Eveline is a fascinating short story involving the love story of a girl with a boy named Frank. This story explains the relationship between the past and the future. Further, this writing provides an overview of challenges faced by humans in making important decisions.
This article will provide the following information:
- Author
- Characters
- Summary
- Analysis
- Themes
- Life Lessons
- Review
- Conclusion
Author
Eveline was written by James Joyce in the 20th century. He was a famous writer belonging from Ireland. You will get themes related to emotions and human psychology in his writings.
Characters
The story has the following characters:
Eveline
She is the protagonist in the story. James Joyce described her as a beautiful nineteen-year-old woman. She had to make a decision that would define her future.
Ernest And Henry
They both were Eveline brothers.
Frank
A sailor who was in love with Eveline.
Eveline Summary
James Joyce delivered a great lesson through this writing about making the right decisions. The plot of the story consists of a 19-year-old woman who was sitting near a road. Suddenly, she remembered her childhood. She started thinking about the place where she played with her brothers in childhood. She lived with her mother, father, and two brothers. Her elder brother Ernest died in the past.
Eveline Family
Further, her mother also left her. She was living with her father. He was a drunk and abusive man. He abused her whenever she asked for money. Henry was working in a church and barely visited the house. He only supports his family. Eveline started a sales job for the sake of financial stability.
Fell in Love
She fell in love with a man named Frank. He had a house in Buenos Aires. It’s the capital of Argentina. He was not loved by Eveline’s father. He wanted Eveline to stay away from her. Eveline decided to elope with Frank. They agreed that they would elope and start a new life.
Eveline Promise
Before the escape, a man came outside Eveline’s home. He was playing a sort of musical instrument. This sends Eveline back to the past. She remembered that the man had come years ago on the day when her mother died. She remembered the promise she had with her mother. She promised that she would take care of her family after her death.
These past events set challenges for Eveline. She had two options. One was to leave his house and elope with Frank. The Second was to stay and tolerate her abusive father for keeping her mother’s promise.
Eveline Choice
The story ends when Frank and Eveline are ready to enter in ship that is heading toward Buenos Aires. Eveline ran away from Frank and rushed back home while Frank traveled back to his house on the ship.
Analysis
This storybook provides about difficulties in decision-making. It was great for Eveline to go with her lover. She can start her new life. She can live freely without tolerating her abusive father. The only reason Eveline never joined Frank was the promise and duties offered to her. She preferred her mother over love. This was her responsibility to take care of her family. She was inspired by her mother.
- Further, Eveline struggle in making decisions exemplifies the stress between individual goals and social expectations. The writing style offered unique insights into Eveline’s thoughts.
Themes
I have concluded these themes from this story:
Paralysis
It’s a common element in Joyce’s works. He provided Dublin’s cultural setup by elaborating ‘Eveline’s issues in choosing options.
Duty And Desire
Eveline was stuck between these two things.
Emotions
Eveline was emotionally connected with her mother. She wanted to fulfill her last promise. She tolerated society’s pressure for the sake of her family.
Gender Roles
This story provides a short overview of the difficulties tolerated by women. They had several duties.
5 Life Lessons
- Take your decisions wisely. Eveline was worried about her new life with Frank.
- Society exerts a lot of pressure on individual decision-making. Readers should listen to their hearts.
- Women should live freely. They should leave abusive people.
- Know your duties and fulfill them.
- Never sacrifice your wish to make society happy.
Review: Why You Should Consider This Story?
James Joyce mentioned the Dublin of the 20th century in this writing. He highlighted the challenges faced by women at that time in making decisions. This concept made me fall in love with it.
Conclusion: Eveline By James Joyce Summary
Eveline by James Joyce involves the difficulties faced by a girl named Eveline in choosing between her family and lover. She lived with an abusive father for the sake of her duty and the promise. On the other, she wanted to start a new life but social expectations pressurized her. This story discusses the complexities faced by women in the world.
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