The fence in Araby symbolizes the separation between the main character and Mangan's Sister. The fence is a physical divider between the two young people, but it is also symbolic of how unattainable Mangan's Sister is to the narrator. It takes the narrator until the end of the story to realize that he will never be with the girl he fancies. The fence could also be symbolic of the feelings of Mangan's Sister. The purpose of fences and walls in real life is to either keep things in or to keep them out. In this case, the fence could symbolize the want of Mangan's Sister to keep out the narrator, or her insecurities and will to stay within the world she knows.