An analysis by Group 3

Eveline
James Joyce
 Eveline
She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned
against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired.
Few people passed. The man out of the last house passed on his way home; she heard
his footsteps clacking along the concrete pavement and afterwards crunching on the cinder
path before the new red houses. One time there used to be a field there in which they used to
play every evening with other people's children. Then a man from Belfast bought the field
and built houses in it—not like their little brown houses but bright brick houses with shining
roofs. The children of the avenue used to play together in that field—the Devines, the Waters,
the Dunns, little Keogh the cripple, she and her brothers and sisters. Ernest, however, never
played: he was too grown up. Her father used often to hunt them in 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 rather happy then. Her father was not so bad then; and
besides, her mother was alive. That was a long time ago; she and her brothers and sisters were
all grown up her mother was dead. Tizzie Dunn was dead, too, and the Waters had gone back
to England. Everything changes. Now she was going to go away like the others, to leave
her home.
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.
Perhaps she would never see again those familiar objects from which she had never dreamed
of being divided. And yet during all those years she had never found out the name of the priest
whose yellowing photograph hung on the wall above the broken harmonium beside the
coloured print of the promises made to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque. He had been a
school friend of her father. Whenever he showed the photograph to a visitor her father used
to pass it with a casual word:
“He is in Melbourne now.”
She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh
each side of the question. In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom
she had known all her life about her. Of course she had to work hard, both in the house and
at business. What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run
away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled up by
advertisement. Miss Gavan would be glad. She had always had an edge on her, especially
whenever there were people listening.
“Miss Hill, don't you see these ladies are waiting?”
She would not cry many tears at leaving the Stores.
But in her new home, in a distant unknown country, it would not be like that. Then she
would be married—she, Eveline. People would treat her with respect then. She would not be
treated as her mother had been. Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt
herself in danger of her father's violence. She knew it was that that had given her the
palpitations. When they were growing up he had never gone for her like he used to go for
Harry and Ernest, because she was a girl; but latterly he had begun to threaten her and say
what he would do to her only for her dead mother's sake. And now she had nobody to protect
her. Ernest was dead and Harry, who was in the church decorating business, was nearly always
down somewhere in the country. Besides, the invariable squabble for money on Saturday
nights had begun to weary her unspeakably. She always gave her entire wages—seven
shillings—and Harry always sent up what he could but the trouble was to get any money from
her father. He said she used to squander the money, that she had no head, that he wasn't going
to give her his hard-earned money to throw about the streets, and much more, for he was
usually fairly bad on Saturday night. In the end he would give her the money and ask her had
she any intention of buying Sunday's dinner. Then she had to rush out as quickly as she could
and do her marketing, holding her black leather purse tightly in her hand as she elbowed her
way through the crowds and returning home late under her load of provisions. She had hard
work to keep the house together and to see that the two young children who had been left to
hr charge went to school regularly and got their meals regularly. It was hard work—a hard
life—but now that she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life.
She was about to explore another life with Frank. Frank was very kind, manly,
openhearted. She was to go away with him by the night-boat to be his wife and to live with
him in Buenos Ayres where he had a home waiting for her. How well she remembered the
first time she had seen him; he was lodging in a house on the main road where she used to
visit. It seemed a few weeks ago. He was standing at the gate, his peaked cap pushed back on
his head and his hair tumbled forward over a face of bronze. Then they had come to know

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each other. He used to meet her outside the Stores every evening and see her home. He took
her to see The Bohemian Girl and she felt elated as she sat in an unaccustomed part of the
theatre with him. He was awfully fond of music and sang a little. People knew that they were
courting and, when he sang about the lass that loves a sailor, she always felt pleasantly
confused. He used to call her Poppens out of fun. First of all it had been an excitement for her
to have a fellow and then she had begun to like him. He had tales of distant countries. He had
started as a deck boy at a pound a month on a ship of the Allan Line going out to Canada. He
told her the names of the ships he had been on and the names of the different services. He had
sailed through the Straits of Magellan and he told her stories of the terrible Patagonians. He
had fallen on his feet in Buenos Ayres, he said, and had come over to the old country just for
a holiday. Of course, her father had found out the affair and had forbidden her to have anything
to say to him.
“I know these sailor chaps,” he said.
One day he had quarrelled with Frank and after that she had to meet her lover secretly.
The evening deepened in the avenue. The white of two letters in her lap grew indistinct.
One was to Harry; the other was to her father. Ernest had been her favourite but she liked
Harry too. Her father was becoming old lately, she noticed; he would miss her. Sometimes he
could be very nice. Not long before, when she had been laid up for a day, he had read her out
a ghost story and made toast for her at the fire. Another day, when their mother was alive,
they had all gone for a picnic to the Hill of Howth. She remembered her father putting on her
mother’s bonnet to make the children laugh.
Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window, leaning her head
against the window curtain, inhaling the odour of dusty cretonne. Down far in the avenue she
could hear a street organ playing. She knew the air. Strange that it should come that very night
to remind her of the promise to her mother, her promise to keep the home together as long as
she could. She remembered the last night of her mother's illness; she was again in the close
dark room at the other side of the hall and outside she heard a melancholy air of Italy. The
organ-player had been ordered to go away and given sixpence. She remembered her father
strutting back into the sickroom saying:
“Damned Italians! coming over here!”

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 As she mused the pitiful vision of her mother's life laid its spell on the very quick of
her being—that life of commonplace sacrifices closing in final craziness. She trembled as she
heard again her mother's voice saying constantly with foolish insistence:
“Derevaun Seraun! Derevaun Seraun!”
She stood up in a sudden impulse of terror. Escape! She must escape! Frank would
save her. He would give her life, perhaps love, too. But she wanted to live. Why should she
be unhappy? She had a right to happiness. Frank would take her in his arms, fold her in his
arms. He would save her.

She stood among the swaying crowd in the station at the North Wall. He held her hand
and she knew that he was speaking to her, saying something about the passage over and over
again. The station was full of soldiers with brown baggages. Through the wide doors of the
sheds she caught a glimpse of the black mass of the boat, lying in beside the quay wall, with
illumined portholes. She answered nothing. She felt her cheek pale and cold and, out of a
maze of distress, she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what was her duty. The boat
blew a long mournful whistle into the mist. If she went, tomorrow she would be on the sea
with Frank, steaming towards Buenos Ayres. Their passage had been booked. Could she still
draw back after all he had done for her? Her distress awoke a nausea in her body and she kept
moving her lips in silent fervent prayer.
A bell clanged upon her heart. She felt him seize her hand:
“Come!”
All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart. He was drawing her into them: he
would drown her. She gripped with both hands at the iron railing.
“Come!”
No! No! No! It was impossible. Her hands clutched the iron in frenzy. Amid the seas
she sent a cry of anguish.
“Eveline! Evvy!”
He rushed beyond the barrier and called to her to follow. He was shouted at to go on
but he still called to her. She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her
eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition.

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 Analysis
A. Author and works
1. James Joyce (1882 - 1941)
According to the information provided on the webpage of The James Joyce Centre:
- James Augustine Aloysius Joyce is considered "one of Ireland’s most influential and
celebrated writers".
- Throughout his career, James Joyce made a great contribution to the
_________________________ movement, thus being regarded as an important figure
of the 20th century.
- Some of Joyce's legacy include the short story collection Dubliners (1914), the play
Exiles (1918), the collection of poetry Chamber Music (1907) and Pomes Penyeach
(1927), and the novels A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916) and
Finnegans Wake (1939).

