In the story of "Eveline" from Dubliners, do you think that Frank is real or a figment of Eveline's imagination?

The
question of whether or not Frank is real or imagined in s short story , (from ) may be
plausibly argued either way. I would recommend you reread the story and note details carefully
as you gather evidence to support the position you are inclined to take. Here are some ideas to
help you get started.

This short story takes the reader deeply into the mind
of Eveline, setting a tone that at first suggests that we may be visiting whatever resides in
her imagination--including a mode of escape from her dreary existence. As the story opens,
Eveline looks out the window and although the reader is immersed in her thoughts, it is
important to note that she holds two good-bye letters on her lap--one for her father and the
other for her only surviving sibling, Harry, who does not often live in the family home. The
fact that Eveline has gone through the effort of writing these letters of farewell suggests to
me that sailor Frank is not just a flight of fancy, but a real beau who wants to take her with
him to Buenos Ayres.

The assortment of feelings that pull Eveline in the
opposite directions of staying or going are brilliantly portrayed by Joyce. Obligation, guilt,
codependent ties to an alcoholic father, promises made to a dying mother, and the security of
what she already knows play tug-of-war with the possibility of a new and exciting life where she
might gain the status and respect of being a wife. Is Eveline being pulled away by the forces of
love, as one might expect in the case of a fantasy? Upon close reading, it does not appear
so.

Joyce inserts a little hint in the following sentence. First of all it
had been all excitement for her to have a fellow and then she had begun to like him. With one
well-chosen word, like, Joyce provides insight into yet another reason why Eveline vacillates
(wavers back and forth) between staying and making the bold move to leave. The life she knows is
leading her nowhere and an opportunity to escape to what could be a better life presents itself.
But she has not known Frank long. She likes him and enjoys his company, but the courtship is
still in its early stages.

People knew that they were courting, and when he
sang about the lass that loves a sailor she felt pleasantly confused. This seems to me an
unlikely scenario for a fantasy. Eveline may like Frank, but she has not fallen in love with him
yet. If she had, her doubts about leaving would have been overshadowed by her desire to be with
him, and her decision-making process would not have been so drawn out. Taking these particular
details into consideration, it seems to me that the author intends to present Frank as a real
person rather than as an imaginary one. Your own reading and interpretation may lead you to
conclude otherwise. Part of what makes this story so thought-provoking is that the author does
not offer easy answers to his 's predicament.