage.
Q2The significance of the final passage in Joyce`s Araby:
Thefinal passage indicates the extent of frustration in the young boy.He imagines himself as a creature because as he feels unwelcome inAraby. His eyes are burning with anger as he is out of options toshow his love for Mangan’s sister. He believed that providing thegift to the girl would help her know he was in love with her.However, after finding that the bazaar is closed, he wonders whetherhe will ever manage to let her know that he loves her. Besides, itindicates the lack of fulfillment in the boy. He is unhappy for notbuying a gift for his girlfriend, and the guilt of not fulfilling hispromise infuriates him. He indicates that the gift was the only wayhe could show his love for Mangan’s sister instead of realizingthat he does not need presents to express his feelings. The statementindicates that the boy feels the journey to the bazaar was a fiascobecause he did not accomplish his mission of purchasing a gift forhis girlfriend.
Q3The themes out of the final image of despair and desolation at theend of Araby?
Thefirst theme is frustration and vanity of love. The boy feelsfrustrated when he does not get the gift for his girl. He believesthat by offering material items he had a better chance to win herheart. However, in reality, love does not consider material items.The ending also culminates all the frustrations encountered by theboy throughout the story from the time he was waiting for his uncleto arrive home and provide the train fare to the bazaar. It alsoculminates the boy’s anger when he realizes that he could notafford the items available at the fair.
Thesecond theme is that of epiphany. The willingness of the boy toattend the bazaar, despite being late, shows the importance ofacquiring the gift to his girl. Consequently, the ending emphasizesthe anxiety of the boy to provide reward to Mangan’s sister.
Q4The nature of the insight that the boy achieves into his situation?
Theboy indicates his imagination and belief that by providing Mangan’ssister with a gift, he would win her love. However, the failure ofthe trip makes him feel that he has lost his potential girlfriend.Secondly, the boy feels hopeless because he failed to accomplish hispromise. His eyes that burn with fury, as he walks away from Arabyempty-handed, emphasizes the despondency of being unable to keep hispromise to the girl he has a crush on.
Q5 The boy`s feelings for the girl and the conversation between thesalesgirl and the two Englishmen.
Thediscussion between the sales girl and the English men makes the boyfeel guilty. The sales girl argues about someone who could notremember his or her promises made some time back. Similar to theconversation the boy is confused as to whether he made a promise tobuy the girl a gift on his visit to the bazaar. He imagines the nextconversation with Mangan’s sister, will it be something similar tothe conversation between the sales girl and the English men, he willappear as a looser to her. In the Joycean perspective, the boywonders whether he loves Mangan’s sister or he does not. The doubtarises from his inability to purchase a gift at the bazaar as he hadpromised her.
Q6The boy’s sense of desolation at the end of the story.
Thelevel of the boy’s desolation is depicted by the closure of thebazaar that brings darkness. According to the boy, the bazaar shouldbe bright and active so that he could shop for a gift. The boy getsangry as he soon realizes that real life did not match to hisimaginations. Consequently, he becomes disillusioned and angry. Thelevel of sadness at the end of the story confirms the guilt of notfulfilling his promise to Mangan’s sister. Besides, it reinforcesthe anxiety with the boy that Mangan`s sister might decline hisproposal to be his girlfriend.
Inaddition, they boy feels empty because he had inadequate money topurchase the products displayed at bazaar. He feels the woman askinghim if he needs anything at the stall just asks him because it isroutine, but she does not expect he will purchase anything. Herproducts are expensive, and his appearance just shows he cannotafford anything.