The story “Eveline”, which is written by James Joyce, opens in a seemingly nostalgia but when it ends, the heroine is stricken with a suddenly frenzy of distress.

The fist part of the story is unfolded with Eveline’s thought from the present back to the past memories, or forth to the dream of future. Even we are only able to see the action and plot from Eveline’s relatively subjected angle version, we still get a general picture of what is happening in our heroine’s life and her flow of thought.

Eveline’s happiness is largely from her carefree childhood. Now, its fragrance has turned into odor of dusty cretonne, mixed with the stale smell of her presents, she works hard in the house and at business, where she is constantly found fault with. She also felt in danger of her father’s violence; with no one can protect her. “The invariable squabble for money” wearies her unspeakably. She is insecure and mentally oppressed by the menial burdens necessitated by survival.

Since she meets sailor Frank, a lot of variety has been injected into her bored life. It is the excitement at first and gradually grows into fondness and love. Frank at least give her a ch

Eveline lived a hard life, arduous, boring and hopeless. But she still thinks that she has the right to happiness. Maybe that is what the modern human existence like in Author’s eyes. The outside world is a cage, with invisible bars, whereas the inner self longs for freedom. The conflict between this two are intense and central to the human survival. Frank’s exoticism fascinates Eveline and wins her heart. Than is true of human behavior to some extent. People like things sometime because they are different not because they are good. When a person’s life offers in monotony, a change will be very desirable. Eveline looks forward to exploring a foreign life with Frank, free from all the weariness that she has undergone for so long.

ance to breath freely and heartily out of the suffocating life. But her father forbids her to see him, probably because of the stereotype image of sailors. Finally she decides to elope with Frank, which seems to be the only solution of all.

Why does Eveline draw back after all that Frank has done for her? Some says Franks may be a deceiver and it is wise for her to stay. It can be true but beside the point. What stops Eveline? “All the sea of the world tumbled about her heart. He was drawing her into them: he could draw her.” The noise surrounding suggests to her a threatening uncertainty. Her present is agonizing enough. The future might be better of even worse, in an alien country with a lover who was a total stranger. The challenge of the future projects a light and shadow on Eveline’s heart. She doesn’t know what she should do. The light in her conscious is devoured by the dark shadow in her subconscious. According to Freud, the

Some topics in this essay:
James Joyce, Freud Subconscious, Frank Franks, Human Existence, modern human, odor dusty cretonne, modern human existence, blame cage birds, odor dusty, cage birds, story “eveline”, blame cage, human existence, dusty cretonne,