James Joyce's Dubliners, A reading of Eveline

I just recently read James Joyce's Dubliners for the first time and loved it. Joyce writes about several Dubliners and their daily lives and struggles. He does so by describing real circumstances as if they revealed another dimension, but masks them by real experience. Each detail is conceived realistically, but is symbolic of something deeper. He connects each story by some common thread, whether that be the priest, the idea of maturation and growing up, or the idea that the grass is always greener on the other side.

Eveline is probably my favorite story out of the collection. Joyce's realistic analysis of the reluctancy that Eveline feels can make anyone empathize with her. The story is about a young woman who needs to make the decision of whether to run away with a man who she loves to Buenos Aires (spelt Buenos Ayres) or to stay home with her father. The idea of leaving everything she knows to start a new life is appealing but also terrifying to Eveline.

Joyce writes the story in a way that either decision would trap her. She remembers a promise she made to her mother that she would take care of the home for as long as she could. She also feels trapped when she thinks of leaving everything behind that she has grown so used to.

She effectively dies at the end of the story when Joyce writes, "Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition." Her indicision made her decision for her. She was trapped by anything that was presented to her, so she stayed.