How Does James Joyce Use Flashbacks In Eveline

“Eveline” is the story of a girl who is unable to move forward in life. No matter what she does, she finds herself paralyzed and stuck living the unfortunate life she believes she is destined. The short story, written in 1914, is the fourth short story in a collection written by James Joyce called “Dubliners.” Each story in the collection portrays a part of the life of a middle-class family living in Dublin, Ireland in the 1900s. “Eveline” depicts the story of a young girl, Eveline, who is reminiscing about her life and family and questioning her future following the deaths of her older brother and mother. Many literary devices are applied in the story as a way to improve the readers understanding and appreciation of the work. In “Eveline,” James Joyce uses flashbacks, motif, and conflict to convey the meaning of the short story. First, flashbacks are used consistently throughout the story. Flashbacks are devices create a scene that takes place in the past and provide insight to the reader. Flashbacks are used consistently throughout “Eveline” and serve many purposes. Eveline reminisces about her life throughout a majority of the story, but one major flashback describes her relationship with her job at the Stores. When Eveline worked at the Stores, Miss Gavan would always tell her to “look lively” and remind her that there are customers waiting (Joyce). This flashback gives the reader a glimpse into Eveline’s daily life and job. This is important, because Eveline is contemplating leaving her home, so she must first think of …show more content…
Eveline is unable to move on in life and continues to be stuck in a life she does not necessarily want. She believes she is destined to live an unfortunate life like her mother did, and her actions reflect