In the short story "Eveline" by James Joyce, the title character Eveline is fearful of making a
change in her life by moving with her boyfriend Frank from her homeland of Ireland and making a life with him in Buenos Ayres. Joyce illustrates that one of our most inherent qualities as humans and one that Eveline displays is that we are resistant to change. Through Eveline's relationships with her father, Frank and various peripheral relationships, Joyce demonstrates to us how Eveline has come to have certain beliefs about change.
There is overwhelming evidence in Eveline's life that change is good, yet she continues to resist it. Eveline saw her mother make many common sacrifices and give up her freedom of choice in everyday life. She learned, by looking back at her mother's life, that a life without adjustment, while not wholly undesirable, is in fact not a life of comfort. She contemplates her freedom to change. She could leave with Frank; maybe he would save her. However, in the end, she chooses the same path as her mother and, due to her fear, essentially squelches her own opportunity for change with a life of sameness.
Eveline's relationship with her father certainly adds to her fear of change. Her father tries to stop her from changing many times in her life. He demonstrates to her how he fears and thoroughly dislikes change of any kind. In her life as a young child he expresses his distaste for the changing demographic in their neighborhood, "Damned Italians!" Later, he discourages Eveline from growing into an independent woman by forcing her to fill some of the roles her mother used to fill such as caring for the house and shopping for and preparing the family's meals. He also discourages Eveline fro...
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...really want this much change? Change in language, change in climate, change in responsibilities, change in friends, change in career, change in family life and most likely a change to motherhood. So much change to acclimate to from making one decision. She clearly is scared to death of this much change in her life especially when this will happen mostly all at once.
Throughout Eveline's life, she has been an involuntary recipient of change. She has seen the
evidence of change being a good thing that she should embrace to avoid the mistakes and unhappiness that accompanies not doing so. Even with all of the evidence - she still chose not to change. She chose, as most people do in life, to remain the same. This is an inescapable, inherent part of being human, to be fearful of change and not embrace it, no matter what the price may be. She will never know.
The Changeable nature of life affects us all somehow. Whether it be moving to a new city, having children, or losing people that we love, it can affect people in many different ways. For example, in the novel, the main character Taylor Greer changes her name from Marietta and moves...
It is then understood that both sisters think differently about change. One is hostile towards it while the other seemed to welcome change for the greater part of the book, but retreated at the end. It appears as if the two girls are afraid of change and much rather live on their own than interact with other people. They seem to think that isolation is their best friend and keeps them safe from unwanted visitors.
In V for Vendetta, Evey Hammond is only ready to assist society in the creation stage of their revolution after undergoing her own transformation. At the beginning of the graphic novel, she is rescued through the death of her oppressors. This, just as the destruction of corrupt institutions, creates the space for freedom. V not only creates this space for both Evey and society but also calls them out of their passivity. Particularly, he challenges Evey to be stronger than her past because “[it] can't hurt [her] anymore, not unless [she] allows it” (). Furthermore, the government has turned her into a “victim” and a “statistic,” but she has the power to free herself (). It is Evey's responsibility to find such power within herself and become “forever changed” ().
she sees herself as a strong, independent woman, until all that she had built up becomes torn
The emotions throughout the society are shared with the individuals throughout their confusing times, and by their shared experiences. The times spent together of the characters brought the individuals closer together through the dark negative times, and through the light positive situations of society. The confusing part of peoples lives are brought together and are shown throughout the status of society. The stories of the “Encounter,” “Eveline,” and “The Dead” come together with similar experiences of situations of light and dark. The society bring the individuals closer together by shared times.
