25 Jan Critic Walter Wells argues that John Updike’s “A&P” is a retelling of James Joyce’s “Araby,” as they are both stories of young male characters whose infatuation leads to an emotional fall and realization
Critic Walter Wells argues that John Updike’s “A&P” is a retelling of James Joyce’s “Araby,” as they are both stories of young male characters whose infatuation leads to an emotional fall and realization. Write a literary analysis in which you focus on a single aspect of “Araby” and “A&P”—for instance, plot, setting, or point of view—to test Wells’ argument. As you hone in on a single aspect of both stories, consider whether additional similarities or differences of the stories become apparent. What are the effects of Joyce’s and Updike’s choices related to the element of literature you’ve focused on? Beyond asserting a similarity or difference, your essay should make an argument about the significance of a literary element in understanding the relationship between the two texts. You’ll be sharing your essay with other students in the class, so your analysis of details should go beyond describing what most readers would see
