Dubliners; Eveline by James Joyce

 'James Joyce explores the internal conflict that paralyzes his female protagonist, Eveline through the Dubliners' Discuss.

Irish novelist, James Joyce whom contributed to the modernist avant-garde movement and is regarded as one of the most influential and important writers of the 20th century; composed Eveline as a portrait of a young woman torn between her obligations to stay and look after her kinfolk or escape with her lover to a new life across the sea, and this struggle is developed intricately and realistically through the Dubliners.

This is the crisis in the story “Eveline” where Eveline Hill is uncertain if she should flee with her newfound lover, Frank or stay at home. The entire story is Eveline convincing herself that going is the best option, but also that staying is the best option; her internal struggle leads her to decide to stay at home. James Joyce establishes the themes of epiphany, stream of consciousness and Irish social conditions emigration and the central theme of moral paralysis and explores the paralysis that entraps people in Dublin and prevents them from triumphing their goals and desires; instead of actively trying to surmount the obstacles that stand in their way, they relent in pursuing their targets altogether. A personality trait shared by most of the characters throughout the novel that acts both as a cause and as a result of this paralysis is passivity, namely in women. The protagonist; Eveline  faces many dynamics throughout her life that lead her to have an internal conflict with herself on whether or not she should leave her home. The issues she faces includes the depressing nature of the surroundings she nurtured in, the opportunity that lies in front of her, and so do the reasons she stays anchored to her home. Consequently Eveline represents the common sentiments of Dubliners as she feels obligated to stay in Dublin and fulfill her responsibilities and keep her promise to keep the house together, but she also feels that she should have the right to pursue her own happiness, rather than always attending to the needs of others and is deeply religious and continually prays to God, asking for guidance with her difficult decision. She feels perpetually powerless over her situation, and looks to either God or Frank to save her. Accordingly in my standpoint, James Joyce explores the core conflict that paralyzes Eveline through the Dubliners; particularly Eveline is a representative of Dubliners as she demonstrates the inability to break free from the judgmental and social boundaries that confine her from her own euphoria.

“Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. “

The evening is invading; Eveline is already paralyzed, immobile, static at the very opening of the story; foreshadowing the future events that are to occur. As a young woman of about nineteen years of age; she muses on the aspects of her life that are driving her away. Her head ‘was leaned’; as if her head was enforced to lean by an invisible force; sequencing to demonstrate a symbolic of motionlessness. The use of passive voice illuminates Eveline’s own passivity and immobility.  The odour of the heavy fabric enveloping the furniture was invading Eveline’s nostrils. Accordingly an image of invasion, of infiltration, of violation is established. Noticing that Eveline places herself after the Devines, the Waters, the Dunns and little Keogh the cripple; Eveline establishes her rank at the end of the line; implicating her sense of abysmal self-esteem. ‘Eveline’ explores the relationship between the past and the future by examining a single person’s attitude to their life in Dublin. Eveline sits and reminisces about this blissful time from her childhood. And this brings us to one of the most difficult aspects of Joyce’s story to analyze and pin down. Is it this nostalgia for old Ireland – embodied by her childhood memories – that prevents her from emigrating with Frank? Eveline typifies the difficulties faced by many Dubliners at the time. Joyce depicts her current existence as dull, uninspiring, even oppressive, with her abusive father highlighting the idea that the older generation needs to be cast off if young Ireland is to forge itself into a new nation. Even the good aspects of the old Ireland, such as Eveline’s mother and her older brother Ernest, are dead and gone. Accordingly Eveline elaborates in my perspective Joyce’s interest in this relationship and belief that Ireland – which habitually had a custom of nostalgically looking backwards and holding onto the past, succeeds in exploring the internal conflict paralyzing Eveline through the Dubliners common aspects of being entrapped in the past.

“Everything changes”

Eveline comes to accept life's vagaries. Indeed, things around her do seem about to alter. Now she was going away like the others, to leave her home and elope with a sailor. Eveline is fearful of making a change in her life; of making a commitment to her boyfriend Frank by leaving 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, Nostalgia plays a large role in Eveline’s decision to stay as well. She is attached to the past, and even though the people from her past are long gone, she cannot bring herself to leave the city that she associates with them. Joyce demonstrates to us how Eveline has come to have certain beliefs about change. While everything change is a common theme in this story, we as humans are generally fearful of it and Eveline is no exception. The story depicts the typical Irish middle class life. During this time period, there was a very negative morale. England was still in control of Ireland and the people of Ireland were very bitter. The Irish women in James Joyce’s Dubliners are generally passive characters; they accept the circumstances they are under and don’t actively try to change them if they are unhappy. Thus it emerges to me that Eveline doesn’t take the opportunity to explore a new, unfamiliar life and escape her mundane routine Dublin; ‘Everything changes’ yet it is satirical that Eveline; the Dubliners’ mindset doesn’t change.

