“Eveline” is also a short story written by James Joyce. Eveline has also fallen into the sea of young love by Frank. Frank is willing to marry her and take her where he lives in Buenos Ayres. It happens that on the day set for them to live by ship, Eveline makes up her mind not to go with him. Eveline is faced with a lot of fears; symbolism has been used to present her fear in term s of thinking that Frank would make her drown in the world’s seas. Eveline is living in escapism, her move with Frank towards the east meant new dawn; a new beginning for herself.
Eveline’s story is an irony, this is because at the beginning of the story Eveline seems to be having a flashback of the people who have already gone to the East, and inwardly she develops a desire to go too. Eveline doesn’t want to live under her father who always takes the little earnings she makes from her wages and she also wants to run away so that she will not be like her mother who she believes lived a common life (poverty) Sailing across the waters would mean newness to her, it would a break of the old difficult life of sweat and dirt. Eveline wants to go with Frank and perhaps begin a new life.
Eveline is, however, afraid of change, whereas change is inevitable if one wants to live the old life. She cannot be able to fathom the newness of having a family and what it means to live with a man who loves and him being a husband. She is also worried about what will happen to those she loves and she has left behind.
Due to the instability of her decisions and her fears she loses her new life, she also loses Frank’s love. She goes back to her normal, old and naïve life.
“Araby” is a short story written by James Joyce. It is written in first-person narration. It is about a boy who is just realizing his sexual identity. We are introduced to the boys in this city. The setting of this story is in North Richmond Street a quiet suburb in the city. These boys know that they are maturing from childhood to adulthood; they now want to explore adult life. Similar to James’ “Eveline” they are looking for a way of experiencing the adult world. They are looking for people to care for them and love them. This is seen as they gaze at the uncle of the narrator and also on Mangan’s sister. The narrator who is depicted by the author to represent the mishaps of this city builds illusions in his bind on Mangan’s sister.
One of the evenings when it was raining he went to the room where the priest who is a representation of the dying religion had died. While there he was expressing his emotions of love which seem to overwhelm him. In the story of “Eveline” Frank has also established his emotions maturely, he knows what he wants, to him it’s not an illusion in the mind, He wants to go with Eveline to the east and live with her. However like the narrator in “Araby,” the emotions of Eveline have not yet matured and though she feels like she loves Frank, she cannot go with him, therefore, she loses it all.
The narrator seems to adore and admire Mangan’s sister but he wonders how he will be able to tell her. Like “Eveline” he is so confused, such that when she asks him a question he doesn’t recall the answer he gave. Eveline is also in a dilemma whether she should go with Frank to the east or not. Mangan’s sister would not be able to go to the “Araby” bazaar since she was going for a retreat in her convent. The narrator promises to go as well as buy her a gift.
Quite a contrast with “Eveline” he makes a decision to go to Araby despite the many obstructions such as the thoughts of his aunt that the place would be associated with freemasonry and also his uncle coming late at home. Though it was late he still went. Eveline, however, didn’t defy the many obstructions, she completely glued herself, by refusing to accept change.
Most disappointing and unfortunate is that he realizes the “Araby” bazaar, is not as he thought or imagined it to be. It was already very late and most shops were already closed. He could only see traders counting money that they had gathered for that day. He is so disappointed because he didn’t get what he wanted.
His aspirations have been destroyed; all his hopes too for Araby and of Managan’s sister’s love were destroyed. Like “Eveline” he goes back home; after all that supposed love might have just been an infatuation in the mind; a dream come false! He realizes how hurting a false romantic love can turn out to be. The story “Araby” is a world’s view of confusion based on religion and love. At the end of the story, the boy’s hopelessness is brought out as the theme of poverty is reflected. Perhaps, if the boy had money, he would have gone earlier enough at the bazaar or somewhere near and bought the gift. By the time he got to the bazaar, most of his money must have been used and unfortunately, it was already late. He got very angry!
Works Cited
“Araby” by James Joyce – Analyzing the short story. Web.
Short story criticism. Web.
“Eveline” by James Joyce – summary of the story. Web.