James Joyce Eveline | An Analytical Study

James Joyce Eveline | An Analytical Study

James Joyce Eveline | An Analytical Studytudy

James Joyce Eveline | An Analytical Study

‘Eveline’ is an Irish short story by James Augustine Aloysius Joyce (1882-1941). It is a psychological short story dealing with the mental dilemma concerning the past and future of a young girl named Eveline. The main theme of the story is love and nostalgia.

The story revolves around Eveline. She is a young girl who leads a hard life at home with her two brothers and an old father. She had lost her mother. One day he meets with a sailor called Frank and falls in love with him. She wants to escape with him with the hope of marrying him. But at the same moment, she begins to suffer from a mental dilemma. She anticipates her future with Frank and becomes romantic. And then she thinks of her home and suffers from nostalgia. Her life at home is hard and thinks of leaving it for Frank. After all, she reviews her decision to opt for a new life. She holds in her lap two letters- one for her father and the other for her brother Harry. She leaves for the port to board the ship with her lover Frank. The ship is about to set off, it whistles and Frank pulls her in her hand. Eveline does not respond. Her hands clutch the iron barrier. She set her white face to him, impassive like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave no sign of love or farewell or recognition. She prefers her domestic life rooted in the past to her uncertain future.

Eveline is the principal character in the story. The author portrays her mental conflict about whether she would stay at home or she would leave it for Frank. Her nostalgia wins over her and she decides to part with her lover.

The other character in the story is Frank. But he has got no portraiture. He only enhances the romantic feeling in Eveline. 

The story is weak in Structure as there is a long opening. The complication occupies most part of the story. In this stage, the author portrays the mental dilemma of the principal character, Eveline. There is neither falling action nor denouement. It seems to meet and end in climax.

In delineating the Setting of the story the author has proved himself as a skilled artist. He has given a good description of Eveline’s household condition and of her environment.

The Method of Narration of the story is objective as the author portrays his character and expresses the mental condition of his character objectively.

The Dialogues in the story are very sparing and short and they express only the emotional aspects of the characters.

The Philosophy of Life which is also considered to be a component element of a good story is not apparent in the story. But it may be drawn out from the story that nostalgia sometimes ruins hope for the future. 

The Linguistic Style of the story is something simple but the author sometimes fails to keep up the logic of arranging the sentences spontaneously after the mental state of her character.

In Length the story falls in the mediocre- neither very short nor long. In a word to say, it is a short story of ideal length.

In keeping up the qualities of a good short story the author meets a failure. There is the unity of action no doubt but the author has hardly succeeded in maintaining spontaneity.

The analysis of the various aspects of the story as done above shows us that as a short story it is weak in structure and quality and hence it fails to enter the list of first-grade short stories in the world. 0 0 0.

James Joyce Eveline | An Analytical Study