2. Eveline
- The story was written and featured in the Irish Homestead magazine on September 10,
1904. After that, in 1914, it was revised and republished in "Dubliners" - a collection
of fifteen short stories (Eveline Summary, Themes, Characters, & Detailed Analysis |
LitPriest, 2020).
- It is a short story about a nineteen-year-old Irish woman, who was caught in a dilemma
between fulfilling her __________ to her family and heading towards a better life
across __________ with her lover.

B. Writing style and purpose

1. James Joyce’s writing style
- James Joyce is renowned for developing a writing style that differs from his peers,
with the following key features:
+ ____________________________ narrative technique: Joyce's writings follow
the character's natural stream of thoughts and feelings, which allows the author
to "go inside the characters' minds to reveal innermost thoughts, feelings, and
sensations" (How James Joyce Developed His Stream-of-Consciousness
Novels, n.d.), "adding a heightened sense of realism to the plot" (Ltd, n.d.). ‘
+ Multiple __________________________: Joyce is keen on switching between
different perspectives within a single story or novel to challenge readers to piece
together the narrative. Notable cases of this shift include “The Boarding House”
and “A Mother".

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 + __________ and __________: Other literary works or historical events are
usually referred to in Joyce's works, so readers need to have profound
knowledge to have a comprehensive understanding of his writings. A notable
example of this is "Ulysses", where Joyce made allusions and intertextual
references to Homer's "Odyssey" and Shakespeare's "Hamlet".
+ Dense and highly __________ prose: Joyce's writing is known for its attention
to detail and its use of rich, often esoteric vocabulary.
+ __________ use of language: Joyce often plays with words and phrases using
techniques such as puns, wordplay, and other linguistic devices to create new
meanings or challenge conventional language use.

2. Writing style of Eveline

- As for "Eveline", Joyce employed the stream-of-consciousness narrative technique to
allow readers to dive inside the protagonist's mind, thus having a deeper understanding
of her thoughts, feelings, and conflicts.
- The story is laced with some features of Joyce's writing style such as __________,
allusions, and literary references. The use of these elements makes the events in the
story open to various interpretations by readers.
- Moreover, there are various circular elements in the story, which create a sense of
__________ and emphasize the story's theme of paralysis.
+ The opening and closing scenes of the story both feature Eveline in a passive
state, watching the world around her, giving the impression that she is unable
to __________ from the vicious circle of routine and repetition that she is
trapped in.
+ The use of recurring images characterizes that sense of __________ and
stagnation, such as the repetition of the word "dust" in describing Eveline's
surroundings or the phrase "keep the house together".
+ Eveline's inability to make up her mind is also part of this sense of circularity.
Although she has decided to go with Frank, she later finds herself in the same
position as before, pondering about staying and __________ .
➔ These elements serve Joyce's purpose in writing Eveline, which is to tap into the strict
societal and familial __________ surrounding women at the time. He wished to
understand the way these obligations paralyzed women, thus provoking a deeper
understanding of their situations. In a broader sense, this state of paralysis is not
exclusive to Eveline but it is a social issue. Through this story, Joyce also focused on
the __________ Irish society's reluctance to change.

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 The meaning of the name "Eveline"
The name "Eveline" is "an elaboration of the Biblical name "Eve" and later a Norman
alternative of the Germanic "Avelina", meaning "desired"" (McNamara, 2023). By giving
the protagonist this name, James Joyce may want to show that his story is about a woman
who longs for an __________ from the present, yet is hindered by a sense of __________.

C. Summary
"Eveline" is a short story by James Joyce that follows the life of a young woman called
Eveline, who works as a clerk at a department store in Dublin. Eveline's mother and brother
Ernest have passed away, leaving her to take care of her two younger siblings and her abusive,
drunken father. Her other brother, Harry, is not home often since he has to go all over the
country to work as a church decorator. Both Harry and Eveline have to work around the clock
to make ends meet, yet they have to give their entire earnings to their father.

Eveline's sole source of happiness in her mundane life is Frank, yet her father strongly
disapproves of their relationship. Despite that, they continue seeing each other in secret and
even plan to elope to Buenos Ayres to start a new life together. However, Eveline's sense of
duty to her family and the promise she made to her mother to keep the family together weighed
heavily on her, causing her to ponder Frank's proposal deeply. All of a sudden, she has an
epiphany and realizes it is time to gain back her life and what she truly deserves - happiness.
She packs her things and leaves for the station with Frank.

However, upon boarding the ship, something dawns on her and she freezes, leaving Frank
going alone.

D. Setting
- Time:
+ The story is set in the early 20th century.
● This falls in the rise of __________________________. This movement
advocated Irish independence over British control, yet did not receive
support from the Catholic Church due to the violence of methods used
by nationalists. This caused the tensions between the Catholic
majority and the Protestant minority in the city, as well as between
Irish nationalists and those who favoured remaining part of the United
Kingdom to grow higher.
● Besides, Dublin witnessed various significant changes and upheavals in
the early 20th century, especially social, economic, and political unrest.
Life was hard for many people, especially working-class ones,

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 causing the majority of them to ____________________ in the vain
hope of having a better life.
● Last but not least, this was also the time when Dublin saw the growth of
cultural and artistic innovation, with the emergence of writers and
artists who would later become known as the Irish literary revival.
+ The main events of the story take place in the evening, over the course of a
few hours.
● Although the story includes Eveline's retrospection, its timeline follows
the period from evening to night, from the moment Eveline starts
pondering her choices, then decides, and eventually retreats.
● __________ is when the sky turns from bright to dark. It also represents
the darkness surrounding Eveline's life and soul, thus indicating how
Eveline is shrouded in boredom, fear, and doubt. She is fed up with her
monotonous life, afraid of not knowing what she is venturing into, and
unsure about her decision.
- Place:
+ The story takes place in Dublin (Ireland), as suggested by the title of the
collection it belongs to: "Dubliners".
+ The story is mostly set in and around Eveline's home in a working-class
neighbourhood of the city. At the end of the story, the events happen at
the harbour.
- Physical environment:
+ __________ the house: Most of the story happens in Eveline's house and by
the window.
● Eveline lives in a "little brown house" that is cluttered with furniture.
● Her house has "the odour of dusty cretonne".
● "yellowing photograph hung on the wall above the broken harmonium
beside the coloured print of the promises made to Blessed Margaret
Mary Alacoque"
➔ The house gives the impression of being both sombre and __________ . The
description of the photograph also highlights that Eveline’s family is in a straitened
circumstance, as its harmonium is "broken" and the promises are "coloured".
● "Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window,
leaning her head against the window curtain, inhaling the odour of dusty
cretonne."
● Upon considering eloping with Frank, she hears a street organ playing
through the window, which brings her back to the moment she promises
to her mother "to keep the home together as long as she could". Because
of this, she becomes even more conflicted.

