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Eveline

 

            Feeling Uncertain in Joyce's "Eveline".
             In the short story "Eveline" written by James Joyce, Eveline leads a life with little happiness, and no dreams of a future. Eveline's life is controlled by her father's words and actions. He depends on her for everything, and shows her no affection. She has a chance to move away from all of this with a man (Frank) she feels would make her life happier. What is Eveline to do? Knowing she has this chance to leave her unhappy contolling life as well as the responsibility of maintaining her home she is a bit confused about the choice she is about to make. Eveline is so insecure about her choice for the future she is unsure what will make her happy, secure, and fearless; her father is a very intimidating man and Frank on the other hand is very loving and joyful, time is running out it's now or never for Eveline's choice to be made.
             Eveline's current situation is not the life which she wants to be living. She wants to feel secure, happy, and free. Eveline is in charge of all the duties in the home, along with her own job on top of it. She feels she does not get enough credit for all she does around the home. She looks at the life she could have with Frank and feels "people would treat her with respect then. She would not be treated as her mother had been" (4). Her mother passed away with only one wish: "a promise to keep the home together as long as she could" (6).
             Eveline is deathly afraid of her father. She is afraid of what her father thinks and how he would react about her outlook on life. This pushes her farther away from him than she already is. She thought so much of how her life with Frank could be. "Frank was very kind, manly, open-hearted" (5). These things about him made her feel appreciated and wanted all of the time. She was longing for this kind of life with no control and all the freedom a person could want. Frank knows what kind of life she has from her telling him and wanted her to go away with him and be happy with no worries.


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