James Joyce, Eveline

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Courtesy of the Poetry / Rare Books Collection, UB Libraries, State University of New York at Buffalo.

James Joyce

Eveline (Literature To Go, p. 322)

Listen to “Eveline,” read by William Coon.

Courtesy of LibriVox

Considerations for Critical Thinking and Writing

  1. first response. Explain why you agree or disagree with Eveline’s decision.

  2. Describe the character of Eveline. What do you think she looks like? Though there are no physical details about her in the story, write a one-page description of her as you think she would appear at the beginning of the story looking out the window.

  3. Describe the physical setting of Eveline’s home. How does she feel about living at home?

  4. What sort of relationship does Eveline have with her father? Describe the range of her feelings toward him.

  5. How is Frank characterized? Why does Eveline’s father forbid them to see each other?

  6. Why does thinking of her mother make Eveline want to “escape”?

  7. Before she meets him at the dock, how does Eveline expect Frank to change her life?

  8. Why doesn’t she go with Frank to Buenos Aires?

  9. What associations do you have about Buenos Aires? What symbolic value does this Argentine city have in the story?

  10. Read carefully the water imagery in the final paragraphs of the story. How does this imagery help to suggest Eveline’s reasons for not leaving with Frank?