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➔ Eveline spends most of her time sitting by the window, observing things around her,
__________ on her life, and thinking of the better days ahead of her. The __________
is both the source of escapism and fear for Eveline. On the one hand, it gives her
comfort, allows her to connect with the outside world, and shows her the possibility of
better days. On the other hand, it lets in things that remind her of bad days, of her
responsibilities and sway her intentions.
+ __________ the house: The outside world is in stark contrast with the
inside one.
● "footsteps clacking along the concrete pavement and afterwards
crunching on the cinder path before the new red houses"
● "bright brick houses with shining roofs"
➔ The streets of Eveline's neighbourhood are bustling and lively.
● "a field there in which they used to play every evening with other
people's children"
● "they seemed to have been rather happy then"
➔ The field keeps beautiful memories that she has with her homeland.
● "the swaying crowd in the station"
➔ The harbour is a busy and chaotic place.
- Social environment: Conventional views on gender roles and religious
conservatism were prevalent in society at the time.
+ Women in Dublin had a low social status and possessed little power and
independence. The common belief back then was "Men make houses, women
make homes", so men could and had to go out to find work, while women stayed
at home dedicating their whole life to their families and conforming to stringent
social mores. That is why ____________________ is the thing that keeps
Eveline from running away with her lover.
+ Dublin society at the time was also known for religious conservatism due to the
strong presence of ____________. Its great influence could be felt in almost
every aspect of daily life, from familial issues to educational and political ones.
Therefore, James Joyce depicts Eveline as being religious and always turning
to God to give her guidance. Her faith is also a factor that makes her indecisive
about going with Frank. This also explains why she has a photograph of Blessed
Margaret Mary Alacoque in her room.

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E. Plot
1. Plot diagram
Fill in the plot diagram with the following events.
1. She is torn between her desire for freedom and her sense of obligation to her family
and her Catholic faith.
2. At the dock, as Eveline looks at the ship, she experiences a sudden feeling of panic and
dread. She once again wavers over her choice.
3. Eveline stands at the dock, watching Frank leave without her.
4. Eveline is sitting by the window, contemplating leaving Dublin with her lover to start
anew in Buenos Ayres.
5. Eveline realizes that she needs to live and has a right to be happy. She is certain that
Frank will save her and help her escape.
6. Eveline starts to reflect on her life and her relationships with the people around her.
She also remembers the promise she made to her mother.

The exposition

The rising action

The climax

The falling action

The resolution

2. Conflict
- The internal conflict between Eveline and herself: Eveline is not sure whether to go
with her lover or stay with her family.
- The external conflicts:
+ Between Eveline and her father (Mr. Hill):
● Mr. Hill is a controlling and abusive father.
● He expects her to give him all her wages and fulfill her duty as the
caretaker of the house.
● He forbids her from seeing Frank.
+ Between Eveline and ____________:
● Eveline faces societal pressures to conform to traditional gender roles
and expectations.

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F. Characters and characterization
1. Eveline
1.1. Character: Protagonist - A round and dynamic character
a) Round:
- Eveline has several different personality traits.
+ A ____________ person
● "She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue.
Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her
nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne."
● "Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window,
leaning her head against the window curtain, inhaling the odour
of dusty cretonne."
● "passive, like a helpless animal"
➔ Eveline appears psychologically paralyzed. She keeps sitting by the window, letting
her mind race with a plethora of thoughts. Her body seems to refuse to get up or have
any physical movement, just passively sitting and watching. This indicates that she
feels stuck and imprisoned in her surroundings.
➔ This passivity also makes Eveline afraid of change and does not have enough
courage to take risks. That is why at the end of the story, she would rather remain in
her mundane life than venture abroad with her lover, since the former seems to be a
safer choice than the latter.
+ A ____________ daughter
● "familiar objects which she had dusted once a week for so
many years"
● "She had hard work to keep the house together and to see that the
two young children who had been left to her charge went to school
regularly and got their meals regularly."
● "She always gave her entire wages - seven shillings"
● "Her father was becoming old lately [...] he would miss her."
● "her promise to keep the home together as long as she could"
➔ After her mother has passed away, Eveline has to do all the housework and take care
of the whole family. Moreover, despite having to follow her father's unreasonable
demands and bear his aggressiveness, she feels a sense of obligation towards him.
+ An ____________woman
● "now that she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly
undesirable life"
● "She would not be treated as her mother had been."

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 ● "explore a new life with Frank"
● "Frank would save her. He would give her life, perhaps
love, too."
● "But she wanted to live."
➔ The monotonous normalcy suffocates Eveline; therefore, she has a strong yearning to
escape. She does not want to tie herself to the familial obligations imposed upon
her and lead a miserable life. She wants to live.
+ A ____________devout
● "the coloured print of the promises made to Blessed Margaret
Mary Alacoque"
● "she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what was her duty"
➔ Eveline's faith is her tower of strength, so she often turns to God for guidance
whenever she is in need.
- Eveline has to fight with not only her own self but also the whole society.
+ "What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she
had run away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place
would be filled up by advertisement."
➔ When thinking of going with Frank, she thinks of others' reactions towards her
decision. This not only sheds light on the expectations of women society had at the
time but also the impact of these assumptions on women.
b) Dynamic: Throughout the story, Eveline undergoes some changes in her thoughts
and feelings.
- Within the first few opening lines, readers can infer that Eveline is passive and
is resistant to change, somehow like a "______________". She is fed up with
her monotonous normalcy and the overwhelming household duties.
- Further into the narrative, we can see Eveline begins to consider the possibility
of leaving with Frank, which suggests that she is slowly opening up to change.
- She also starts going back and forth between the gorgeous past, the present
oppression, and the expected future. This wakes up the longing for escape
buried deep inside her, causing her to experience an epiphany and realize she
deserves to have her own happiness.
- Eventually, when the departure time approaches, Eveline's fear of change and
________________________ come to the surface and make her draw back and
give up the idea of transforming life.
➔ Eveline goes from feeling ____________ and repressed to hopeful and ends up
perplexed, ____________, and impotent.

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1.2. Characterization: Indirect
a) Speech
- Throughout the story, Eveline does not make even a single utterance. Instead,
her thoughts and feelings are presented in free indirect discourse.
- Even when she realises she needs to escape, that thought is not vocalised and is
only kept in her mind.
- In the latter part of the story, "she kept moving her lips in silent fervent prayer".
➔ She exists, not lives in the world.
➔ She is a typical image of women that time, who did not have the courage and were not
given the opportunity to voice their thoughts and feelings.
b) Thought
- "wondering where on earth all the dust came from"
➔ Eveline is tired of seeing the dust collected and having to clean it day after day, which
implies a sense of ____________in her life. Her daily grind always consists of waking
up, taking care of her family, and going to work. This cycle repeats ____________.
- "She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to
weigh each side of the question."
- "Could she still draw back after all he had done for her?"
➔ She keeps jumping back and forth between going with Frank and staying with her
family. Even when she is at the harbour and about to go, she still wonders whether she
has made the right decision.
- "She stood up in a sudden impulse of terror. Escape! She must escape!" (interior
monologue)
➔ Joyce has managed to accomplish two things here: telling us what is going on on the
outside - Eveline is physically doing, and what she is experiencing on the inside.
Eveline seems to stand up swiftly on the outside, yet she is experiencing intense
emotions on the inside. The use of exclamation marks and the modal "must" is also
noteworthy, as they show readers how intense her feelings are and how much she needs
to break free from the obligations, the repressions binding her.
- "He was drawing her into them: he would drown her."
- "What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run
away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled
up by advertisement."
➔ Eveline projects her future when she has already left Ireland and she imagines what
people may say. James Joyce artfully uses second conditionals here to indicate a
continuous fluctuation from past thoughts to present conditions and then to future
projections in Eveline's mind. This technique can help audiences understand the