"Eveline" is the story of a young teenager facing a dilemma where she has to choose between living with her father or escaping with Frank, a sailor which she has been courting for some time. The story is one of fifteen stories written by James Joyce in a collection called "Dubliners". These stories follow a certain pattern that Joyce uses to express his ideas: "Joyce's focus in Dubliners is almost exclusively on the middle-class Catholics known to himself and his family"(the Gale Group). Joyce's early life, family background, and his catholic background appear in the way he writes these stories. "Where Joyce usually relates his stories to events in his life, there are some stories which are actually events that took place in his life" (Joyce, Stanislaus). James Joyce in his letter to Grant Richard writes:
Inevitably, her escape was against her father’s wish as he believed that she would not be capable of successfully making through this trip by herself. However, she shows autonomy after being left alone by a guardian set up by her father, half way through the journey, she was able to, she was able to fix this situation on her own. With minimal help, she makes it to the cottagers defining that she set her own path for the continuity of her life. This independence is also expressed in such ways where she teaches herself social and language aspects of the cottagers. She did not rely on Felix to help her make it through this new life. Therefore, giving herself the freedom to educate herself in order to survive in this new
She then made a video for herself explaining that when she can no longer answer the following questions in her phone: “what is the month of her birthday, what is her oldest daughters name, and what street does she live on,” she will need to follow these instructions. Her plan was to swallow a bottle of sleeping pills, lie down, and not tell anyone. While watching the “old” Alice on the screen give the “new” Alice advice the differences are clear. The “old” Alice was still wearing vibrant and warm colors, and for the most part she still had her memory and mindset together. The “new” Alice does not wear much color anymore, kind of sulks around which is understandable considering her state, and she doesn’t really smile or look happy anymore either. When looking at the two different Alices the changes are
It is obvious that Eveline is held accountable due to cultural expectations. Though, Eveline had the right mindset she just didn’t have the guzzlers to do so. Her father is an unreliable man. Her father cares so much about alcohol he is oblivious that he is pulling his kids away from him. Sadly, he seems to always find a way to her heart that leaves room for sympathy and fear when she engages in living for the better. Eveline only wanted one thing was to see her family but her father would not allow it. This leaves Eveline to suffocating thoughts she doesn’t cope with well. She will drive out thoughts that make her life distraught. Only strength she can be relied on is her imagination of escape. Eveline had been outcast as the weaker sex just like other women. Males role always were known as the aggressive type. During those time of years it was right for a man to be the head, the protector, and provider. Women tend to be the home overseers and they had no option but to cater to their husbands, provide food, stability, and care. In this time of gender expectation, women had no say so. They were the last resort for anything. As stated in her story, “This indifference or concealed hostility of
Eveline has always felt lonely ever since her mother’s death but especially now when there is nothing more she can do with her life but find someone to take her away and love her. Eveline’s desire for a better life seems like it may come true when she meets Frank who she thinks will take her away to Buenos Aires. When her chance comes along for her to leave with Frank she too pushes her chance away. She thinks that she no longer deserves a better life other than fulfilling her duties to her family and chooses to be alone for eternity.
...inds that she can be happy and content having her own life, without being treated like a doormat by others. She is finally truly happy with her life and the way it is going, except for one thing. Her life is complete when, after years of wondering about her sister, and then years of waiting, Nettie finally comes home, bringing “their” children, and Adam’s wife from Africa. As Celie puts it, “I feel a little peculiar around the children. For one thing, they grown. And I see they think me and Nettie and Shug and Albert and Samuel and Harpo and Sophia and Jack and Odessa real old and don’t know much what going on. But I don’t think us feel old at all. And us so happy. Matter of fact, I think this the youngest us ever felt.”(295) With her long lost sister, and her kids reunited with her after so much time, there really wouldn’t be any other way to feel besides young again, except for maybe an urge to make up for lost time. Now that she’s being treated like she should be, it should be easier to make up the time to her family, because she can be herself, and be happy about it. That’s saying a lot after all she’s been through, and Celie will surely make the best of her from this point on.
...ce is by leaving the dollhouse that has imprisoned her, so she leaves Torvald and her family in order to gain a sense of equality.
This shows that she doesn’t look at Frank as her love or husband. She just wants a way out and Frank is her only way out of the life she lives now. Eveline states that, “Frank would save her. He would give her life” (Joyce). This suggests that she just wants more life back into her isolated life.
In the majority of the story Eveline "sat at the window," (512) which parallels with her paralysis because she does not move. Eveline "was going to go away like the others" (512) because she was one of the only people left in Dublin from her childhood. However, Eveline doesn't go since she is trapped in her setting. Almost nothing in Eveline's setting ever changes throughout her life. The significance of Eveline looking around the room "reviewing all its familiar objects" (512) is that she "never dreamed of being divided" from them. All around her Eveline "had those she had know all her life about her" (512). Eveline is a product of her environment. The reader can see how the setting never changes, Eveline's life molds to it. This explains the reason for her not going away and starting a much happier life.
By not taking that opportunity, Eveline probably missed a life of exploration with Frank. Eveline would have had the chance to know what independence feels like and she would have had the chance to experience individual freedom. Instead, her life afterwards is a life of regret and imprisonment with her family. Being an only child, she is bound by her family’s actions and their duties. Eveline has taken on an incredible part of the burden in keeping the family together. Her father is an overbearing and unfair man who takes his daughters earnings for himself; and rather than appreciating her sacrifices, he ridicules her. As she now lives with her dad and her two brothers, she feels tired and frustrated with her dad’s commands and her everyday life. Everyday, she sadly waits for frank to come back into her life once again and fill her life with happiness. Eveline may possibily in the future live her freedom when her controlling father passes away, but perhaps it will become too late for her to experience the freedom she wanted.