Eveline

1 Pages 277 Words

Summary

The short story „Eveline“, written by James Joyce in 1904 and published in 1914 as the fourth of fifteen short stories in „Dubliners“, deals with the problems of a young girl who isn’t able to leave home because of feelings of responsibility and obligation.
Eveline Hill is a 19-year old girl, who works in a department store in Dublin, where she is criticised and ordered around. Since the death of her mother she manages the household and cares for her two younger siblings. Having decided to leave Dublin and her family Eveline sits at the window one evening and considers if she acts the right way. Playing a special melody, a street piano player reminds Eveline of the promise she gave her dying mother, which says that Eveline would care for the family as long as she could. But Eveline also thinks about her mother’s sorrowful and self-sacrificing way of life, which ended in madness. She doesn’t want to suffer the same fate because her father often threatens her with violence and they always have arguments about the housekeeping money. After leaving two farewell letters for her brother Harry and father behind, Eveline walks to the harbour where her boyfriend Frank is waiting for her. He wants to sail with Eveline to Buenos Ayres, where they would marry and have their own home, what gives her the chance to start a new life. Arriving at the quay, where the ship is ready to take off, Eveline gets into an inner conflict and doubts the rightness of her decision. Asking god for help and clinging to the railing, she is not able to follow Frank and remains in Dublin....