“A hard life-but now she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life”

In this short story, James Joyce establishes the theme of paralysis through the symbolism of Eveline’s parents and diction to reveal her ambivalent feelings towards leaving home. To begin, the theme of paralysis evolved in the story through the symbolism of her parents, which is why she is unsure if she should elope. Eveline has a logical thought process as she considers her options. She observed her father’s violence toward her mother and brothers growing up, and resolves to leave so she will not end up in the same situation. At the same time she knows that both her father and the children she takes care of are relying on her, but also reasons that she deserves to pursue her own happiness. Despite this logic, her emotions kick in and she begins to feel guilty for leaving them. She is also influenced by her fear of the unknown. She admits that her current life is tough, but now that she is making plans to leave, Eveline starts to think about all of the good things and the certainty that her current life provides, finding it not a completely adverse life. James Joyce establishes the theme of paralysis through the symbolism of Eveline’s parents and diction to reveal her ambivalent feelings towards departing home. To begin, the theme of paralysis evolved in the story through the symbolism of Eveline’s parents, she is unsure if she should leave with her boyfriend Frank and why she questions her motives for leaving. Eveline’s parents had a contentious relationship which causes Eveline to question whether her relationship with Frank may end out the same. She sometimes felt herself in danger of her father’s violence. Throughout the story, Eveline thinks about how her parents’ relationship may parallel to her own life. She is worried that leaving her father behind may devastate him when she seems to still be scared of him. She is trapped between leaving and staying, displaying the theme of paralysis. Knowing that her father did not treat her mother well, she believes it could be different between her and her father.

“She must escape. Frank would save her”

Frank, a symbol for freedom and liberty; but, an idealized and unknown image that can’t guarantee its outcome. Eveline ponders changing the course of her life and exploring the unfamiliar in Buenos Ayres with Frank, and towards the end of the story encounter with an epiphany. She oddly finds a comforting familiarity in Dublin, pursuing the same mundane routine every day and being submissive to her drunken father’s orders, in finale; ultimately abandons Frank. Eveline’s inability to make a decision, a sort of mental paralysis, results in actual physical paralysis at the end of the story as she stands outside watching Frank board the ship but cannot bring herself to join him; standing at the dock, facing Frank; passive, like a helpless animal. She stands tongue tied; emphasizing the overpowering influence passivity manipulates her personality. Joyce’s use of perspective and his characteristic stream-of-consciousness style allow the reader to see Eveline’s thought progression clearly as she contemplates running away to Argentina with Frank. Women in James Joyce’s Dubliners are generally submissive characters; they accept the circumstances they are under and don’t actively try to change them even if they’re unhappy; illustrating this personality trait is Eveline; who doesn’t take the opportunity to explore a fresh, unaccustomed life and escape her dull routine in Dublin and attempt to escape the paralysis gender confines that cage her. Through her incapability to make a decision, she inadvertently decides to stay behind in Dublin. She doesn’t distinguish herself from the static objects that surround her. At the end of the story when she has the opportunity for epiphany; to realize her human freedom and spontaneity, she imitates the inertia of inactive objects.

Hence James Joyce composed the Dubliners; Eveline analyzing a cross section of the Dublin society; use of Eveline’s perspective as a Dubliner and his characteristic stream-of-consciousness style allow the reader to see her thoughts progressing clearly as she contemplates running away with her lover. Eveline’s inability to make a decision, a sort of mental paralysis, results in actual physical paralysis at the end of the story as she stands outside watching Frank board the ship but can’t bring herself to escape from her suffocating home. Through her inability to make a decision, she inadvertently decides to stay behind in Dublin. Eveline has a logical thought process as she considers her options. She witnessed her father’s violence towards her mother and brothers growing up, and resolves to leave so she’d not end up with the same fate. At the same time she knows that both her father and the children she takes care of are relying on her, but also reasons that she deserves to pursue her own happiness. Despite this logic, her emotions kick in and she begins to feel guilty for leaving them. She is also influenced by her fear of the unknown. Eveline’s religion also further perpetuates the idea that someone else, another male figure, can save her, and that she perhaps does not need to make an active decision. But this feeling of helplessness, however rooted in women’s roles and society, is also part of the reason Eveline is unable to take control of her destiny and make a decision. She has grown up in a society where she is powerless and needs someone to save her, and so she is unable to claim ownership of her own fate. Her sense of powerless, along with her emotions and nostalgia, prevent her from making a decision based on logic and perspective. In my aspects, Joyce seemly wants to demonstrate Dubliners extremely attached to the past attitude restrains them from achieving their jubilation; therefore he incorporates the theme of moral paralysis which is inflicted upon Eveline; a common Dubliner which leads her to her internal conflict. Thus it can be acclaimed that James Joyce explores the internal conflict that paralyzes his female protagonist, Eveline through the Dubliners