Eveline Feminist Review

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Nicholas Hall Professor Richard Lee Interpretations of Literature 17 March 2014 Feminist Approach of “Eveline” The short story of “Eveline” illustrates the troubles of a young woman who is forced to make a critical decision between her father and her lover. Eveline suffers from a poor relationship with her father and is faced with a crucial life decision to make. I will examine the thought process that the female character goes through in order to make a final decision. The story creates a strong comparison to the past and the present. The situation is clear to the main character. She may decide to move on from her rough upbringings or she can stay put in the life that she has become accustomed to. The feminist approach will be used to analyze this piece of literature. The text’s representation of specific roles as well as the status of the sexes will be examined in this review. Eveline’s sexual identity and orientation also play a large role into the critical approach of feminism. Eveline opens up the story remembering a time when life was simple, specifically when her mother was still alive and her family was together. She touches on her father’s abusive habits towards her and her brothers, but does not seem to fully question it. She appears to have been appreciative that her father did not treat her as harshly as the boys simply because she was a girl. This is where the gender roles begin. The father displays a strong masculine presence among his family and is clearly the head of the household. This story exemplifies the stereotypical gender roles that have been present throughout history. Eveline chooses to accept the role as an inferior human being within her family. She was forced into the role of a mother due to the unfortunate death of her mother. The family expected Eveline to complete all of the tasks that were previously done by the mother. Her

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