Eveline: James Joyce

 

Story: Eveline by James Joyce

About the Story Writer

James Joyce

James Joyce (1882–1941) was an Irish modernist writer known for his influential contributions to literature. Born in Dublin, he gained recognition with "A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man" (1916). His masterpiece, "Ulysses" (1922), is celebrated for its complex narrative techniques and linguistic innovation. Joyce's final work, Finnegans Wake (1939), is known for its dense, multilayered prose. Despite financial challenges and health issues, Joyce's impact on literature remains significant, and he is regarded as a pioneering figure in modernist literature. He passed away on January 13, 1941, in Zurich, Switzerland.

 Characters in the Story

Eveline

Eveline is a nineteen-year-old girl. She is a resident of Dublin and is abused by her father. She has spent a miserable life after the death of her mother. She faces domestic abuse, and there is nobody to help her, so she decides to flee from her home with Frank, who is her boyfriend.   

Eveline’s Father

Eveline’s father is a drunkard and abuses his daughter. He takes all her pay from her on weekends and domestically abuses her. It was he who made the life of his wife a hell and now is doing the same with his daughter. 

Eveline’s Mother

Eveline’s mother is a miserable character like Eveline. She has spent a wretched life, but like typical women, she is the one who still takes care of her husband. She is the one who has accepted the hierarchy in the family and recognizes her husband as sovereign and higher in rank than her. 

Miss Gavan

Miss Gavan is Eveline’s boss and is an irritable character. She seems to have psychological problems and takes pleasure in humiliating others. She is a typical woman who enjoys gossiping about others and is a nasty person, as described by Eveline’s thoughts. 

HARRY

Harry is Eveline’s brother and stays away from home due to his work. He is a church decorator and keeps moving throughout the country. He is an obedient son and often sends money to his father. Unlike his elder brother, he is not much liked by his sister, and it can be inferred that he is also an accomplice in maintaining male dominance.

ERNST

He is Eveline’s elder brother and has died. She shows her love for him, and this suggests that he cared for her and was different from the rest of the family members. There are some implicit indications of his being maltreated in the example when his father comes to beat him when he sees him playing. 

Frank

Frank is Eveline’s lover and is a sailor on a ship. He has left his homeland, Ireland, and has naturalized in Buenos Ayres, Argentina. He has come back to Ireland on a short trip and courts Eveline. They think about getting married. He takes her on picnics and takes care of her. He is a young and adventurous man, 

The Priest

The Priest’s picture is hung in Eveline’s home. He is her father’s friend, and when somebody comes to their home, he tells him/her about him that he has left for Australia. In the Irish liberation movement, the church played the role of the accomplice of the oppressors, and this picture probably represents the colonial forces who have left to colonize new lands. 

Main Plot of the Story

"Eveline" tells the story of a young Dublin woman caught between her past and the prospect of a new life. The narrative discovers the struggle many women faced in early 20th-century Dublin: choosing between a familiar but difficult domestic life and the possibility of a better future abroad. Eveline faces conflicting emotions, torn between leaving for a new life with Frank and staying rooted in family obligations. Despite momentarily considering change, she retreats to the safety of routine, fearing the repetition of her mother's sacrifices. The story ends with Eveline shocked by indecision, returning to a life of mindless repetition, symbolizing a missed opportunity for a more fulfilling existence. 

Summary of the Story

The protagonist of the story, Miss Eveline Hill, is sitting near a window. She is thinking about her escape plan with an Irish sailor, Frank, who has settled in Buenos Ayres. She is nineteen years old and works at a local store. She looks from the window to the street outside. The smell of dust is prevalent in the air, and she wonders where all this dust comes from. The street is empty, and there are no people seen coming or going. She looks across the street and remembers the field that was there in place of the bright brick houses. She recollects how she, her brothers, their neighbors’ children as Keogh, Devines, Waters, Dunns, etc., used to play with them, and her father would come there to keep them away. Then, the field was bought by a person from Belfast, and he built the bright brick houses there. Thus, they lost their playground. 

Character: Eveline

She remembers it was long ago, and now everything has changed. It was the time their mother was alive, and their father was kind to them. Her brothers were there at home, and the elder one was alive. The kids with whom they played were no more there; some had left for other countries and some for their homelands like Waters, who were from England. Everything had changed, now she thought it was her time to change her life like others. She had decided to leave her home. She looked around at everything at home, and with each article there, she had memories attached. She had cleaned this place many times and had never thought to part with all these. She looked at the portrait of the priest hanging on the wall and remembered he was his father’s friend and now was in Melbourne. She had decided to leave her home, but she was still thinking about its consequences. She thought that it would be fair to leave it this way, or what will people say if she leaves home. With this, the memory of Miss Gavan, her boss at the store where she was working, came to her mind. She remembered how she never missed any chance to scold her. She had emotionally wrecked Eveline through her incessant scolding, and Eveline could hardly control the tears coming out of her eyes.

She thought that if she left, she would have to work hard to make her value in the new country. Though she would lose her respect for her, there she will lead a happy and respectful life being the wife of Frank. She would have someone who will love her and care for her. She remembers her abusive father, who, after the death of her mother, had become a devil. He was a drinker and spent Harry’s and her money on drinking. He would take all her week’s earnings, which was seven shillings, from here on Saturday night. He has been violent to her mother, and she has spent a miserable life. At her deathbed, she had uttered some nonsense words which she couldn’t understand and had become terrified. She had asked her to promise to take care of her family. After her death, her situation worsened, and she had a miserable life, which she has now decided to change by leaving home. 

She started thinking about Frank, who had come to change her life. Initially, they met openly, but later, when her father came to know, she told her not to meet him ever. Her father quarreled with Frank and threatened him if he met his daughter. He was suspicious of the sailors and spoke badly of Frank. People around knew that she and Frank had an affair; they were courting each other. He used to sing her songs, and that pleased her. He used to take her to different places, and they had visited ‘The Bohemian Girl’ together. She had written two letters, one to her father and another to Harry. This was to let them know that she was doing better. She again remembered her father, who had become irritable with the passage of time, and took care of her when she once fell ill. She heard an Italian who was playing music, and that reminded her of her mother’s last days.

The idea of her mother’s last days terrified her, and she stood up to leave for the station. She arrived there and could see many people coming and going. There she found the ship that was bound to take her and Frank. Frank was there, and the ship was blowing the whistle. He held her hand, asking her to come on board. Her thoughts were busy, and she couldn’t decide. She thought as if this ship would drown her, and she decided to stay. Frank kept calling her, but she stayed intact to the railing, having refused to go.

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