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 ____________of three different time dimensions, illustrating that Eveline is in "a maze
of ____________".
c) Relationship
- With her father:
+ "She would not be treated as her mother had been."
+ "Her father used often to hunt them in 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."
+ "he had never gone for her like he used to go for Harry and Ernest [...]
but latterly he had begun to threaten her and say what he would do
to her"
+ "Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in
danger of her father's violence. She knew it was that that had given her
the palpitations"
➔ Eveline witnessed ________________________ conducted by her father as a child.
And now, she cannot escape her father's abusive behaviour as there is "nobody to
protect her". She admits to feeling threatened by him and not feeling safe around him.
+ "She always gave her entire wages [...] but the trouble was to get any
money from her father."
+ "He said she used to squander the money"
+ "In the end he would give her the money and ask her had she any
intention of buying Sunday's dinner."
➔ At the present, when already nineteen and became the sole woman managing the
household, she still lives under her father’s ________________________. She has to
work day and night to earn enough to support her family, yet she has to hand them all
over to her father and has no control over how she spends it. The only thing she has
authority over is "Sunday's meal".
+ "her father had found out the affair and had forbidden her to have
anything to say to him"
+ "I know these sailor chaps."
➔ This not only suggests his _________________ attitudes but also indicates another
facet of the father-daughter relationship. He refuses to have Frank accompany Eveline.
He relies on Eveline since he "had recently become aged". As a result, her father does
not want her to meet Frank on a regular basis since he needs her presence at home to
assist him not only financially, but also "the two young children who had been left to
her charge". Moreover, this implies that Eveline is not granted autonomy by her father,
despite being a grown-up woman.
+ "Her father was not so bad then"

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 + "Sometimes he could be very nice. Not long before, when she had been
laid up for a day, he had read her out a ghost story and made toast for
her at the fire. Another day, when their mother was alive, they had all
gone for a picnic to the Hill of Howth. She remembered her father putting
on her mother’s bonnet to make the children laugh."
➔ However, Eveline suddenly thinks of the times her father was nice and her family was
close-knit. This shows that Eveline does not want to completely blame her father.
Despite the emotional and physical torture he has inflicted on her, she remains
________________________ to him.
+ "Her father was becoming old lately, she noticed; he would miss her."
➔ Her inner sentiments about her father are ____________. On the one hand, her fear of
her father is palpable. On the other hand, she appears to be fixated on defending him
and telling herself that he was not always like this. Regardless of his behaviours, she
seeks methods to excuse his actions. Therefore, it is justifiable to say that her
relationship with him is founded on fear.

Is Eveline monstrous to abandon her elderly father?

Joyce presented the father as a controlling and abusive man throughout the first half of the
story, which gives readers a not-very-good impression of him. However, towards the end
of the story, in Eveline's flashbacks, the father reappears in the shape of a kind and caring
man. By doing so, Joyce might have raised sympathy for the father, which leads to some
people opining that Eveline is monstrous to leave her elderly father to venture out
with Frank.

Taking her circumstances into consideration, we can see that her father has maltreated her
family ever since she was a child. He continues that maltreatment up until she has grown
up and become the caretaker of the family. Therefore, it is reasonable for her to leave.

Nevertheless, she should have informed her father beforehand. By doing so, she may lessen
his pain and some readers may not perceive her as an inconsiderate daughter.

- With her mother: Eveline’s mother didn’t appear directly in the story, just in the
memory of her 19-year-old daughter. For Eveline, her relationship with her
mother has been shattered by death, and her seeming passivity may be due to
her sense of loss. The memories of her mother are primarily around illness and
death. As a result, Eveline's grief over her mother's passing causes the daughter
to be pulled in two different directions.
+ Eveline makes a pledge under duress from her mother to "keep the home
together as long as she could".

15
 + "She trembled as she heard again her mother's voice saying constantly
with foolish insistence "Derevaun Seraun! Derevaun Seraun!"."
➔ On the one hand, she feels obligated to keep this pledge and uphold her final vow, but
doing so keeps her bound to her childhood home and the troubling memories that still
linger there. The chant keeps lingering in her mind and subconsciously has a huge
impact on her later life, ultimately, her decision at the crucial moment. Her hatred over
this pledge is as strong as her anguish at the idea of ____________ her word. Eveline’s
appreciation of the Catholic value of sacrifice becomes clear in the way she views her
duties to her family.
➔ The idea of escaping became an unachievable yearning for her.
+ She doesn't want to "be treated as her mother had been", but that doom
is drawing nearer.
+ She had a life "of commonplace sacrifices closing in final craziness".
➔ On the other hand, Eveline dreads being in the same situation as her mother, whose
life was mundane, stuck in a cycle of violence from her husband and neediness from
her children. That life has driven her mother mad, which frightens Eveline even more.
Upon thinking of this, the desire to break free from that prison becomes stronger in
Eveline, which is pushed to the climax and causes her to experience
________________________.

The meaning of "Derevaun Seraun"

"Patrick Henchy believes the words to be corrupt Gaelic for "the end of pleasure is pain,"
and Roland Smith thinks they are corrupt Irish, meaning "the end of the song is raving
madness"" (Tigges, 1994). According to McCrea (2015), the phrase may sound like Irish,
its words do not have any actual meaning in the language. Therefore, the phrase's meaning
is open to interpretation. Joyce is believed to do this on purpose to get readers swarming all
over it.

Taking Patrick Henchy and Roland Smith's interpretations into consideration, we can
understand the phrase as: "I have been there, soon you will be there too!". Here, the mother
may be warning her daughter about an impending future that does not have a positive
outlook. Eveline's mother has made great sacrifices for her family her whole life. In the end,
however, she was ultimately driven to madness and death. This may explain why upon
hearing her mother's voice saying it, Eveline suddenly stands up and decides to go.

16
 - With Frank:
+ "First of all it had been an excitement for her to have a fellow and then
she had begun to like him."
+ "Frank would save her. He would give her life, perhaps love, too."
➔ Frank is the only light in Eveline's mundane life, the only one that brings her
____________ and ____________. To her, he is the only path out of her current stuck
life. She does not love him or consider him as a partner or husband. She never
expresses her feelings for him. The word "perhaps" plainly shows that she is not in
love with Frank at the time of the statement, but hopes to learn to love him someday.
+ "She was about to explore another life with Frank."
+ "She was to go away with him by the night-boat to be his wife and to live
with him in Buenos Ayres where he had a home waiting for her."
+ "People would treat her with respect then."
➔ Once again, Frank is proven to be Eveline's way out of her current life. Only when
going with him, she has a chance to receive people’s respect and be ____________.
However, she merely wishes for an improved and more decent life in Buenos Ayres
and has no faith in Frank. She believes that life in another nation will be very different
from her present life in Dublin.
➔ Moreover, the verb "explore" is meticulously used to express Eveline's fear of the
upcoming journey she is about to go through. This may also be why she decides not to
go with Frank ultimately. The idea of ____________and ____________prevents her
from taking the courage to involve herself in this marking voyage.
- With other people:
+ "What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that
she had run away with a fellow? Say, she was a fool, perhaps; and her
place would be filled up by advertisements. Miss Gavan would be
glad. She had always had an edge on her, especially whenever there
were people listening."
➔ Eveline has a tough time with other people in her life. They do not seem to treat her
with much respect and impose many responsibilities upon her. Therefore, Eveline can
tell that they will ____________her badly if she chooses to flee with Frank.
d) Action
- "She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was
leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty
cretonne. She was tired."
➔ From the very beginning of the story, Eveline is depicted as a ____________person
who spends much of her time sitting and watching everything around her. She seems
to be in the position of an audience, not a participant in life. Her passivity is expressed
even more clearly through the use of passive in the second sentence.

