EVELINE by James Joyce
CONTEXT
PLOT
THEMES AND SYMBOLS
LITERARY FEATURES
CHARACTERS
PERIODS OF HER LIFE
Eveline is a young woman that lives in Dublin with her father. Eveline is used to spend a lot of time looking out from the window thinking about her past and her situation. She is frightened because of her father's violence and for that reason she meets her boyfriend, Frank, secretly. As a matter of fact, Frank asks to her to marry him and move to Buenos Ayres and Eveline accepts. But, however her painful memories about the father, she loves her home and the city of Dublin. So, at the end, she decides to stay in Dublin taking care of his abusive father.
EVELINE'S FATHER: he's a violent man. He needs help and that's why he hosts his daughter that gives him an hand.
EVELINE'S MOTHER: she died. Eveline has a lot of memories of her.
FRANK: Eveline's boyfriend. He wants to marry Eveline and move to Buenos Ayres.
HARRY AND ERNEST: Eveline's brothers. Ernest is dead and Harry is always out of town for his job.
EVELINE: she is the main character. She works in a department store and she lives with his violent father.
WORKING-CLASS WOMAN
NO OTHER PROSPECT
Eveline is a clerk in a department store. She is unsatisfied by her job.
She can't quit her job, she has little money and she has to take care about his father. She would like to marry Frank but her father goes against this decision.
no change for characters' future
Eveline's memories are presented through the protagonist
third-person narrator
epiphany
medias res
SYMBOLS
PARALYSIS
At the end, Eveline decides to stay in Dublin in the same house doing the same job.
SEA: representation of the fear; DUST: used to portait the monotony of Eveline's life; TUMBLED ABOUT HER HEART: anguish
PRESENT
FUTURE
PAST
happy memories about her childhood; her mother was alive; she spent good time with her brothers
her mother is dead; one brother is dead and the second one is always far away from home; her father is old and aggressive; her job is unpleasant and unsatisfying
Eveline is going to stay in Dublin for the rest of her life