Araby

The narrator is the main character in the short story, but the object of his affections plays an important role. Mangan’s sister is the unnamed girl who lives on the same street as the narrator and becomes the target for his romantic feelings. However, she is not a traditional character. The narrator barely knows the girl beyond her relationship to his friend. When he describes her, he focuses on obvious aesthetic qualities such as her dress or her long hair, rather than any aspect of her character. Mangan’s sister is not so much a character as a blank canvas onto which the narrator can sketch his formative ideas of love. She does not really exist in her own right in the context of the narrative, but as someone who can inspire emotions in another person.

Even in her diminished role in the narrative, however, Mangan’s sister retains a degree of control and agency which is not given to the narrator. While the neighborhood boys play in the street until their skin is glowing in the winter air, Mangan’s sister has the power to end their games. Her announcements force the boys to leave the street where they spend their time. Likewise, the narrator never opens a conversation with Mangan’s sister. She speaks to him one time, in passing, about a marketplace she might like to visit. For her, this is a brief conversation about a local point of interest. She initiates the conversation and dictates the course of the discussion. In contrast, the narrator is a passenger in the conversation, in thrall to the object of his affection and unable to assert himself in any way. Mangan’s sister may not have a name or any real character, but she is more assertive and mature than the narrator of the story.

Mangan’s sister fades from the narrative once the narrator realizes the extent of his foolishness. Her character disappears in accordance with the narrator’s own personal revelation. In this respect, she is simply continuing to function as a narrative device rather than a character. She inspires his romantic feelings, and then he is embarrassed to have dedicated himself so fervently to a girl he barely knew. Mangan’s sister does not so much disappear from the narrative as she disappears from the narrator’s thoughts. He does not need to think about her all the time as he is now focused on his own shame and embarrassment. Ultimately, the version of Mangan’s sister who exists in the story is a creation of the narrator. She exists only in his mind, inspiring and embarrassing him in equal measure. Because she is a work of fiction, she can be cast aside once she is no longer useful and, as such, she fades from the narrative.