Earlier in the story, the little boy has a casual conversation with Mangan's sister, who tells him that she cannot make it to the bazaar, named Araby. The little boy is infatuated with Mangan's sister and responds by promising to buy her something from the bazaar. The little boy likens his journey to a religious quest and experiences numerous obstacles before finally making it to the bazaar just before it closes.

The boy ends up approaching a stall selling pottery and the young woman working engages in casual banter with two young men. The boy overhears the young woman denying something she had said in a flirtatious manner with the two men, who insist that she did say something. The young woman proceeds to ask the boy in a dismissive manner if he needs anything and continues her casual conversation. Her dismissive tone discourages the little boy, who experiences an epiphany and leaves the bazaar without buying anything for Mangan's sister.

The boy acknowledges that the casual conversation between the young woman and two men is similar to his previous interaction with Mangan's sister. He realizes that Mangan's sister did not feel the same way about him and was simply engaging in casual banter. The young woman's dismissive tone and contemptuous manner influence the boy to accept the reality of his journey. Araby is not a foreign land and Mangan's sister is not romantically interested in him. The boy's intense feelings of infatuation blinded him to her intentions, and he leaves the bazaar angry and disillusioned.