Araby by James Joyce: Short Story Discussion Guide & Lesson

Engage high school English Language Arts students with James Joyce’s Modernist coming-of-age short story “Araby.”

Joyce’s short story is a somber, tender telling of the inner emotional life of a working-class boy in early twentieth-century Dublin. The story treats themes of dark and light, spiritual blindness, innocence and experience, and more. In the story, an unnamed boy is infatuated with a girl he barely knows. We follow him on his “epic journey” to a bazaar, where he finds disappointment and truth.

• Note — this resource comes equipped with both a printable and digital version (that works with PDF & Google Workspace).

Use this Digital Download for a Three-day English Language Arts Lesson.

Using my tested-in-the-classroom resources, teenagers will want to discuss this sensitive story’s symbolic and multi-layered themes. So I have loaded this resource with freewriting activities, questions, and discussions that will get your students talking and writing! N.B. — James Joyce’s short story “Araby” is not included in this educational digital download. However, the further reading guide includes links to available print and online versions.

Common Core Standards:

This resource aligns well with the Reading Literature standard CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.11-12.2. Keep in mind that this lesson was made for Tenth and Eleventh graders; however, it fits the criteria for adolescent learners in 7-12.

This Resource Includes the Following Features:

• Teacher’s Notes for Using this Resource in the Classroom
• 3-Day Lesson & Pacing Calendar
• Author Biography Reading Card + Internet Research Activity
• Focused Freewriting Exercise with academic choice
• 10-Question Reading Comprehension Card
• Note-Taking Template for Students
• Exit Ticket with Academic Choice
• Teacher’s Guide and Answer Key (Includes a standards alignment chart for planning)
• Further Reading List
• Google Form Assessment (useful as a summative assessment)

I created this resource with high school students in mind. It is designed as part of a high school Language Arts curriculum. You can use this resource as a stand-alone lesson or pair it with a larger unit on Irish or World Literature. It works well in a Humanities course or as an independent short story unit.

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