No Emotional Fulfillment in Eveline of James Joyce's Dubliners

Safe at Shore "All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart" (Joyce 1559) as Eveline confronted the dawn of new life that posed the liberation of her hard, dark past. Set in the early 20th century of Ireland, author James Joyce sets the story "Eveline" upon the era of seeking self-identity in the progression of a new world. With the integration of trade among countries across the world, new ideas and opportunities invaded the familiar lands of certain conformities that hindered individuals from achieving their aspirations. The protagonist Eveline is introduced to readers as an individual contemplating on whether to hold onto the comfort of her hard, abusive childhood or relish in the newfound opportunity of a better life of love upon

Water symbolizes the return, or the rebirth of the character. This represents the cycle of life making its full circle back to where it started, bringing this journey of thoughts and confusion to an end. Mentally, this is ending the journey, and reaching the final destination. As an element, water rushes through what was once a burning, roaring fire that tore through the forest of Victor’s life and thoughts, and allows for new growth. This forest is starting all over again more beautiful and amazing than ever before. Fire burns away old, dead debris. This allows for more space for new plants to grow, and the forest ends up

In stanza four, “there is still some water left over” alludes that the friendship of the persona and their company will endure and the strength of it will be enough to “refresh them”, even though their time is limited. Harwood comments on the use of the water motif in “Lamplit presences”; “In “At Mornington”, elements of the past, present and future are used in images of water…the first source of the flux of life: the water of the infinity of death”. The concept of the water motif alludes to the ________ of death and rebirth, and of the transitional stages of life. At the beginning of the poem, water represents the innocence of childhood, toying with the childish belief that life is infinite, displaying the persona as a child being saved by her father and tossed amongst the waves; “…and was caught by a wave and rolled/ like a doll among rattling shells/ and I seem to remember my father/ fully clothed, still streaming of water/half comforting, half angry”. Towards the end of the poem, the water is seen as a method of redemption and death, depicting the persona introspectively alluding to their acceptance of death; “…and when I am seized at last/ and rolled in one grinding race/ of dreams, pain, memories, love and grief/ from which no hand will save me…” This central motif of water, and its

Throughout both A Long Walk To Water and “This is Water,” the world is viewed from an internal perspective of personal consciousness, not externally. In both of these pieces, the characters are looking at their respective situations from their own personal point of view, rather than an external, collective point of view. Both Salva struggling to survive and Wallace at the grocery store are focused on themselves and their immediate surroundings, rather than having a greater view of the world. This will be demonstrated in the following paragraphs.

In the preceding passage, Edna Pontellier swims for the first time by herself. Much is symbolized and foreshadowed in this passage. Throughout the summer, Edna’s husband, Mr. Pontellier, and many other people have been trying to teach her. However, Edna was never able to swim with the help of others. The fact that she finally is able to swim unaided symbolizes Edna’s awakening sense of independence and self-reliance. The ocean parallels Edna’s feelings. It is described with diction such as “space and solitude”, “vast expanse” and “unlimited.” The words “significant import…given her to control the working of her body and her soul” also support this. Edna realizes she is in control of herself and can attain happiness by her own means. Similarly, the control Edna has over her body suggests her awakening sense of sexuality. It is around the time of this swim that Edna acutely develops feelings for Robert LeBrun.

The Ocean represents the intrigue and constantly changing feelings that Ellen is experiencing inside of her. She finds comfort in the ocean because she feels as if they are both experiencing a tumult of emotion. In addition, she mentions that she respects the ocean because of its beauty and awe-inspiring power. Ellen finds that he ocean has the power to humble, but also to comfort her as she seeks for the loving family that is so elusive throughout most of the novel. Equally important is the fact that Ellen wishes her grandmother could experience and see the incredible prowess of the ocean, which Ellen thinks would help to teach her prideful grandmother some humility. This is an example of Ellen’s dislike of her home situation, and her greatest desire that she may one day land in an understanding and friendly home where she can experience the fundamental support that nurtures and shapes human beings. Throughout the novel, Ellen yearns

Context: Visiting the sea for the first time in the novel, Edna has an internal struggle with the temptations of the sea.

As Edna starts to form this intimate relationship with the sea, it leads her to start soul searching. The sea starts her process of awakening. The sea is described as both seductive and soft, suggesting that it will guide the way and help Edna find herself. Hence, the

Eveline was treated differently from her siblings, Harry and Ernest, because she didn't have a mother that could protect her from her father. When Eveline decided to leave with Frank, she changed her mind. Why would she refuse the opportunity of happiness over her lifetime with her father? It was because Eveline made a promise with her mother, to care for her father. For example, if your comrade was injured during a mission, but you must complete the mission without anyone slowing you down, what should you do? Finish the mission without your comrade, or abandon the mission and save your comrade? Obito Uchiha, from the anime Naruto, quoted "Those who break the rules are scum, but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." People may

Trapped in a world where mental anguish imprisons her, Eveline is another of James Joyce's paralyzed souls. Her life is full of ups and downs. Every day she struggles with burdens that she should not have to bear and when the opportunity comes for her to get away from this retched life, she denies herself the chance. The reasons why I feel Eveline did not leave for Buenos Aires with Frank is because she was obligated to her family, she was afraid of the unknown and she did not know how to receive love.

In literature, many great authors have written poems and books about the ocean because is a fascinating part of nature, representing purity, danger and excitement. It is vast, sustaining many forms of life, but it also has the power to take life away: the ocean is symbolic of creation and destruction. In Kate Chopin’s novella, The Awakening, many important scenes are set the ocean. Edna Pontellier experiences and reflects the dual power of the ocean in the novella, through childlike activities such as, learning to swim and a rebirth, but also in more powerful experiences, like committing suicide in the final scene. Chopin uses imagery and diction to foreshadow the final scene as a suicide and a rebirth.

Eveline is portrayed as a sad, lonely girl who is longing for a deeper connection with not only the outside world but also personal human contact in her life. When Eveline thinks back to happy childhood memories of playing with friends, the happiness of those memories does not last long. The first mention of her father is in this memory: “Her father used often to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick,” (Joyce) but

Sympathy is a word countless hear, but few accurately understand. It is often confused with empathy, and many times true sympathy is occasional. Countless

In James Joyce’s “Eveline”, Eveline remains in Dublin to care for her father, to take care of the house and the kids, and she realized she was already comfortable in her current home. Eveline has lived in Dublin her whole life in Dublin and has seen her siblings either leave home or pass away through time. Yet she remains in the house that she grew up in, experienced the changes in environment, changes in time, and the change in the people around her. She has seen her mother pass away, her father grow older and crueler. She has witnessed the field “in which they used to play every evening with other people’s children” be destroyed by a man from Belfast who “bought the field and built houses in it – not like their little brown houses but

Eveline had a difficult time choosing whether she should stay with her family to fulfill her mother’s wishes or to get a life that is better than her mother’s. Eveline believes that if she moves away from her family it will resolve all the problems she has. If she were to go and find a better life she would than regret not staying and keeping her promise to her mother. A common theme used in this short story is fantasy verse reality. She made a fantasy about life with Frank, thinking that she would move away from her abusive father. She would not get far. “The apple does not fall from the tree.” Daughter usually pick boyfriend and husbands like their fathers. In the story it states that “All the seas of the world…[were] drawing her into them: he would drown her.” In this case “he” is referring to the sea, the sea of emotion will drown her. For me this is a foreshadow