Reader-Response Criticism of James Joyce’s Eveline from Dubliners

Another theme, personal identity, is seen throughout all of the characters in the book. According to the Stanford Encyclopedia of

The unwanting desire to face reality and confront the isolation in which one is living is a struggle that both Gabriel and a little boy encounter. Jame Joyce’s works portray his characters to display both inner struggles and difficulty being socially accepted. During the party, Gabriel is anxious and nervous because he wants to uphold this reputation of a confident man. Therefore, he creates a script allowing him to have a sense control and comfort which he lacks. In Contrast, the little boy perceives himself to be self-assured and sociable when in reality these ideas are inflicted by his imagination. James Joyce’s “The Dead” and “Araby” features characters who struggle with internal emotions, revealing their alienation, separation with

The theme is reflected through the people in the book, and events that take place in the

of the themes in the novel easier to see and decipher. Using the archetypes that he did

whether he is lying or telling the truth, because she has no way to confirm

Another way to say it is you can't really know someone just by looking at them. Two of the examples of this theme in the book is on pages 136 and 13. On pg. 136 Iggy becomes soft because of what happened to Loretta. He looks like an immense, biker with some anger issues but, when you hurt someone he loves he is a real softie. This proves the theme because just by looking at Iggy, you don’t know the real Iggy. Another example of this theme is on page 13. Max goes over to Kevin to help get his bird machine out of the trees. While he does so, Kevin says, “This is an ornithopter.” (Pg.18) This proves the theme because just by looking at Kevin, you may think he may not be smart or is just weak. If you look at Iggy and Kevin, you would never guess who they actually are. Once you get to know this book, you will know the theme.

For example, Hercules, he’s a character I grew up to love because of how he dealt with these situations and conquered his obstacles. This relied heavily on my understanding of who Hercules is, why he’s important and where he is? Reading this as a child and reflecting on it now made me realize how important is was on the writers job to be able to paint the picture for me at such a young age. When I was young I became intrigued by stories that have both a hero and a villain. This could be that I really enjoy those story lines or that it is my favorite genre of adventure. This is a highlighted example of a childhood memory where a story made me realize the importance of characters, setting and plot and how reading Hercules stuck with me because of

From this point, he concludes that literature is concerned with symbolic action, that literary or mythological characters are typical, and that the world of poet imagery is “totally symbolic” (p. 75). He then moves to the principle of “literature as a whole” (p. 49): “you don’t just read one poem or novel after another, but enter into a complete world of which every work of literature forms a part” (p. 69). Hence there is a progressive element in the study and teaching of literature: as we read more works, we become able to generalize from our experience of literature.

and trickster figures, Ellison’s main theme for the novel is for the narrator to find his own identity

Joyce's modernistic view of Dublin society permeates all of his writings. The Irish experiences account for a large portion of Joyce's writings. Stephen Dedalus is sometimes Joyce's pseudonym and represents Joyce and his life in Joyce's works. Joyce plays a crucial role in the modernist movement in literature. Some of the well known innovative techniques used by Joyce are symbolism, realism and stream-of consciousness. James Joyce's writings contain autobiographical matter and display his view of life in Dublin, Ireland with the use of symbolism, realism, and stream-of consciousness.

author will create a character’s emotions to demonstrate their point to help the reader understand

In 'Araby' and 'Eveline' Joyce uses religious symbols to show the importance of the Catholic religion in both of the main characters' lives. Both of these stories take place in Dublin, Ireland, a place that is very strong in its belief in the Catholic religion. In 'Araby,' the imagery of the infamous 'Fall' is presented to the reader within the second paragraph to indicate its importance. The themes of religious masses can be found in 'Eveline.' The concept of the Catholic Ash Wednesday is presented throughout both 'Araby' and 'Eveline.'

Eveline's internal struggle illustrates clearly how one struggles between the past and the future, leading to the failure to escape. While weighing her options as to whether or not leave Dublin, Eveline remembers her mother's wishes: "Her promise to her mother, her promise to keep the home together as long as she could" (Joyce 40). Even though Eveline's home contains an abusive father, absence of family members, and the struggles of domestic work, she is unable to let go. Awaiting her a promised adventurous and free spirited life with her respectful and kind lover, Frank. He has the ability to rescue Eveline from a troubling past and allow her to enter a new phase in her life, liberated from the ugliness of Dublin. However,

Evelines situation becomes an inner battle between the ideas of leaving and staying, all of the thoughts she have sadly become a reality, so many ideas of better places, better times and an overall better life. Eveline is tired: “She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odor

Eveline was a female that was brought up in a poor area of Dublin, Ireland. As with all underprivileged areas around the world things were harsh. There was a higher importance placed on morals and values. Eveline’s job was to care for her father and the house after her mother passed. A promise she made to her mother on her deathbed, and promises are to be kept. She also had two children that she oversaw caring for. Her responsibilities were routine, comfortable, and safe. There is nothing that the human race likes more than routine. There is a comfort that comes with knowing how