Eveline

"No! No! No! It was impossible. Her hands clutched the iron in frenzy. Amid the seas she sen a cry of anguish...She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition."

Eveline reflects on her life, agonizing over her decision to leave her home to travel with Frank to Buenos Aires. Even though her descriptions of her life paint a bleary picture, Eveline admits that her life is not undesirable. She had many ties to Dublin, including a job and her family. Even more pressing was a promise she made to her dying mother to take care for the family as long as she could. Keeping the home together was not an easy task; her brother traveled and her father was abusive. Although she dealt with many difficulties, this life is familiar to Eveline which is why she did not get on the boat. She did not make the conscious decision to stay; she simply could not leave her tiring but predictable life behind. Buenos Aires offered a new, exciting, and unfamiliar life for Eveline, but circumstances beyond her control tied her to Dublin. Even though a theme can be applied directly to Eveline's story, the theme can be extended to include the people of Dublin. The author wrote about a "spiritual paralysis" the people of Dublin faced, and Eveline embodied this idea. Not only was she not physically able to get on the boat, her inner conflict kept home. She was not able to overcome those circumstances in her life, like her family.