Rhetorical Devices Used In Eveline

In James Joyce’s short story “Eveline”, James Joyce depicts Eveline, a young woman struggling to escape the pressures of her current life. Eveline has found a way to escape her current life through Frank, but when the time approaches, she seems to be unable to accept change. The author’s use of flashbacks, effective diction and rhetorical devices illuminate the theme of paralysis throughout the story. From the beginning of the story, James Joyce makes the paralysis of Eveline apparent. Eveline “sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue”, Joyce’s decision to use the word “invade” emphasizes Eveline’s paralysis. Invade carries a negative connotation; Eveline, like people affected by invasion, often have little control over …show more content…
When thinking of the life she will be leaving behind, Eveline begins to wonder if her decision to leave her home is the right decision. The rhetorical question employed by Joyce, “Was that wise?” introduces Eveline’s internal conflict, should she stay, or should she run away? Throughout the story, insight into Eveline’s mind allows the reader to see Eveline’s reasons for leaving versus her reasons to stay. As the story continues, flashbacks are continuously shared with the reader. Eveline recounts her past with Frank well, describing numerous occasions of interaction to provide imagery to the reader, however, the author’s word choice reflects a lack of emotion. Eveline describes Frank as “kind, manly, open-hearted” rather than loving, warm or passionate. Eveline’s paralysis is evident due to her inability to develop strong feelings towards Frank, because she was emotionally damaged by her father as a child, Eveline is unable to form meaningful relationships with …show more content…
The author employs flashbacks once again to remind Eveline of the promise she made to her mother upon her death bed to “keep the home together as long as she could”. Suddenly, Eveline’s paralysis seems to fall apart when Eveline is reminded of the unhappy life her mother lived being trapped in Ireland. Eveline decides to leave for Buenos Ayres with Frank because “He would save her”. When Eveline arrives to the North Wall station, the imagery created by the author depicts the scene for the reader. The boat is described as “the black mass”, this description makes Eveline appear to harness negative feelings towards the vessel and the use of “mournful” to describe the whistle illustrates the fear Eveline is feeling. Joyce’s uses phrases such as “pale and cold”, “white face” and “passive, like a helpless animal” to depict Eveline as lifeless and submissive while Frank is described as an animated character through the use of “rushed” “shouted at” and “called”. The author’s use of “seized” “ to describe Frank taking Eveline’s hand along with the use of “gripped” and “clutched”, illustrate Eveline’s inability to let go, Eveline cannot grasp hold of a better life because her past will always be holding her back.

James Joyce’s “Eveline” tells the story of Eveline, a young woman trapped within a life she desperately wants to escape