"The Encounter" is a story based on perception versus knowledge. In contrast, "Araby" is based on imaginary relationships and learning to see things. The main character does not see the world for what it is because of his perceptions. The moment of epiphany for the boy in "The Encounter" is when he realizes that he is coward. For the boy in "Araby" his moment of epiphany is when he realizes that his reality is just a fantasy, and what he sees it's what he doesn't know how to do. He viewed himself as a loser. In James Joyce's stories "The Encounter" and "Araby" the main characters are faced with the painful revelation of their own immaturity and narcissistic behavior, which then changed how they viewed themselves as adults.
             For example in "The Encounter" the boy is portrayed as a naive inexperienced, arrogant possible twelve-year-old. The moment he and his friend "Mahony" embark on an adventure, they were faced with the unexpected encounter with an old man. This man was potentially dangerous; possibly a child molester. When the old man introduced himself to the boys, he mentioned that he had read some books. Since the boy was interested in what the adult had to say, he wanted to impress him, and be liked "I pretended that I had read every book he mentioned so that in the end he said: "Ah, I can see you are a book worm like myself." (Joyce 12) The boy puts himself in a very vulnerable situation. The old man made some remarks that made the boy feel threatened, since he did not have a lot of experience, and was not perceptive that something wrong was going on he just listened. The old man stated "and if a boy had girl for a sweetheart and told lies about it then he would give him such a whipping as!
             no boy ever got in this world." (Joyce 14) All of a sudden he finds himself in trouble, a
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