Eveline Between Present and Future

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Eveline between Present and Future By: Ghanim Al Najrani In James Joyce’s short story named after her, Eveline is a young woman facing a real life dilemma. On the one hand, she is leading a miserable dusty life and she needs to take an action to turn all the sadness of her life into happiness. On the other hand, she is not totally convinced about leaving her home, family, and all other things she grew up with. She didn’t really believe in leaving her past and go with a man she barely knows, leave with him to the unknown. Silently while watching the darkness extends along the avenue, her internal conflict rages until she finally reacts. She thinks for a short duration of time that the moment has come for a change. She rushes to her lover on the quay where the ship is anchored but just before boarding, at the very last moment she decides not to go. Not because she doesn’t want to but for several reasons, the main three are the following. First, she feels pity for her aging father. Second, she has given a promise to her dead mother to keep the house from falling apart to her best ability. Third she is afraid from the unknown yet to come in her journey. The situation at her home is not horrible enough to make her escape with a man she only knew for couple of weeks and leave overseas with him. The first reason that prevents Eveline from shipping away overseas with her lover Frank is her emotions towards her father. He is not that great father who cares a lot about his family, his home, his wife, and kids. But he is her father, the only father she had and the only father she will ever have. It sounds naïve but it also has a deep meaning to it. A father can never be compensated while a lover can be. Throughout the story James emphasized the father wickedness and gave an impression that Eveline will not spare any chance to free herself from his claw. For example James
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