Eveline

James Joyce

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Contents
Biography of the author Summary of the story Setting of the story Character: Eveline Analysis of the language used in literary texts Analysis of the symbolism, imagery in the story Themes of the story

Biography of the author

James Joyce (2 February 1882-13 January 1941) was born in a middle class family in Dublin, Ireland, where he excelled as a student at the Jesuit schools, Clongowes and Belvedere, then at University College Dublin. In his early twenties he emigrated permanently to continental Europe, living in Trieste, Paris and Zurich. Though most of his adult life was spent abroad, Joyces fictional universe does not extend far beyond Dublin, and is populated largely by characters who closely resemble family members, enemies and friends from his time there. He is considered to be one of the most influential writers in the early 20th century. Joyce is best known for Ulyssers (1922), Dubliners (1914), A Portrait of the Artist as a young man (1916), Finnegans Wake (1939), etc.

Summary of the story

Setting of the story

Time:19th century Physical world: in Dublin, Ireland takes place with Eveline sitting by the window in a very dull room filled with "the odor of dusty cretonne" from the curtains Eveline was brought up in a social environment of strict adherence to tradition and obedience very plain Eveline is trapped in the familiarity of her setting

Character: Eveline

stay in Ireland and fulfill the promise she had made to her late mother

leave all of her responsibilities behind and leave with Frank her boyfriend.

Eveline
Hardworking Responsible Frightened Indecisive

At the harbor...

Analysis of the language used in literary texts

Repetition of some key words and phrases.
Reveal characters personalities, their state of mind and their main concerns and anxiety in life.
home (9) => how much family meant to Eveline, how dutiful and devoted she was and so how hard it was to leave it. used to (5), dead (3) => loss and death had to (3) => Evelines stifling and tolerant life. hard (4) => the heavy burden placed on her young shoulders. He would save her (2)=> try to convince herself

Analysis of the language used in literary texts

sitting by the window watching the avenue, leaning her head against the window curtain, inhaling the odour of dusty cretonne.(para A & H)

Passive, motionless and helpless

Analysis of the language used in literary texts

Association of words and phrases
illustrate characters personalities and the setting of the story
still, seemed, rather, not so, perhaps(3), anyway, but, though, however, notwholly, could be => Eveline- an indecisive girl, tormented by conflicting feelings about her choice. dark ( line 6 para H), yellowing (line 5 para C), dusty, dusted and dust (line 3 para A; line 2,3 para C), broken ( line 6 para C), invariable (line 11 para E), melancholy (line 7 para H), mournful (line 12 para I), a cry of anguish (line 5 para J) => The depressing and oppressive atmosphere

Point of view
The point of view in this story is third-person, limited omniscient. In the first paragraph, the narrator reports from a

distance.
From the second paragraph, the narrator used

stream-of-consciousness technique => enter the mind

of Eveline and report the rest of the story

Metaphor
Eveline's promise to her dying mother => can function as a metaphor for Joyce's belief that the Irish are imprisoned by their past Eveline's oppressive family life => becomes a metaphor for the cage that for her is Ireland. She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue => oppressive feeling of the darkness as if it was to take control of the area, thus giving the story a gloomy, depressing atmosphere.

Direct speech indirect speech

Many other characters have their own voices represented by quotation marks and followed by he said or she said, for example, the speech of her father ( para C, line 10), Miss Garner (para D,line 9,10) and her

mother ( para H, line 15). Eveline, however, only had

her inside thoughts and never seemed to have her own utterance even till the end when she refused to escape with her lover. => Her passiveness

Analysis of the symbolism

1. The dust - is controlling symbol - reinforces our understanding of Evelines dreary, suffocating, arid life

Analysis of the symbolism

1. The window The prison of a poor family enclosing Eveline

Analysis of the symbolism

1. Harmonium The Smith family's harmonium is broken. It may symbolize the broken harmony in the home, in the heart of Eveline, and in Ireland itself.

Analysis of the symbolism

1. Eveline and her mother symbol of the whole female at that time.

Themes of the story

1. Inertia
Inertia = lack of desire/ability to change Eveline takes a step, then retreats and ends up as she was before.

2. Environmental Attachment
Eveline's attachment to her environment strongly influences her decision to remain in Ireland.
P.3: familiar objects P.5: shelter & food P.9: not a wholly undesirable life P.13: father => miss her + could be very nice

3. Guilt
Evelines promise with her mother The two young children Her father

4. Doubt
Eveline harbors doubts about her relationship with Frank.
...perhaps love, too.

her duty
She & Frank = her parents

Buenos Aires

5. Difficult Life of Women in a MaleDominated Society

Endure male discrimination

Submit to fathers/husbands
will even when he treated her poorly

Hired for menial labor

Paid far less than that of a male doing the same work Dont have the right to vote

Argentina = Ireland

6. Emergence from Eden

Eveline = Eve The vacant field = Garden of Eden: place of happiness & innocence Her fathers invasion + urban sprawl Leave the garden Enter the word of great troubles.