James Joyce (1882-1941) was born in Dublin, Ireland, and educated at Jesuit schools and University college in Dublin. In 1902, after rebelling against Catholicism, nationalism, and his family, Joyce left Dublin. He spent the rest of his life in self-impossed exile in several European cities.
Dubliners, the collection of short stories in which "Araby" and "Eveline" first appeared, was published in 1914. The stories in the book progress from childhood to adulthood, reflecting what Joyce termed the "moral history" of Ireland. He chose Dublin as the setting to portray a city he said was "the center of paralysis."
One of the work's most devoted admirers, American poet and critic Ezra Pound, assisted Joyce during the years that followed. With deteriorating eyesight, Joyce relied on memory and on secretarial help from friends to work. Joyce's first novel, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man (1916), is largely autobiographical. A perfectionist, Joyce composed and revised his next novel, Ulysses, over a seven-year period, from 1914-1921. Another large, experimental novel, Finnegan's Wake (1939), took seventeen years to complete.
Today, Joyce is regarded as one of the twentieth century's greatest writers. He is praised for his radical changes to the form and structure of the novel and for his use of stream of consciousness, allusions, and wordplay.
Study Questions
What is her home life like?
How does she expect her new life to be different?
Do you think this expectation is realistic?
Why is “dust” mentioned so often?
List concrete details that describe Eveline’s home.
How old is Eveline? Is her age significant for any reason?
What sort of person is her father? What kind of “bad way” is he on Saturday night?
How does Eveline feel about her father?
What type of person was her mother? What happened to her? Does Eveline identify with her mother in any way?
How does Eveline feel about her dead mother?
What do you think her mother meant by her repeating “the end of pleasure is pain”? Why would she say this? Was she truly crazy or was she just worn down?
What does her father mean when he tells her, “I know these sailor chaps”? What possible reasons would he have for trying to break up her romance w/Frank?
What type of person is Frank? What does she actually know about him?
Has Eveline romanticized Frank in any way? Is her father’s objection of him perhaps justified?
What is Eveline’s duty to her father? What promise did she make to her dying mother?
What is her duty to herself? Does she really believe she has “a right to happiness”? Why/why not?
How does Eveline feel about leaving her brother, Harry?
In what ways is Eveline “like a helpless animal”? What is she afraid of?
Why do you think her eyes give Frank “no sign of love or farewell or recognition”?
Do you think Eveline made the right decision? Why/why not?
Compare/Contrast Frank & father, Frank & Ernest
Assignment: Write a Persuasive Letter
Compose a persuasive letter (no less than one page) from one character to another. You must include plot summary within your letter. Here are your options:
you to Eveline (convince her to stay OR convince her to go)
Frank to Eveline (convince her to stay OR convince her to go)
Eveline to her father (explaining why she left)
Eveline to Frank (explaining why she stayed)
Assignment: Personal Response
Compose a personal response to the story (no less than one page) in which you discuss how you feel about the ending as well as how you feel about Eveline's staying instead of going with Frank. Remember to include plot summary and reference to specific quotes and examples from the text within your response.
Assignment: Re-write Ending
Compose a narrative in which you re-write the ending of the story (no less than one page). Your ending can be happy, romantic, melodramatic, or Hollywood-esque (for example), but keep in mind that your ending must tie in with the rest of the story--it needs to be consistent with the beginning of the story. Also make sure that your ending is true to life and fits with the Joyce's tone.