In his 1914 short story, “Eveline,” James Joyce tells the story of a young girl facing a difficult decision. Throughout this story, Eveline must decide to leave the country with her love or continue to live in Ireland with her siblings and their abusive father. James Joyce writes this story in order to encourage his fellow Irishmen to flee the country and to break free of their stagnant situation. Joyce does this by comparing the men fleeing to the young girl deciding whether or not to leave her abusive father. Joyce shows how Eveline was paralyzed because of her father’s abuse, through Eveline 's memories of her father. The first way in which Joyce brings Eveline’s abusive father to the light, is when Joyce points out that the father used
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Joyce writes that Eveline, “remembered her father strutting back into the sickroom saying: ‘Damned Italians! Coming over here!’” (15). With this memory, Joyce is showing the reader the overall lack of love that the father has for not only his dying wife, but also his children. Her father seems to be more concerned with Italian immigrants rather than his sickly wife. The reader can imply that since her mother’s death, Eveline has not had a strong, loving parent in her life, but instead she has had an emotionally abusive father. This kind of emotional abuse, which stems from the lack of love and support, wears down on Eveline, and causes her to think about starting a new life. Her father 's abuse, however, has left her stuck in this situation, because she is afraid that if she were to leave, she might never be loved, but at least at home in Ireland, she has her brother. The abuse Eveline suffers leads her to ponder the pros and cons of leaving Ireland. However, this same abuse leaves Eveline paralyzed in her situation; she is frozen and feels as if she cannot leave. She has been physically, emotionally, and mentally abused to the point of not believing in herself any longer. James Joyce uses Eveline’s memories to depict the severity of her abuse, and these memories also prove how the abuse has left Eveline paralyzed in her stagnant
Joyce writes that Eveline, “remembered her father strutting back into the sickroom saying: ‘Damned Italians! Coming over here!’” (15). With this memory, Joyce is showing the reader the overall lack of love that the father has for not only his dying wife, but also his children. Her father seems to be more concerned with Italian immigrants rather than his sickly wife. The reader can imply that since her mother’s death, Eveline has not had a strong, loving parent in her life, but instead she has had an emotionally abusive father. This kind of emotional abuse, which stems from the lack of love and support, wears down on Eveline, and causes her to think about starting a new life. Her father 's abuse, however, has left her stuck in this situation, because she is afraid that if she were to leave, she might never be loved, but at least at home in Ireland, she has her brother. The abuse Eveline suffers leads her to ponder the pros and cons of leaving Ireland. However, this same abuse leaves Eveline paralyzed in her situation; she is frozen and feels as if she cannot leave. She has been physically, emotionally, and mentally abused to the point of not believing in herself any longer. James Joyce uses Eveline’s memories to depict the severity of her abuse, and these memories also prove how the abuse has left Eveline paralyzed in her stagnant