Araby is a short story by James Joyce, published in his 1914 collection Dubliners. The story follows a young boy living in Dublin who becomes infatuated with his friend’s sister and dreams of impressing her with a gift from a local bazaar called Araby. As he builds up hopes around this romantic gesture, he encounters obstacles that delay his journey to the bazaar. When he finally arrives, he finds the market nearly closed and the items disappointing, leading to a crushing sense of disillusionment.

The story captures themes of youthful idealism, the contrast between dreams and reality, and the paralysis often experienced in early 20th-century Dublin. Joyce uses detailed imagery and a first-person narrative to convey the boy’s internal conflict and emotional transformation. “Araby” is often praised for its lyrical prose and its exploration of the harsh awakening from innocence to the complexities of adult life. The story remains a poignant example of modernist literature and a powerful reflection on the loss of innocence.