17
➔ The image of her sitting by the window also suggests Eveline's ____________and
____________. Particularly, she is hidden not only by a "window" but also by
"window curtains", which gives us the impression that she is concealed beneath
numerous layers, staring out at a reality that is draining her out. This scene causes us
to think of the image of an animal in a cage or a prisoner behind iron bars.
- "Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window, leaning her
head against the window curtain, inhaling the odour of dusty cretonne."
➔ Even when faced with a difficult decision, Eveline chooses to remain in the same
position - sitting and thinking. Nothing seems to move, except her mind. Her
____________is continuously ____________, fluctuating, and moving back and forth
in time, while her physical body is passive, and inactive.
- "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."
➔ Her life revolves around cleaning the objects laying all over the house - the usual daily
grind of a caretaker.
- "She stood up in a sudden impulse of terror."
➔ This is Eveline's first physical movement since the beginning of the story. This happens
after she remembers her mother’s words on her deathbed. It dawns on her that there is
a likelihood that she will end up like her mother - being left dying in illness and
craziness despite a whole life of devotion. Because of that, she makes a quick decision
to escape, followed by a sudden movement.
- "she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what was her duty"
➔ The twentieth-century Dublin was heavily influenced by Catholicism, hence it stands
to reason that she relies on God, or Catholic values, to guide her. It is her own life, yet
she has to rely on others to decide it for her. This sense of powerlessness of being
entrenched in conventions is a contributing factor to Eveline's inability to
________________________ and make a decision.
- "She gripped with both hands at the iron railing."
- "Her hands clutched the iron in frenzy. Amid the seas she sent a cry of anguish."
- "She set her white face to him [...] Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell
or recognition."
➔ Towards the end of the story, Eveline returns to being in a passive state. She is
psychologically paralyzed. She is still unsure about her decision to go. It is possible
that Eveline realizes she was drawn to his life of adventure at sea, not to him.
Therefore, he is only a means to help her escape, not someone she loves and wants to
tie the knot with.

18
 e) Looks
- Eveline’s appearance is not directly mentioned in the story, yet readers can have
an idea of how she looks through the way Joyce depicts her life and her misery.
Eveline gives the impression of being more ____________than her peers, since
she is coping with much pressure despite being only 19. Moreover, given the
tragedies that she has been through, she may look ____________and
____________.
- Joyce’s description of Eveline at the end of the story adds to her overall image,
that she is ____________by her current situation, by her fear of change and
uncertainty.
+ "She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes
gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition."

The social and emotional pressures that Eveline suffers from

- Social pressures:
+ Familial obligation: Eveline is expected to fulfil her only duty of taking care
of the family, especially her father.
+ Gender roles: As a woman, Eveline is supposed to be submissive and has no
rights to control her own life and happiness.
+ Religious belief: It is imperative for Eveline to conform to Catholicism and
its teachings, just like other people in society.
- Emotional pressures:
+ On the one hand, Eveline is afraid of going against social norms and her
religion, especially the promise she has made to her mother. She is concerned
about what others might say about her and her family.
+ On the other hand, she is exhausted from the daily grind and is dying to break
free. She is determined to gain back the life that she has lost for so long.
➔ These pressures hold Eveline back, preventing her from moving forward. As a result,
she keeps staying in the middle of the difficult situation and cannot get out, thus
perpetually stuck in her own dilemma.

Is Eveline an idiot to draw back?

If we take the social environment of the story, we can see that the consequences destined to
happen when Eveline runs away from home are grave and their effects are damaging.
Therefore, it may not be fair to say that Eveline is unwise to draw back, to give up on her
only chance at freedom.

19
 Does Eveline suffer from Stockholm Syndrome?
In the story, some features of Stockholm Syndrome can be found as follows:
1. The victim is ____________
- Eveline has witnessed her father abusing her family since she was a kid, and
suffers from it herself during adulthood.
2. The victim still has emotional ____________towards the abuser
- Despite his maltreatment, Eveline remembers occasions when her father is
nice towards her family. This indicates that she still appreciates the familiarity
of home and does not want to hate her father. He is still her father and she is
still his daughter. It seems she has become used to being treated in that bad
manner, like how Mị in "Vợ chồng A Phủ" says: "Ở lâu trong cái khổ, Mị
quen khổ rồi. Bây giờ Mị tưởng mình cũng là con trâu con ngựa".
3. The victim is ____________from the world
- Eveline experiences violence in a confined space - her house and is totally
controlled by her father. Therefore, she seems to be trapped in her own misery
and cannot get out, which has been suggested since the beginning of the story.
4. The victim experiences "____________"
- Eveline is aware that her father is abusive towards her and she is afraid of
him. However, she tries to excuse for him by "reflecting upon a kinder
paternal figure" he has created at times. "Therefore, it can be argued that she
is in denial. She seems to experience "frozen fright", a mental paralysis caused
by fear, an extreme reaction to Stockholm Syndrome" (Kapoula, 2021).
➔ Given the features mentioned above, we can infer that Eveline may be suffering from
Stockholm Syndrome.

2. Frank
Frank is the key supporting character for Eveline to give her joy. Still, Eveline does not travel
with him to Buenos Ayres in the end.
2.1. Character: Supporting - A ____________and ____________character
Throughout the story, many details are given to suggest that Frank has strong feelings for
Eveline and is kind towards her.
2.2. Characterization: Indirect
a) Action and Speech
- "He had fallen on his feet in Buenos Ayres, he said, and had come over to the
old country just for a holiday."
➔ Frank is a ____________who left his native Ireland and became a citizen of Argentina.
He has returned to Ireland for a brief visit and he meets Eveline there.
- "He used to meet her outside the Stores every evening and see her home."

