Evelines Decision in James Joyces Dubliners Essay -- Joyce Dubliners

Evelines Decision in James Joyces Dubliners In the short story, Eveline, James Joyce introduces us to thelife of a young woman named Eveline. She has the luck to escape withFrank, the man she thinks she loves, to a faraway country in search of anew life. Instead, she decides to stay in the dreary and gloomy life shealready sleep togethers. To understand Evelines final decision to stay we have toanalyze the reasons that prevent Eveline from pursuing a better life. Herfear of the unknown the fact that she does not know Frank well enough andthe many attachments she has to her home, prompt Eveline to make herdecision. The first reason for Eveline to stay is that she is does not havethe courage to leave. She tries to convince herself that her life is not ?wholly undesirable,? but Joyce reveals how hard and undesirable her lifeactually is when he tells us that she ?felt herself in danger of herfathers violence.? She gets ?palpitations? because she is so afraid ofher own father. Although h e beats her and treats her badly, she stillthinks that ?sometimes he could be very nice,? just because she remembershim making her laugh once, and other time when he took care of her when shewas sick. These good memories astir(predicate) her father look insignificant comparedto what she has to do for him. Eveline also has to support themistreatments of her abusive father even when she is asking him for moneyto buy groceries. Especially on Saturday nights when he is ?usuallyfairly bad,? meaning he is drunk. Eveline alone asks herself if it iswise to leave. She thinks that at her home she has ?shelter and food shehad those whom ... ...irl, is protected by her mother.Memories make Eveline feel much emotionally attached to her home. Althoughher favorite brother, Ernest, is dead, she still cares about Harry. Shehas to many duties in the house. She has to take care of two children,take care of the house, and her abusive father. All because of the contractshe made to her dying mother t o ?keep the home together as long as shecould.? The love for her mother is too strong to break that promise. In conclusion Eveline chooses the odour of dusty cretonne over anew, but unknown life because the reasons for staying slightly overwhelmthe reasons for leaving. For this era her decision might seem bizarre oreven foolish but making that decision she does what is logical for thatepoch. Works CitedJoyce, James Dubliners, New YorkPenguin, 1993