American Lit

Eveline

Having been thoroughly beaten down by her brutal, domineering father, Eveline lacks the self confidence to flee in search of her own life. "Eveline" is a very interesting short story by James Joyce. Eveline is a dutiful daughter that enables us to discover the strange decision that she makes at the end of the story. In the story, Joyce uses symbolism, imagery and metaphors, to help him get his points across.

Eveline grew up with her brothers and sisters, and some of the children from the avenue she lived on. Once her mother passed away, Eveline and her siblings were grown up. Everything changed; all of her siblings and friends were moving away and so was she. Eveline struggled with abuse from her father and mourns her mother's death. Eveline came across a man in her life, Frank .He promises to protect her and give her a better life. When it was time to leave her home and leave with Frank she made the most unpredictable decision, which was to stay. She believes that it was because she didn't want to leave her father who was getting old and because she promised her mother before she died that she would take good care of their home. Eveline illustrates her lack of courage in several ways. She is afraid to go against her religious beliefs, something will happen to her father if she leaves him, her mother's memory will continue to haunt her and she is afraid that Frank will treat as her father treated her mother. I think Eveline made a foolish decision to stay and let her insecurities take over her. Joyce shows us a sign that proves us why her decision was made.

James Joyce uses symbolism in the story by giving us reasons that Evelines life was tough. For example Joyce explains to the audience how things used to be when Evelines mother was around "Her father used often to hunt them 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 happier then" (Joyce 4). The author also shows us symbolism by describing us how Eveline home had become. In this quote Eveline reminisces all her memories that she had in her home and how much everything changed. "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"(Joyce 4).At the end of the story, as Frank was yelling for Eveline to come with her ,he glanced into her eyes and noticed that there was no emotion."Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition" .She also uses symbolism when her anxiety heightens. She realizes that her father is usually bad on Saturday nights and recognizes his drinking problem .She also assumes that she will miss her father since he is getting old. He also uses symbolism by describing what the dust was in the home. The dust showed us