20
 - "He used to call her Poppens out of fun."
➔ Frank gives the signs that he likes Eveline and looks forward to being with her. The
nickname he uses to call her - "Poppens", is from "poppet", which is used for
"describing a cute girl" (Features of Stylistic on “Eveline by James Joyce,” 2018).
- "He took her to see The Bohemian Girl and she felt elated as she sat in an
unaccustomed part of the theatre with him."
➔ This detail gives the impression that Frank has a ________________and
____________________, so he takes her to the theatre and lets her experience
something that has been unfamiliar to her. Moreover, the play being referred to - "The
Bohemian Girl", is a ballad opera praising free-spiritedness and is about a "band of
gypsies that capture and hold a nobleman’s daughter" (Wikipedia, 2023). It is possible
that in Eveline’s reflection, she thinks of this play and she becomes apprehensive, thus
becoming uncertain about going with Frank.
- "He had tales of distant countries."
- "He had sailed through the Straits of Magellan"
- "He was awfully fond of music and sang a little."
- "he sang about the lass that loves a sailor"
➔ Frank is an ____________, ____________man and he is Eveline's sole source of
delight, someone that gives her monotonous life rhythm. Frank lights up Eveline’s
mood by letting her have a peek of the outside world. This sociable trait of him may
also complement Eveline’s timidity. Particularly, the song about being in love with a
sailor that he sings to her may indicate that he wants her to be free like him and be
his girl.
- "she had to meet her lover secretly"
➔ After Eveline’s father knows about their affair, they have to see each other in secret.
This shows that Frank is a ____________person, whose intentions can not be swayed
by anyone or anything. To him, it does not matter how, what matters is that he can
continue seeing her.
- "He rushed beyond the barrier and called to her to follow. He was shouted at
to go on but he still called to her."
➔ He wants Eveline to accompany him.
b) Thought
- "She was to go away with him by the night-boat to be his wife and to live with
him in Buenos Ayres where he had a home waiting for her."
➔ Frank adores Eveline and wants to give her a bright future, which is why he has planned
everything before taking her to Buenos Ayres. This shows that he has invested much
time and effort in this relationship and that he has thought it through. However,
Eveline’s retreat at the end of the story may change Frank’s opinion of her. He may

21
 think that she is only taking advantage of him, that he is someone who arrives at the
perfect time to help her escape.
c) Relationship
- With Eveline:
+ Frank sends signals that he is in love with Eveline. However, in Emily’s
reflections, we hardly see instances that he asks about her current
situation. Therefore, he keeps pushing her to reach the decision of going
with him.
➔ Frank is head over heels in love with Eveline, as shown by the way he treats her nicely,
calls her affectionately, and plans to settle down with her in a place that offers
many prospects. However, just showcasing his love is not enough. He has made great
effort in ____________ her up, while not as much in understanding and sympathizing
with her. Because of this, he does not know what she is going through, thus creating a
sense of uncertainty in Eveline. This may be why Eveline chooses to stay at the end.
- With Mr. Hill:
+ "I know these sailor chaps."
+ "One day he had quarrelled with Frank and after that she had to meet
her lover secretly."
➔ Frank’s characteristics are in stark contrast with Mr. Hill, with the former being
carefree, relaxed and the latter being stern. That is why Frank has only encountered
Eveline’s father once, but that is enough to make her father loathes him. This partly
stems from the prejudices Mr. Hill has already had towards immigrants and sailors.
With Eveline’s father being a conservative man, he will never give up his prejudices,
so he and Frank will never be on good terms.
d) Looks
- "He was standing at the gate, his peaked cap pushed back on his head and his
hair tumbled forward over a face of bronze"
➔ Frank’s appearance is associated with the idea of ____________, new life, and
________________________. Frank stands tall in his military attire, resembling a
bronze statue. The comparison to a bronze statue demonstrates how Frank might have
a significant impact on her life.

3. Mr. Hill
Eveline’s father - Mr. Hill is not described in detail in the story but still gives us a stifling
feeling, like Kreb’s father in “A Soldier’s Home” and Emily’s father in “A Rose for Emily”.
3.1. Character: Supporting - A round and static character
- Throughout the story, Mr. Hill’s characteristics do not experience any changes. He
maintains his image as an abusive and controlling father.
- However, he shows many sides of his character.

22
 + An ____________ person:
● "Her father used often to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn
stick"
● "She always gave her entire wages [...] and Harry always sent up what
he could but the trouble was to get any money from her father".
● "he had begun to threaten her and say what he would do to her"
● "her father had found out the affair and had forbidden her to have
anything to say to him".
● "I know these sailor chaps".
● "Damned Italians! Coming over here"
➔ Readers' first impressions about Eveline’s father are primarily negative and
disapproving as he is an ____________, cantankerous person and tends to resort to
____________.
+ A nice father
● "Her father was not so bad then"
● "Sometimes he could be very nice. Not long before, when she had been
laid up for a day, he had read her out a ghost story and made toast for
her at the fire. Another day, when their mother was alive, they had all
gone for a picnic to the Hill of Howth. She remembered her father putting
on her mother’s bonnet to make the children laugh."
● "She remembered her father strutting back into the sick room saying:
“Damned Italians! Coming over here!""
➔ In Eveline’s reflection, her father also appears as a caring father who used to bring joy
and bond to the family. He also prevents his family from the Italian organ players that
are rubbing salt into their wound - the wound of losing a family member.
+ A ____________friend
● "He is in Melbourne now".
➔ When talking about the nameless priest, his old school friend, it is a rare moment that
Mr. Hill does not show his irritability and hot temperament. Instead, he shows that he
misses his friend, which may be proof that he is a good friend.
3.2. Characterization: Indirect
a) Speech
- "Damned Italians! Coming over here!"
- "He said she used to squander the money, that she had no head"
➔ Mr. Hill can be regarded as a rude ________________, who commands others and
speaks without regard for anyone. He is a typical example of a man with strong
masculinity, a macho and patriarchal man.
- "I know these sailor chaps".

23
➔ He says with much certainty that he knows sailors like the back of his hand. He believes
that he is right and that everyone should follow his words.
- "He is in Melbourne now".
➔ This is the only occasion that he uses "a casual word" to express something, which
shows how dear his friend is to his heart.
b) Relationship
- With Mrs. Hill:
+ We do not have much information about his relationship with Mrs. Hill
but there are some implications from the story that Mrs. Hill suffers from
domestic violence from Mr. Hill. And it may happen quite regularly,
sometimes with the witness of their children.
+ From his action of telling the Italian organ players to go away, it can be
inferred that he experiences grief over his wife’s death and does not want
to worsen it. However, this grief is expressed differently in Mr. Hill, he
shows extreme anger.
- With Eveline:
+ As discussed in previous sections, Mr. Hill did not go after Eveline when
she was a child, yet he does so when she has grown up. Eveline admits
to having "palpitations" and feeling "in danger of her father's violence".
It is evident how much an impact his abusive behaviour has on her. It
has given her the chill of fear and even confines her in that life.
+ Despite that, Eveline has recollection of her good times with him. These
good memories have contributed to making her consider the decision and
eventually decide to stay.
- With Harry and Ernest:
+ We do not have much detail and information about his relationship with
Harry and Ernest as well as his other children. We only know that he
"used to go for Harry and Ernest" because they were boys. When Harry
grows up, even though he works far away from home and is not home
often, he continues to be exploited by his father and be asked to "send up
what he could".
c) Action
- "His father used to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick".
➔ Eveline uses the verb "hunt" to describe his father's action. When the children are
playing in the field, he may want to join and tease them for fun, just as other fathers
do, but with the assumptions and stereotypes everyone already has about him, they feel
like being "threatened" and being "hunted".
- "when she had been laid up for a day, he had read her a ghost story and made
toast for her at the fire"

