Eveline

A detailed Summary of Eveline

In the short story, "Eveline," James Joyce introduces us to the life of a young woman torn between duty and desire, the known and unknown. She has the opportunity to escape with Frank (the man she thinks she loves) to Buenos Aires in search of a new life. It seems obvious to the reader that Eveline should take advantage of this opportunity and escape. Instead, she decides to stay in the dreary and gloomy life she already knows. To understand Eveline's absurd decision to stay, we must analyze the reasons that prevent Eveline from pursuing a better life. Her uncertainty of Frank, the tragic deathbed promise made to her mother, and the relationship she has with her father, all contribute to Eveline's strange and final decision.

We first meet the title character within her home, a home full of dust and stifling familiarity. As she sits at her window, she notices a man walking home to one of the new red houses. These houses are "...not like their little brown houses but bright brick houses with shining roofs" (Joyce 4). The imagery shown in Eveline's comparison of the two types of houses symbolizes one of the main themes in the story. The little brown houses represent her familiar and dreary life at home, while the shini

Because Eveline's father does not like Frank, he prohibits her to see him. " "I know these sailor chaps," he said. One day he had quarreled with Frank and after that she had to meet her lover secretly"(5). The fact that the affair is secret makes for a much more exciting relationship, and causes Eveline to romanticize Frank. In the final line of the story, we discover that Eveline does not really have any feelings for Frank when her eyes "gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition"(6).

show her what was her duty...Her distress awoke a nausea in her body and she kept moving her lips in silent fervent prayer"(6). This quote helps to characterize Eveline as a dreamer. Afraid to make a decision and go after what she wants, Eveline convinces herself it would not be wise to take a chance on happiness. Although it is too late for Eveline, the story teaches us to seize the day, have trust in ourselves, and take a chance on happiness.

Although she describes him as "...very kind, manly, [and] open-hearted" (5), what Eveline knows about Frank is only what he tells her. "He had tales of distant

and undesirable her life actually is when he tells us that she "felt herself in danger of her father's violence." She gets "palpitations"(4) because she is so afraid of her own father. Although he threatens and treats her badly, she still thinks that "sometimes he could be very nice,"(5) just because she reme

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Approximate Word count = 954
Approximate Pages = 4 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English