Sucker And Araby Summary - 2083 Words

A Comparison of Adolescence in the Short Stories â€Å"Sucker† and â€Å"Araby† Originating from the Latin verb â€Å"adolescere†, adolescence is the period in which an individual develops personal identity and autonomy in the pursuit of comfortable affiliations, goals and convictions. Narrated by Pete, Carson McCullers’s story â€Å"Sucker† Pete and his cousin Sucker struggle to transition from childhood to adulthood. The story covers a flashback in which the narrator reflects on his relationship with his younger cousin, who has lived with him since his â€Å"folks were killed in a wreck when he was a baby† (McCullers 2). Pete treats Sucker with little respect causing the latter to isolate himself. However, once Pete falls for a girl named Maybelle their†¦show more content†¦This is in due of the fact that primarily, adolescent love is an attempt to arrive at a definition of ones identity by projecting one’s self image upon another person. Adolescents seek self-affirmation in their partners, and Pete is no exception. He learns nothing about Maybelle but much about himself. Recognizing that towards the conclusion of the relationship he is the only one involved. He showers Maybelle with gifts and services, asking only for her affection in return. However, his romance is never realized:â€Å"I met her going to the drug store and asked for a date. She told me she was sick and tired of my being around and that she had never cared a rap about me. She said all that. I just stood there and didnt answer anything. I walked home very slowly† (McCullers 5). Furthermore, it is clear that to Pete, Maybelle is a purely physical entity in that, every description of her portrays only her beauty and indescribable perfection â€Å" ..her hands†¦are very little and white†¦It is impossible to describe† (McCullers 2). Similarly, in Araby, the narrator shares the same blind obsession with the idea of winning the love of his perfect woman. The boys infatuation with Mangans sister drives him away from childhood towards adulthood. He breaks ties with childhood friends and luxuriates in his isolation. Like Pete he can think of nothing but how ecstatic she makes him feel, describing