Jen is selling her flat and has been dealing with unwanted visits from her ex-husband Pablo. One day Pablo confronts Jen and tries to drive a wedge between her and her current husband Angus. Angus suggests they leave town for a fresh start elsewhere. Angus quickly finds them a house in Sunset Valley. Jen breaks the news of their move to her long-time friends Warren and Teresa over dinner. Her friends are sad to see her go but want her to be safe and happy with Angus in their new home.
Eveline by James JoyceSHE sat at the window watching the evening .docxturveycharlyn
Eveline by James Joyce
SHE sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired.
Few people passed. The man out of the last house passed on his way home; she heard his footsteps clacking along the concrete pavement and afterwards crunching on the cinder path before the new red houses. One time there used to be a field there in which they used to play every evening with other people's children. Then a man from Belfast bought the field and built houses in it -- not like their little brown houses but bright brick houses with shining roofs. The children of the avenue used to play together in that field -- the Devines, the Waters, the Dunns, little Keogh the cripple, she and her brothers and sisters. Ernest, however, never played: he was too grown up. Her father used often to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick; but usually little Keogh used to keep nix and call out when he saw her father coming. Still they seemed to have been rather happy then. Her father was not so bad then; and besides, her mother was alive. That was a long time ago; she and her brothers and sisters were all grown up her mother was dead. Tizzie Dunn was dead, too, and the Waters had gone back to England. Everything changes. Now she was going to go away like the others, to leave her home.
Home! She looked round the room, reviewing all its familiar objects which she had dusted once a week for so many years, wondering where on earth all the dust came from. Perhaps she would never see again those familiar objects from which she had never dreamed of being divided. And yet during all those years she had never found out the name of the priest whose yellowing photograph hung on the wall above the broken harmonium beside the coloured print of the promises made to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque. He had been a school friend of her father. Whenever he showed the photograph to a visitor her father used to pass it with a casual word:
"He is in Melbourne now."
She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh each side of the question. In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all her life about her. O course she had to work hard, both in the house and at business. What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled up by advertisement. Miss Gavan would be glad. She had always had an edge on her, especially whenever there were people listening.
"Miss Hill, don't you see these ladies are waiting?"
"Look lively, Miss Hill, please."
She would not cry many tears at leaving the Stores.
But in her new home, in a distant unknown country, it would not be like that. Then she would be married -- she, Eveline. People would treat her with respect then. She would not be treated as her mot.
1 James Joyce (1882-1941) Eveline (1914) She sat.docxmercysuttle
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James Joyce (1882-1941)
Eveline (1914)
She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned
against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was
tired.
Few people passed. The man out of the last house passed on his way home; she heard
his footsteps clacking along the concrete pavement and afterwards crunching on the cinder
path before the new red houses. One time there used to be a field there in which they used to
play every evening with other people's children. Then a man from Belfast bought the field
and built houses in it—not like their little brown houses but bright brick houses with shining
roofs. The children of the avenue used to play together in that field—the Devines, the
Waters, the Dunns, little Keogh the cripple, she and her brothers and sisters. Ernest, however,
never played: he was too grown up. Her father used often to hunt them in out of the field
with his blackthorn stick; but usually little Keogh used to keep nix and call out when he saw
her father coming. Still they seemed to have been rather happy then. Her father was not so
bad then; and besides, her mother was alive. That was a long time ago; she and her brothers
and sisters were all grown up her mother was dead. Tizzie Dunn was dead, too, and the
Waters had gone back to England. Everything changes. Now she was going to go away like
the others, to leave her home.
Home! She looked round the room, reviewing all its familiar objects which she had
dusted once a week for so many years, wondering where on earth all the dust came from.
Perhaps she would never see again those familiar objects from which she had never dreamed
2
of being divided. And yet during all those years she had never found out the name of the
priest whose yellowing photograph hung on the wall above the broken harmonium beside the
coloured print of the promises made to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque. He had been a
school friend of her father. Whenever he showed the photograph to a visitor her father used
to pass it with a casual word:
“He is in Melbourne now.”
She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh
each side of the question. In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom
she had known all her life about her. O course she had to work hard, both in the house and at
business. What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run
away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled up by
advertisement. Miss Gavan would be glad. She had always had an edge on her, especially
whenever there were people listening.
“Miss Hill, don't you see these ladies are waiting?”
“Look lively, Miss Hill, please.”
She would not cry many tears at leaving the Stores.
But in her new home, in a distant unknown country, it would not be like that. Then
she would be married—she ...
2. It had been a while since Jen
and Angus had got married,
and she had finally got her
downstairs flat on the
market. There had been a
couple of viewings, but one
unwelcome visitor kept
turning up.
3. Jen tried to ignore him, but one morning he camped
out by her front door. She had to walk past him to
go to work, so decided to confront him.
4. He tried to explain that
he needed to talk to her.
He started to babble,
trying out topics to get
her to talk, to engage
with him.
A client was suing him,
could she pull some
strings? Could he have
the recipe for sausage
casserole she used to
make? Did she know
Angus had a history of
domestic violence?
5. Jen was not impressed. It was bad enough
Pablo was hanging around, but trying to
drive a wedge between her and her
husband? Enough was enough.
6. She told him firmly that if he didn’t leave she
would call the police. She would be taking
out a restraining order today regardless. He
was not welcome, never would be.
7. He scurried away shouting abuse. Jen wiped
away tears, finding herself filled with pity for
her ex-husband. He was a shadow of his
former, confident self. She would never regret
kicking him out, but she did wish life had
gone a little better for him.
8. She told Angus all about it that night in
bed. She was concerned the restraining
order wouldn’t be enough, Pablo was
persistent and in his current state who
knew what he was capable of.
He had nothing now,
nothing except for her
and the hope she
would take him back.
It was a little scary.
9. Angus suggested they leave. Just pack up and go. Her flat was on the market, they
could tell the landlord to stick both on. Her career was on the up but stalling because
of the stagnancy of the council in Appaloosa… there was nothing holding either of
them here. Jen agreed, perhaps a fresh start elsewhere was the way to go.
10. Angus didn’t waste
much time. Being
somewhat nomadic for
years he knew the
quickest way to move,
and got on it right away.
He was worried about
his wife. She was
looking out of windows
nervously, and checking
caller ID before picking
up the phone –
something she’d never
done before.
Appaloosa had given
him Jen, but he couldn’t
wait to leave.
11. He soon found them a house in Sunset Valley, so it was time to go. Warren and Teresa
had invited them to dinner, so Jen decided to break the news then.
12. Warren and Jen had both
moved to Deasil Street when it
was a brand new development,
and had become friends
quickly. Warren had since lost
his first wife Miranda, and Jen
had divorced Pablo, but they
had always been firm friends.
Warren and Teresa had helped
Jen regain her confidence, and
Teresa especially had become
her best friend. It was a sad
parting, but Warren was glad
she had found happiness.
13. In the end, they parted with smiles all
round. Jen would be safe and happy with
Angus in Sunset Valley, her friends could
hope for nothing more for her.