Have you ever experienced the kind of awakening that hits you like a crashing wave? Out of nowhere, in that particular moment, you receive an epiphany. It can happen in different ways, take on various forms; a vision, a flash of insight, or an undeniable recognition. Still, the result will either be a spark to action or a state of paralyzation. This simple fact seems to be the main theme of James Joyce short story Eveline from the collection Dubliners (1914).
The short story is centered around the protagonist Eveline and her dilemma of whether she should stay in her somewhat dull current situation as an obedient daughter, or follow her lover across the ocean for a life that promises freedom, yet uncertainty. The story is told in the stream-of-consciousness …show more content…
The verbs by which she is accompanied are verbs of inaction; “She sat at the window [...]”, “She was tired.”, “[...] passive, like a helpless animal.” The theme of stagnation, however, is not reserved for how Eveline is presented, it is also shown in how Eveline thinks about her current life situation. For instance, when Eveline describes the change from her childhood compared to her adult life, “Still they seemed to have been rather happy then” followed by “That was a long time ago; she and her brothers and sisters were all grown up her mother was dead.” Barely no happy times are recalled in the story, but the sad moments are not given much time either, and perhaps this is mainly due to the fact that Eveline’s thoughts are generally dull. None are especially colourful or seem to be significantly …show more content…
For example, it is about in the middle of the story acknowledged that Eveline thinks “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.” Additionally, Eveline is struggling with the idea of letting go of the relationships she holds with her family members, as is seen when “The white of two letters in her lap grew indistinct.” This also sparks a series of happy memories she shares with her family members; a picnic, her father reading a ghost story, all further fueling Eveline’s inability to let go. However, the most obvious sign is Eveline’s promise to her deceased mother, “[...]her promise to keep the home together as long as she could.” Eveline twist and turns in her thought process, but except from the first epiphany and her memories of Frank, the reader is not truly given any indication that she deeply desires to leave her somewhat dull current
The short story is centered around the protagonist Eveline and her dilemma of whether she should stay in her somewhat dull current situation as an obedient daughter, or follow her lover across the ocean for a life that promises freedom, yet uncertainty. The story is told in the stream-of-consciousness …show more content…
The verbs by which she is accompanied are verbs of inaction; “She sat at the window [...]”, “She was tired.”, “[...] passive, like a helpless animal.” The theme of stagnation, however, is not reserved for how Eveline is presented, it is also shown in how Eveline thinks about her current life situation. For instance, when Eveline describes the change from her childhood compared to her adult life, “Still they seemed to have been rather happy then” followed by “That was a long time ago; she and her brothers and sisters were all grown up her mother was dead.” Barely no happy times are recalled in the story, but the sad moments are not given much time either, and perhaps this is mainly due to the fact that Eveline’s thoughts are generally dull. None are especially colourful or seem to be significantly …show more content…
For example, it is about in the middle of the story acknowledged that Eveline thinks “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.” Additionally, Eveline is struggling with the idea of letting go of the relationships she holds with her family members, as is seen when “The white of two letters in her lap grew indistinct.” This also sparks a series of happy memories she shares with her family members; a picnic, her father reading a ghost story, all further fueling Eveline’s inability to let go. However, the most obvious sign is Eveline’s promise to her deceased mother, “[...]her promise to keep the home together as long as she could.” Eveline twist and turns in her thought process, but except from the first epiphany and her memories of Frank, the reader is not truly given any indication that she deeply desires to leave her somewhat dull current