In James Joyce's short story 'Eveline,' the protagonist faces a profound internal conflict between remaining in her oppressive home life and pursuing a potentially liberating future with her lover, Frank. The narrative contrasts Eveline's stagnant existence with the changing world around her, ultimately symbolizing her paralysis and fear of the unknown. Despite her desire for escape, Eveline is unable to break free from her past and familial obligations, highlighting the themes of duty, memory, and the struggle for personal freedom.

1. Eveline
In "Eveline," James Joyce uses the juxtaposition of the ever–changing setting and the unchanging
stoic character of Eveline in order to exemplify the character's reluctance and inability to move
forward. James Joyce is known for his juxtaposition of light and dark throughout his short stories,
specifically in his story "Araby." I would argue that Joyce is using the contrast of opposing forces
described above between the setting and the character in a similar way as he was light and dark.
"Araby" and "Eveline" were both written in the year 1914 and "Eveline" precedes "Araby" in the
larger work. They are both part of Joyce's larger work Dubliners which is a work of fifteen short
stories. This compilation of stories all share the...show more content...
The story begins with Eveline "watching evening invade the avenue." (Booth 552). From her
window Eveline sits as day turns to night. We even read that "in her nostrils was the odour of
dusty cretonne." (Booth 552) In the first two sentences of this story the setting around Eveline is
changing while she remains sitting with her head against the window, it doesn't even say she
smelt the cretonne just that the smell was in her nose. Air is flowing, but Eveline doesn't even
notice. We learn a little about her family history and how that has also changed with time. We
learn that she has two brothers; one of them is dead and the other is not at home anymore. We
also learn that her mother is dead, and her father is a violent man (Voogd 48.). Eveline still poised
by the window in her room remembers how the scenery she is watching has changed over time.
The new red house across the street used to be a field in which she and the neighbor kids would
go to play. She recalls being happy and then it seems she makes the statement, "Everything
changes." At this time we learn that Eveline has plans to leave just like the others, and for the first
time in the story Eveline moves. In Eveline's first movement of the story we watch as she looks
across the room "reviewing all its familiar objects..." the reader is then
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2. The Paralysis Of Eveline
Eveline faces a difficult dilemma: remain home like a dutiful daughter, or leave Dublin with her
lover, Frank, who is a sailor. Eveline Hill sits at a window in her home and reminisce the times
when she as a child played with other children in a field which now has been developed with new
homes As Eveline was trying to make a major decision whether or not to move to Buenos Ayres
(escape) with Frank. She holds two letters, one to her father, one to her brother Harry. She begins to
favor the sunnier memories of her old family life, when her mother was alive and her brother was
living at home. She thought back of the moment she promised her mom that she will put all her
dedication in maintaining this home. And she reasons that her life at home and doing all of those
chores are hard, but perhaps not in the worst position – her father isn't always mean, after all. This
memory is also important for another reason as it suggests that a bond (or connection) still remains
between Eveline, her siblings and her father. Despite how her father treats her, Eveline still feels
connected to him. This pushes her to escape from the fate and embark on a new phase of life.
Eveline's action, of dusting every week for so many years is significant as it suggests repetition,
doing the same thing, which in turn would suggest a paralysis within Eveline. It is also significant
that the dust remains. This suggests that no matter how much Eveline does while at home nothing
will change. Appears
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3. Eveline
The choices we make in life will always have an effect on us one way or another in our future.
The choices at times can help benefit or in some way destroy of life and our future. Fears of the
unknown and change have always found a way of rearing their ugly head and making us second
guess ourselves. At times, fear of the unknown is so great that the choice we were supposed to
make becomes unthinkable, unbearable, and even unreachable. Not many people can deal with the
tension of the fear even if it means eventually having a better life for them or someone else.
However, there are people who are strong enough to fight it with everything they have in their body,
mind, and sprit. There are people like Eveline who find a decision too...show more content...
In the story, Eveline "sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue" (Meyer, 420).
For most of the story she sat at the window just thinking. Thinking about how her life had turned
out. Thinking about the promises she had made. Thinking about the two little children she had
babysat. Sitting at the window just had her thinking about what could possibly be and the life she
would be leaving behind. The window symbolizes many things in this story. Outside the window
is a whole world waiting to be explored by her. Looking outside the window she can see many
things she have never done before which is just a touch away. After her mother's death Eveline
did not find joy in the life she was living. She wanted to escape the life however she had made a
promise to her mother and even though she is dead it was hard for Eveline to break it even at the
cost of not living her life the way she wants too. In the passage the author James Joyce describe
how life in the house had been for her, how good her life was before her mother had passed away.
