Eveline By James Joyce: She Sat At The Window Watching The E

Eveline By James Joyce she Sat At The Window Watching The Evening Inva

Eveline by James Joyce SHE sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired. Few people passed. The man out of the last house passed on his way home; she heard his footsteps clacking along the concrete pavement and afterwards crunching on the cinder path before the new red houses.

One time there used to be a field there in which they used to play every evening with other people's children. Then a man from Belfast bought the field and built houses in it -- not like their little brown houses but bright brick houses with shining roofs. The children of the avenue used to play together in that field -- the Devines, the Waters, the Dunns, little Keogh the cripple, she and her brothers and sisters. Ernest, however, never played: he was too grown up. Her father used often to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick; but usually little Keogh used to keep nix and call out when he saw her father coming.

Still they seemed to have been rather happy then. Her father was not so bad then; and besides, her mother was alive. That was a long time ago; she and her brothers and sisters were all grown up her mother was dead. Tizzie Dunn was dead, too, and the Waters had gone back to England. Everything changes.

Now she was going to go away like the others, to leave her home. Home! She looked round the room, reviewing all its familiar objects which she had dusted once a week for so many years, wondering where on earth all the dust came from. Perhaps she would never see again those familiar objects from which she had never dreamed of being divided. And yet during all those years she had never found out the name of the priest whose yellowing photograph hung on the wall above the broken harmonium beside the coloured print of the promises made to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque.

He had been a school friend of her father. Whenever he showed the photograph to a visitor her father used to pass it with a casual word: "He is in Melbourne now." She had consented to go away, to leave her home. Was that wise? She tried to weigh each side of the question. In her home anyway she had shelter and food; she had those whom she had known all her life about her.

O course she had to work hard, both in the house and at business. What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run away with a fellow? Say she was a fool, perhaps; and her place would be filled up by advertisement. Miss Gavan would be glad. She had always had an edge on her, especially whenever there were people listening.

"Miss Hill, don't you see these ladies are waiting?" "Look lively, Miss Hill, please." She would not cry many tears at leaving the Stores. But in her new home, in a distant unknown country, it would not be like that. Then she would be married -- she, Eveline. People would treat her with respect then. She would not be treated as her mother had been.

Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father's violence. She knew it was that that had given her the palpitations. When they were growing up he had never gone for her like he used to go for Harry and Ernest, because she was a girl but latterly he had begun to threaten her and say what he would do to her only for her dead mother's sake. And no she had nobody to protect her. Ernest was dead and Harry, who was in the church decorating business, was nearly always down somewhere in the country.

Besides, the invariable squabble for money on Saturday nights had begun to weary her unspeakably. She always gave her entire wages -- seven shillings -- and Harry always sent up what he could but the trouble was to get any money from her father. He said she used to squander the money, that she had no head, that he wasn't going to give her his hard-earned money to throw about the streets, and much more, for he was usually fairly bad on Saturday night. In the end he would give her the money and ask her had she any intention of buying Sunday's dinner. Then she had to rush out as quickly as she could and do her marketing, holding her black leather purse tightly in her hand as she elbowed her way through the crowds and returning home late under her load of provisions.

She had hard work to keep the house together and to see that the two young children who had been left to her charge went to school regularly and got their meals regularly. It was hard work -- a hard life -- but now that she was about to leave it she did not find it a wholly undesirable life. She was about to explore another life with Frank. Frank was very kind, manly, open-hearted. She was to go away with him by the night-boat to be his wife and to live with him in Buenos Aires where he had a home waiting for her.

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James Joyce's short story "Eveline" evokes profound feelings of sympathy, tension, and reflection through its portrayal of Eveline's internal conflict and her environment. The narrative invites readers to contemplate themes of duty, escape, and the yearning for happiness against oppressive circumstances, which elicit a complex emotional response.

My initial reaction upon reading "Eveline" was a mixture of empathy and anguish. Eveline's life epitomizes the struggles faced by many women trapped in oppressive familial and societal roles. Her weariness from endless domestic chores, financial struggles, and the threat of violence resonates deeply, evoking feelings of sorrow for her lost childhood innocence and her oppressive current reality. Her desire to escape signifies a universal longing for freedom and happiness, conflicting with her sense of duty and loyalty to her family.

Joyce masterfully uses vivid imagery and subtle symbolism to portray Eveline's inner turmoil. For instance, her sitting at the window watching the evening invade the avenue symbolizes her hesitation and the boundary between her known world and the unknown future. Her memories of childhood innocence—the playing children, her mother, and her father—serve as poignant reminders of the life she might be leaving behind. The repeated references to dust and the photograph of the priest reflect the stagnation and religious influence shaping her worldview, emphasizing her internal conflict about breaking away from her roots.

The story also explores the oppressive environment of her home, characterized by violence, financial hardship, and emotional neglect. Eveline's fear of her father's violence and her reflections on her mother's sacrifice highlight her internal struggle—should she remain loyal and protect her family, or seek personal happiness? Joyce’s portrayal of her dilemma evokes sympathy and admiration, yet also underscores the tragic nature of her predicament. Her indecisiveness illustrates the overpowering nature of societal and familial bonds, which often hinder individual attempts at liberation.

The culmination of the story—her final decision to stay—instills a sense of tragic resignation. Eveline's paralysis, her inability to forsake her familiar life for the promise of love and freedom with Frank, serves as a powerful commentary on societal constraints, especially for women in early 20th-century Ireland. Her choice reflects a broader commentary on the sacrifices and compromises demanded by societal expectations and religious morality. As readers, we are left contemplating the cost of such conformity: lost opportunities, unfulfilled dreams, and the persistent constraints of tradition.

Emotionally, "Eveline" elicits feelings of frustration and sadness for her lack of agency, yet also respect for her internal strength—her recognition of the need to escape and her ultimate inability to act. The story touches on the universal human conflict between safety and risk, comfort and change, which can evoke introspection about one's own life choices and the societal pressures that influence them.

In conclusion, Joyce's "Eveline" serves as a compelling exploration of internal conflict and societal oppression. Its emotional depth and vivid imagery deepen readers' engagement and foster empathy for Eveline’s dilemma. The story remains relevant as it addresses themes of freedom, obligation, and the tragic paralysis that often accompanies impossible choices—a reflection of enduring human struggles with personal autonomy in the face of traditional expectations.

References

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