24
 - "Another day when her mother was alive, they had all gone for a picnic to Hill
of Howth. She remembered her father putting on her mother’s bonnet to make
the children laugh".
➔ He does try to fulfil his role as a father: taking care of his kids, taking his family out
for a picnic, trying to make them laugh with silly goofy things, etc. If we notice, we
may see his ____________ and goofiness since this is a rare instance he does
something like that. Who would ever tell a ghost story and make toast for a sick person?
- "She remembered her father strutting back into the sick room saying: “Damned
Italians! Coming over here!"
➔ He does try to fulfil his role as the man of the family: kicking out the Italian organ
player who was playing a melancholy melody to prevent his family from hearing it and
becoming even more depressed.
- "When they were growing up he had never gone for her like he used to go for
Harry and Ernest"
- "he had begun to threaten her and say what he would do to her"
- "She always gave her entire wages [...] and Harry always sent up what he could
but the trouble was to get any money from her father".
➔ He has done the worst thing that a husband and a father could do to his family. He
shows his brutality toward his beloved wife and he makes his children see that, which
will eternally traumatize them. He even continues his abusive trait after his wife and
son have died.
- “her father had found out about the affair and had forbidden her to have
anything to say to him”
- “One day, he had quarreled with Frank and after that, she had to meet her lover
secretly”.
➔ He ____________ who his daughter is in love with as he takes a dim view to sailors.
- He keeps a "yellowing photographer of a nameless priest, a school friend of
him, hung on the wall above the broken harmonium".
➔ He is unable to let go of the past. He is only a nameless friend but he has become a
part of his house.
d) Looks
- James Joyce does not give readers a meticulous account of how Mr. Hill looks
like, yet we can tell from his speech and actions that he usually scowls and
frowns at others, thus coming across as stern.

25
4. Other minor characters
The story also includes other minor characters that contribute to the tedious life Eveline is
going through. They are all static and flat characters and are mainly characterized through
speech and actions.
a) The priest
- "the priest whose yellowing photograph hung on the wall"
➔ He is Mr. Hill’s old friend who had departed for Melbourne. His picture is hung on
Eveline’s house wall.
➔ A nameless character who serves as a representative for ____________.
Circumstances in Dublin at the time forces people to choose to depart, either for
emigration or death. The priest has left Dublin and departed to Melbourne for the idea
of a new better life. Eveline’s impending decision is indeed between emigration
and death.
b) Harry Hill
- "in the church decorating business, was nearly always down somewhere in the
country"
- "always sent up what he could"
➔ The only man that can protect Eveline in the family has to travel elsewhere for work,
leaving Eveline without anyone by her side. Despite departing to another part of
Ireland, he still sends his earnings to give Eveline a hand in running the household.
c) Ernest Hill
- "Ernest, however, never played: he was too grown up"
- "Ernest had been her favourite".
➔ Eveline has a close relationship with her oldest brother, who has passed away. Back
then, she realised how he might feel alienated, she had spent more time as well as
shown more affection towards him by observing, caring, and loving him.
➔ If the priest and Harry are representatives of the departure of ____________, Ernest is
the one of ____________. The readers have no idea about the reason for his decease.
d) Miss Gavan
- "Miss Gavan would be glad. She had always had an edge on her, especially
whenever there were people listening"
➔ In spite of having no clear description about her character or appearance, readers can
deduce from the story that she is a bossy boss. Not only does she try to alienate our
poor Eveline from the workplace but also keeps criticising and scrutinising her harshly
in front of customers and other colleagues.
➔ She is the representative of ____________________ that try to put Eveline at
a disadvantage.

26
G. Narrator
- "Eveline" is narrated in the ________________________ point of view:
+ The author refers to the characters by their titles or names (Eveline, Miss Hill,
Frank, Harry, Ernest, Miss Gavan, etc.), by pronouns (he, she, they), and by
noun phrases (the man, the children, her father, etc.)
+ The author is not a participant in any of the story's events, he is only
narrating them.
+ The author dives into the emotions of only one character - Eveline.
- This choice of point of view not only aligns with the stream-of-consciousness narrative
technique being used but it also allows readers to have a peek into the protagonist’s
mind, thus making them sympathize with the character more.
+ Without the author's meticulous account, most readers will find Eveline's
decision to elope with Frank unacceptable, as she is supposed to stay and take
care of her father. However, we are aware of Eveline's wavering between the
two choices, as well as her repressed feelings when living in that family and
society, something the other characters are not aware of. Therefore, her decision
to escape is understandable, since she needs to gain back her happiness and live,
not exist.
+ Moreover, this helps the readers to understand Eveline's choice to draw back at
the end of the story, knowing what is standing between her and her future.
+ The author may also choose this point of view as a response to society. At the
time, women's situations, thoughts, and feelings were taken for granted, so they
usually had to bury their emotions. Deciding to focus on the inner mind of a
female character was a bold move, especially for a male author like James
Joyce, as he was making people know and care more for her, raising the social
status of women in general.

H. Theme
A better life deserves living, not hoping.
Everyone undoubtedly hopes for a better life, yet not all of them have the conditions or the
strength to actually achieve it. Many people in Dublin at the time wanted to emigrate to
another place to seek for a better life, but they did not have the opportunity to do so. As for
Eveline, Frank proposes to her a way out and has prepared everything to make sure that she
will live happily in Buenos Ayres, but she was not brave enough to venture into the new world
with him. She has been paralyzed by all the societal and emotional pressures surrounding her.
Because of that, she has lost her only chance of escapism and remains forever stuck in Dublin.

Drawing on this, James Joyce seeks to paint an overall picture of paralysis and inaction. No
matter how much we yearn for something, it will always remain in our minds unless we put

27
 our thoughts into action. That hope will gradually die and disappear, and we end up in the
same situation as we were. In particular, were we in the same position as Eveline, the inability
to take action would rob our chance of changing everything, of breaking free. In that case, not
only our hope for change is dead, but also our beliefs and hope in life. And nothing is worse
than the death of a human’s soul. Many forms of death have been presented but it will be
much more tragic when one dies emotionally but is alive physically.

All in all, through this story, James Joyce is trying to convey the message that it is not wrong
for us to hope for something better, so we need to have the courage to make it happen. It is
our lives that we are living, not others.
How glorified that house in brown once reigned, In Dublin town where Eveline dwells,
But transient life had torn its glory away, Her fate upon her heart like a knell.
How tears of joy that I once felt, behind To leave or stay, she cannot decide,
But tears of pain that I have dealt, always. Her father's wrath, a constant bide.

Expectations heavy, burden to meet, A love once promised, now lost to sea,
I struggle on, amidst the dusty life, A life of drudgery, her only key.
My heart fails, palpitations incomplete, Her dreams and hopes, now fading fast,
Oh Dublin, land of duty and endless cry. A future bleak, from present cast.

The end of song, a raving madness known, Her mother's voice, a haunting sound,
To all who hear my words and feel the pain, The burden of duty, forever bound.
For though my eyes may see, my hand is prone, Her hand upon the rail, she stands,
To paralysis, leaving me in vain. A final choice, life's fateful strands.

In my favour, why can the heavens be, To leave or not to leave, that is the matter,
A sea of hope is site I meant to be. Eveline's destiny, forever laid.
Phan Nguyễn Thùy Vân Lợi Mỹ Duy

I. Figures of speech and symbolism

1. Figures of speech

Sentence Figurative language Explanation

Paragraph 1, line 2 ____________ "dusty cretonne": Eveline’s

"in her nostrils was the tiredness of inhaling the monotonous
odour of dusty cretonne" life

Paragraph 4, line 9 ____________ Miss Gavan is criticising Eveline for

"Look lively, Miss Hill, not concentrating in her work.
please."

