My uncle said he was very sorry he had forgotten. He said he believed in the old saying: “All work and no play makes Jack a dull
boy.” He asked me where I was going and, when I told him a second time, he asked me did I know The Arab's Farewell to his Steed. When I left the kitchen he was about to recite the opening lines of the piece to my aunt. In the poem “The Arab's Farewell to his Steed” by Caroline Norton, a young boy sells the horse he loves for gold coins. Read the poem. Then pay particular attention to the language in its final stanza: Who said that I had given thee up? Who said that thou wert sold? 'Tis false-'tis false, my Arab steed! I fling them back their gold! Thus, thus, I leap upon thy back, and scour the distant plains; Away! who overtakes us now, shall claim thee for his pains! What similarities do you notice between the changes the boy in the poem and the boy in "Araby" experienced?
In the poem, the boy sells his beloved horse for a few gold coins, symbolizing greed. At the end of the poem, when the horse is being taken away from him, he realizes the folly of his ways and attempts to relinquish the coins so that he can take back his horse. Similarly, at the end of “Araby," the boy faces up to his pride and vanity when he sees the bazaar and realizes that it’s not everything he expected. When his illusions are dashed in the bazaar, he realizes his desire to lead an exciting life with Mangan’s sister is a mere fantasy.
