Saturday, October 19, 2013

What is Eveline's home life like in Joyce's "Eveline"?

is one of
"the tragic Irish." Caught in a repressive environment to which she eventually
surrenders pitiably, Eveline feels trapped.

Looming over Eveline is the
yellowing photograph of the priest--suggestive of moral corruption--and the colored print of
Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque, to whom Eveline has promised to care for her younger brother.
Burdened with this obligation, Eveline also must endure the violence of her father. When she was
younger, he went after her brothers, but now that they are gone, he has begun to threaten her.
Further, on Saturdays Eveline is forced to hand over to her father the money she earns from
working under the oppressive Miss Gavan at the Stores. Then, later, when her father comes home
from the pub, he finally gives her money so she is forced to rush to the market before it
closes.
In addition to her working hard at her job, there is much for Eveline to do at
home: She must cook and clean, along with caring for two young children left to her
charge. 

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 is tempted to go with a young man with whom she is in love, but
her oppressive father has forbidden her to see him. Having seen her man secretly, Eveline
contemplates escape from her oppressive life with her sailor. At the same time, however, Eveline
remembers the promise to her mother to "keep the home together as long as she could"
and to Blessed Margaret Mary Alacoque  to take care of her young brother; consequently, because
of the stormy, violent home life she has, she is torn between running away from this home-life
and staying to struggle with it. 

No comments:

Post a Comment

How is Joe McCarthy related to the play The Crucible?

When we read its important to know about Senator Joseph McCarthy. Even though he is not a character in the play, his role in histor...