Looking out the window expresses her desired to escape the life she is living. Eveline sat at the
window for hours just remembering how good of a childhood she had. The joy she use to feel as a
child is has found its way to her life through Frank. Frank wanted to show her there is more to life
than what she is use to. Many people want the opportunity but are afraid to grab the
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4. Modernism In Eveline
Eveline by James Joyce was a part of the author's first published work, Dubliners (1914). The short
story is centered around the main Character Eveline, whose name is speculated to be an anagram
for "A small life" which certainly describes her situation. In the beginning of the story we meet
Eveline who sits by the window recalling parts of her childhood. We get to follow her thought
process from happy childhood memories to her abusive father and the hardship of providing for her
family. Through her inner monologue we are presented with her dilemma; stay in her somewhat dull
current situation as an obedient daughter, or follow her lover across the ocean for a life that
promises freedom, yet uncertainty.
Throughout the ages humans have always...show more content...
When looking back to the state of Ireland during this time his choice to stay away is no surprise.
Dublin was a place of massive contradictions, divisions of class, and diversity. Ireland was a country
of instability and between 1919–21, the War of Independence broke out, later followed by the civil
war. Due to the uncertainty many of the Irish emigrated, or at least struggled with the decision, and
here is where we pick back up the Dubliners.
The Dubliners features fifteen short stories with different characters who all have one thing in
common; they are all from Dublin. Of course this might be considered extremely obvious,
nevertheless it is what Joyce meant to be defining the characters; their geography. It is the feelings,
thoughts, dreams, hopes, as well as the failings of the characters which unify the collection, but the
answer to why a character thinks or acts like she does will always be the place where she
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5. Eveline Essay examples
Harsha Perera
Professor Hogan
English Comp 201 014
October 2, 2012 Comparison of Eveline and Connie "Eveline" and "Where Are You Going, Where
Have You Been" are similar stories set in different eras. "Eveline" is a short story written by James
Joyce. "Where are you going, Where have you been" is a short story written by Joyce Carol Oates.
Eveline and Connie are two teenage girls who are ultimately trapped by the influences of their
cultures. The church plays a heavy influence on Eveline throughout the story. Eveline is conflicted
on whether she should leave with Frank or stay behind with her father. The unknown priest
mentioned in the story appears to be significant because of his absence. The priest represents the
...show more content...
Connie on the other hand is affected by the pop culture of her time. The pop culture works as
Connie's connection from the real world to her fantasy world. "Connie sat with her eyes closed
in the sun, dreaming and dazed with the warmth about her as if this were a kind of love, the
caresses of love, and her mind slipped over onto thoughts of the boy she had been with the night
before and how nice he had been, how sweet it always was, not the way someone like June would
suppose but sweet, gentle, the way it was in movies and promised in songs;"(Oates 211). Connie
enjoys escaping her life by listening to music and daydreaming about boys. She gets her fantasies
about romance mostly from songs on the radio. The happiness she finds with boys is mostly fixed
on these romantic fantasies and not the boys themselves. When Arnold shows up at her house, she
finds herself entranced by him. ""Bobby King?" she said. "I listen to him all the time. I think he's
great.""(Oates 212). Since she notices that Arnold is playing the same music she listens to she
lowers her guard a little. She lowers her guard because the music he is listening to makes her think
that he is around her age.
Eveline and Connie are both subjugated and misguided by the culture of their times. Eveline is
obligated to do her duties as expected from the church and subdued by a patriarchal
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6. Eveline by James Joyce Essay
What is happiness? Does it have anything to do with freedom? Everyone would like to live,
think, and act freely. Whenever we make our own decisions, we learn and experience something
new whether it is good or bad, we are still happy with it because it is our free choice. We all learn
about life by living it. If we are too afraid to take a step we cannot go anywhere. Every other decision
is another risk, and every other risk makes our heart beat faster which makes life more desirable.
We always need to look forward in life because we cannot go back in time, and change things that
are already happened. Our past plays a big role in our future, but we should not get stuck in our
memories if they keep us away from moving on. In "Eveline", James...show more content...