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Paragraph 5, line 13
"she had no head"
Paragraph 5, line 13
"he wasn't going to give her
his hard-earned money to
throw about the streets"
Paragraph 1, line 1
"The evening invade the
avenue"
Paragraph 8, line 1
"The evening deepened in
the avenue"
Paragraph 13, line 1
"A bell clanged upon her
heart".
Paragraph 14, line 1
"All the seas of the world
tumbled about her heart".
Paragraph 15, line 2
"She set her white face to
him, passive, like a helpless
animal."
2. Symbolism
- Frank: The ____________________. During Eveline’s darkest days, Frank arrives
like an intriguing light coming into her life with fascinating tales of distant countries.
____________ "had no head": Eveline does not use
her mind wisely
____________ "throw about the streets": Mr. Hill
thinks that Eveline squanders
money.
____________ "invade", "deepened": The process
of day slowly changing to night
→ The clouds of fear of the
unknown, uncertainty, and changes
gradually take possession of Eveline
and paralyze her.
____________ "a bell clanged": Eveline realizes
something. God has answered her
prayers and has shown her what she
should do.
____________ "all the seas of the world": intense
emotions Eveline is experiencing
→ Eveline is under the effect of a
profound internal struggle, with the
weight of her decision causing a
great deal of emotional turmoil
within her.
____________ "like a helpless animal": comparing
the way Eveline remains still with
how an animal does when it freezes
→ Eveline looks at Frank with no
emotions, which shows that she
doesn’t want to go with him. In other
words, she is paralyzed by the fear of
venturing out with him.
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 He shows her how her life can become much better. He also shows her a way out and
a brighter future.
- Little Keogh the cripple: The ____________ of people in Dublin. Most of Dublin’s
dwellers at the time were “crippled”, immobile, paralyzed, and stuck in their own
monotonous maze with no way out. This detail is used as a portent of Evenline’s
eventual paralysis.
- The window: The ____________ between dream and reality. Whenever Eveline
thinks of the decision she has to make, she finds herself sitting by the window, looking
at the outside world. These times, the window serves as the barrier between the state
Eveline is in and the one she wants to be in.
- The dust:
+ The ____________ of Eveline's life: It reminds her of her life with endless
meaningless tasks of taking care of the house and the family. Every day, she
wakes up to do the same thing, then goes to sleep and wakes up doing those
things all over again.
+ The representation of her ___________________ about the past and the future:
The dust may seem harmless but it damages her little by little. No matter how
hard she tries to escape and forget about the past memories, they keep gathering,
stuffing her head, burdening her with responsibility, trapping her in her
religious beliefs as well as her promise to her mother, and imprisoning her
in them.
+ The death: On the outside, Eveline may look as if she is fine and can manage
her life. However, on the inside, her soul has been crushed to dust by all the
repressions that she has to put up with day after day. Furthermore, this image
reminds readers of the phrase “from dust to dust”, which also implies the
absence of ____________.
- The colours brown and red:
+ ____________: Tradition, security, and safety - the characteristics that are
associated with Eveline's early memories of Dublin. It may be full of
conventions but as she grows up there, she has become familiar with everything
there, and that gives her comfort and a feeling of safety.
+ ____________: Modernity, power, passion, and material possession - the
characteristics that are associated with the changes that have taken place
throughout the entire city. It represents a society that is undergoing major
changes, something that not many people are ready to accept and move along.
➔ The contrast between two colours is used to highlight the radical conversion in Dublin
and to show that some people, including Eveline, are not ready for this change and
they feel uncertain about it.
- The field: The ____________Eveline once had. When she was a child, the field was
her playground, where she can freely run around and enjoy herself.

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 - The bright brick houses: The ____________Eveline has to face. The field she used
to play with is now filled with “bright brick houses”, which symbolize the restrictions
imposed upon her and they are hard to break.
- The yellowing photograph with its broken harmonium:
+ The ________________________ represents how Eveline and the residents of
Dublin have lost their harmony and balance in their life. Eveline had lost her
mother, her brother, her friends, and most significantly, her courage and
independence.
+ The yellowing photograph of the nameless priest hung on the wall above the
broken harmonium contributes to emphasizing the loss, but this time it is the
loss of her father. He lost a friend who relocated to Melbourne, or worse, he
might lose his dream of leaving Dublin.
+ The broken harmonium as well as the yellow photograph of the priest together
symbolize the inability to let go of the past of Mr. Hill. He didn't throw them
away even though the harmonium was broken and that was merely a faded
photo of an unnamed priest who was no longer in Dublin. He kept it and it
became a familiar part of Eveline’s life. In a broader sense, it is similar to how
people in Dublin refuse to let go of the past and move on with the times,
resulting in their paralysis.
+ This photograph also illustrates how closely Eveline’s family is tied to the
church and their faith.
- The sea: The fear of the ____________. Eveline is surrounded by the vastness and the
gloom of the sea at night, the “full of soldiers with brown baggages” station as well as
the “black mass of boat”. All of them seem so bizarre and unfamiliar to her. Stepping
out of her comfort zone may not be as easy as she thought.
- The iron railing: The rigid structures that Eveline has been ____________to. The life
she is living in, though full of constraints and pressures, she is used to it and finds it
habitual. Therefore, she does not have the courage to risk leaving it behind for
something more adventurous.
- The blackthorn stick: The control of ____________. The blackthorn stick was the
clichéd weapon of the stage-Irishman, which is used by Joyce to symbolize Eveline’s
abusive and controlling behaviour towards her family. It also represents the patriarchal
society in which Eveline lives, where men have power and control over women.

Vietnamese parents' attitude towards children leaving home

In contemporary society, it has become usual for young adults to leave home for educational
or professional purposes. Therefore, parents in Vietnam totally accept it and even offer their
children financial and emotional support as they begin their own lives. Some parents also
encourage their children to do this since it is an opportunity for personal development and

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growth. Despite that, some people still take a dim view of children leaving home. They view
it as unpleasant and dangerous, so their children are obliged to live with them until they
marry.

What should we do if we ever feel like Eveline towards our family?

Conflicts are inevitable in our lives, so there must be at least one occasion we feel like we
do not belong in our family. Sometimes, the tension has reached such an extent that we
think of running away from home. At that point in time, this may seem like an ideal solution
since it is the fastest way out. However, the consequences this solution may reap are grave.
Therefore, there are other better ways of dealing with this issue.
First, start by reflecting on everything that has happened. You may want to ask yourself to
remember what you have done and what your parents have done in reaction to your actions.
More importantly, try to decide whether you have put yourself in your parents' shoes and
vice versa, as we tend to ask our parents to sympathize with us but we forget to do the same
thing. In the short story "Eveline", it is clear that there is no real conversation between
Eveline and her father, no one makes an effort in understanding why the other person does
something, so their problem may never be solved.

Therefore, the key to solving this tense feeling between you and your family is
communication. You can propose a family meeting, which is difficult to do but brings about
amazing results. Through this occasion, each member will have a chance to share their
thoughts and listen to each other, thus getting to the bottom of things and solving the
problem more thoroughly. This also sets the foundation for stronger familial bonds, as each
individual has understood and accepted other people. You can even find someone you trust
and tell them what you are going through. They can help you analyze and find the optimal
solution, or they can become an observer of your family meeting and offer the most
subjective solution.

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