themes of eveline story of jamce joyces

James Joyce was a famous and influential writer of the 20th century in Irish. With a complex style, reinvention of language, most famously stream-of-consciousness, he was very well-known and successful. The novel “ Dubliners ” and ”Ulysses", "Finnegans Wake" are landmark writings for his achievement. Nonetheless, his work was heavily criticized at the time of publication, and his modernist epic Ulysses was banned in Britain and America for over a decade due to obscenity. Eveline, in Dubliners, at the time Ireland was under the control of Great Britain, and the Nationalist movement. Eveline is likewise mainly centered on women's roles in twentieth-century Dublin. It analyzes the relevance of Joyce's exploration of sexuality and nationalism. The first theme in the “Eveline” story is paralysis and inaction. In “Eveline”, we easily recognize the inability to make courageous decisions because Eveline is going to make a new life with her lover, Frank; nevertheless, she reaches port but is not permitted to board the ship. She is crippled at the point in her life when everything can be changed with a sole step, and she refuses to take it. Her psychological paralysis is the result of her nostalgic thoughts and the men's incredulity that she has witnessed. She does not leave maybe because of her responsibility towards her family, or she knows men use violence to abuse women, and she is afraid it may happen to herself in Buenos Ayres, where Frank takes her there. This stalemate is also a product of the British's long colonial control, which has caused the Irish to lose faith in themselves. Moreover, she is apprehensive about the new conflicts she may face. “She set …or recognition”. She prays to God can help her, “she prayed to God …her duty”. She feels powerless, this is also one of the reasons for her inaction. In the second theme ”Escapism and Exotic”, after deciding to leave, she imagines the future with Frank. Because Eveline is tired of the difficulties and the dreary life she is living. She wants to get out of her current circumstances, and she plans to flee to Argentina to do so. She isn't appreciated here, and she wants to be. She wants to marry Frank so that she can be respected. However, there is an internal conflict in her mind. “If she went… steaming towards Buenos Aires”. Argentina is a distant unknown country, and people won’t judge her for her past. This is an allusion to her past sex-related behaviors, in which she may have had some shades that she wants to reject. Eveline believes that escaping will solve all of her issues. The concept appeals to her, but she can not make a decision, she is unable to do so because it is a difficult struggle. Apparently, the writer advises that trying to flee does not always work out well, and it can even make things worse. In addition, in Dubliners, rare chance to escape, so many readers are looking forward to escaping and making the daring decision from the writer. The following theme is "women and society". In the 20th century, the role of women are not appreciated. Whether she realizes it or not, external social pressures have a significant impact on her decisions. Society makes her have a wrong awareness about herself, and so she feels powerless. Therefore, Eveline’s looking for a man who can emotionally and physically support her and fill the hole in her life. She finds it in the person of Frank, but her cynicism about him prevents her from shattering the bindings; But, in the end, she realizes that she does not trust and truly loves Frank. Because of suffering violence from her father, Eveline feels like she is becoming her mother. ” As she mused… in final craziness”. She does not dare to rise because neither does her mother, and she follows in her mother's footsteps, making her a conformist rather than a rebel. This is a trap that will not be broken unless a woman opposes this mentality and regards herself as equal to men. The fourth theme is “The many forms of death”, the death is described both literally and figuratively. Literally, as when Eveline names the persons who have died in her life, and figuratively, in several other life events that become metaphors for death. Eveline describes her life as brighter than before her mother's death. She also describes those who left Dublin and never expresses any strong feelings about these happenings. From this, it is possible to deduce a meaning, which is that those who leave Dublin death. She fears this thing that if she leaves, she understands that she will be effectively "dead" to those she leaves behind, this reason makes her change decisions. Marriage is also a metaphor for death, she describes she will lose her identity and Frank takes it, become her master, and she will "drown" in unknown seas. At that time, women lost all of their rights and liberties when they married, so marriage might be equated to slavery. Joyce means that if Eveline leaves, her life will be death. Life in Dublin means death when Dubliners do not make their decision, they have to live a life they do not want, and they are entrapped. Therefore, they are dead. The last theme in "Eveline" is Catholic values and confinement. Eveline desires freedom, but in the end, she stays. The reason for failing to escape Eveline is her Catholic background. Catholicism teaches guilt, sacrifice, and promises; therefore, she thinks she needs to take responsibility for her duties caring for her family. In the end, she resolves to give up her future and freedom for the sake of her family, and God will bless her for it. Catholicism teaches to keep promises, and her pledge to her mother binds her to stay at home, and she would be committing a sin if she did not. In addition, to keep her promises to God, she abandoned her plan to run away with Frank. In order not to feel guilty to God, to herself, she gives up her plan and it is clear that her religion engulfs her rather than liberates her. Hence, Catholicism not only is a significant part of Eveline's life but also was the dominant religion in the twentieth century, Ireland; and it takes away one’s peace of mind. Moreover, Catholicism is a large role in her inability to leave, she decides to stay. Consequently, the role of religion in exploitation and oppression in individuals or society is obvious. To sum up, James Joyce brings the theme of memory, responsibility, choices, fighting, fleeing, guilt, and letting go. Hence, it emphasizes the role of women in 20th Century Dublin, they are not respected and restrained. Moreover, they feel powerless, along with their emotions and nostalgia prohibiting her from making a rational and balanced conclusion. Simultaneously, old ideologies and societies bind Eveline, it makes her not confident to decide anything because of her debilitating inertia. Therefore, women should know how to reclaim their right to life and confidently make choices in life.