What if she wanted to break the promise, and move on with her life? She was too young to be
responsible for everything, but she did not have any other choices back then. Eveline was a hard
worker. She lived in Dublin where people were poor and no one really had a great life. Things
were not easy, and a lot of people were hopeless. Eveline had a simple and a boring life until she
met Frank. She thought Frank was an amazing man who always had different stories to tell her.
He was a sailor, so he traveled around a lot, and his words opened Eveline's eyes. When Eveline's
father found out that she was seeing a sailor, he got very upset and had forbidden her to see him.
Eveline and Frank would meet up secretly and try to keep their relationship alive. They both wanted
to be together, and make each other happy, so they decided to run away, and start a new life together.
Eveline was not a child anymore, and she knew what she wanted in her life. She really liked
Frank, and she thought if she would go with him, her life would be better. If she would go to
Buenos Aires , people would respect her and make her feel important. She knew she deserved a
better life, and she did not want to be treated like her mother had been. Things got harder for
Eveline after her mother passed away. Her father became more aggressive, and she was afraid of
him. He had many rules at home, and Eveline did not feel free at all. She knew that her father loved
her and cared for her, but he
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7. Eveline
Historical background: Irish Social Conditions and Emigration Ireland has endured waves of
emigration, particularly after1848. Many left their native land to seek a better life elsewhere. The
Irish were second–class citizens within their own nation; Ireland was a British colony and the
Northern Protestants controlled the economy of the country. Catholic families often faced hardship.
Alcoholism and abuse, as portrayed in "Eveline" were rampant. As a result, many of the Irish
sought to escape James Joyce represents everyday life of Dublin in the early twentieth century in
his collection of short stories, Dubliners. Dubliners consists of 15 stories and each of them unfolds
lives of many different Dubliners vividly. By describing details of...show more content...
A bell clangs, and Frank tries to pull her on board, but Eveline clutches an iron railing on shore,
feeling that he will drown her in "the seas of the world." She cries out and grasps the railing
tighter while Frank calls to her, and she turns her helpless face to him without a glimpse of "love
or farewell or recognition," staying on shore as the boat pulls away. Characters Frank 2 Frank is
a sailor planning to move to Buenos Aires and take his lover Eveline with him. He has told
Eveline he intends to marry her, which may well be the case, but Frank is a mysterious character
and there is some implication that his intentions are devious. He started his sailing career on a trade
route associated with exile and full of stories about infamously savage tribes from Argentina. Also,
"going to Buenos Aires" was a slang term for prostitution, and the night boat to Liverpool may have
been a reference to the mythological journey over the Styx river to the pagan underworld–both of
which are implications that Frank might have no intention of marrying his lover, but instead is
planning bring her into a situation she will find immoral. However, Frank is also described as "kind,
manly, open–hearted" and is set up as Eveline's only way to happiness, so he may indeed have only
the best intentions in helping his lover to escape from her abusive household and difficult job. In
fact, the
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8. Eveline Quotes
1.Eveline lives with her abusive father and two younger siblings. She takes care of the household
and keeps the family together.
2.She would be married and people would respect her. "Then she would be married– she Eveline.
People would treat her with respect then" (3).
3.I do not think that it is realistic to expect to be respected just because you are married and live
somewhere new. She knows very little about Frank, and for all she knows, he could be abusive like
her father.
4.I think dust is used as a symbol to show how Eveline's life never changes or moves. The dust has
settled on her life.
5.Dusty, smells like cretonne, old photograph of priest on the wall, book of Blessed Margaret Mary
Alacoque.
6.Eveline is nineteen. Her age is significant because it shows that she is old enough to have moved
out, and started her own life,...show more content...
Eveline feels like Harry had already left them, but also felt guilty, because despite his abandonment,
he still sent them money. "[...] and Harry, who was in the church decorating business, was nearly
always down somewhere in the country," (4).
18.Eveline displays animal–like characteristics while in the quay. When time came to board, she
gripped the rails and lost all recognition of Frank. "She set her white face to him, passive, like a
helpless animal," (6). She is afraid of the unknown, and she has no idea what her future with Frank
holds.
19.Eveline became impersonal to Frank because in her moment of terror, she realizes that she does
not know him. "He was drawing her into them: he would drown her," (6).
I do not believe that Eveline made the right decision by abandoning Frank and staying with her
family. The promise to her mother was unfair, because she then felt obligated to stay in an abusive
household. While the guilt she felt of abandoning her younger siblings is valid, it is time for her to
leave the shelter of the known and start her own life. While her future with Frank was uncertain, it
provided an
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