The setting is an important element in any story. It is also used in literature for many purposes. It serves a number of functions in literature. The setting can be viewed in a short story. This allows us to gain insight into the inner world of our characters, their emotions, and their economic conditions. It can also influence the events and characters. For instance, different locations and objects may impact the character’s mood swings. People can be controlled by old pictures, window, waves, sea and tresholds. Setting can also help to canalise characters and stories in many different ways. These stories include Eveline, by James Joyce. The story contains many small but crucial details that give insight into the mental state and atmosphere of the characters. To help the reader understand how setting affects Eveline’s decisions, and her dilemmas, I will be analysing Eveline’s setting in James Joyce’s Eveline in this essay.
To begin to analyze the story, I will first examine the contents of the house. The story takes place in an old brick house that is now faded by the family memories. The story shows Eveline’s day in the house as well as her limitations. We learn more about Eveline’s inner-self through it. These limitations result from her life as an abusive mother and financial hardships. ”Home! She looked around the home, reclaiming all her familiar items that she had dust once a week for so long, and wondered where all the dust came from. Although she is familiar with the contents of the house, they can be dangerous for her. It smells like dust, but she is able to sneakily do damage by the invisible particles. The dust she collects is not permanent. It represents time passing with no physical movement. It is very similar to Eveline’s life. The dust represents Eveline’s static state. It also refers to Eveline’s hopelessness in her search for the outside world. She constantly thinks of escapes and how she ended-up in that house. She also mentioned the interior of the house in these words: ”And yet she never found out the name and address of the priest whose yellowing picture hung above the broken harmonium next to the coloured print …”.. The yellowing photograph may be significant because it has two main characteristics. Eveline might be interested in getting involved in these people, while Eveline may want to leave Ireland. It is also clear that she is very careless. Although she doesn’t know the name of the man in the photo, she didn’t question it because she was used to doing so. She might believe that if something does not change, there is no point in questioning it. We can see that her conformist side is not the only one who wants to learn new things in life. Despite being domestic, her adventurous side shines through. She hopes for exciting and new things in life, but her current circumstances make it difficult. She is sick of the order in her home and society, but is unable to remove them. These phrases are indicative of her inner self that is not willing to let go of the chains. ”…perhaps these familiar objects will never be seen again. She is afraid of the possibility that she won’t be able see these objects. She doesn’t want to be separated from the objects. She is not ready to let go of these objects. Eveline’s sad soul is represented by Eveline’s head pressed against the curtains. She sat down, and her head was against the curtains. She longs for emotional support. Someone she can count upon, someone who she can trust, with whom she can see the future. Then, as she inhale the dusty cretonne, her reality becomes clear. These are the active ones: ”…She heard him walking along the concrete pavement, then crunching on the cinder pathway before the red houses. This quatation reflects her daily reality. It is like when she smelled cretonne, she only heard the footsteps of men and crunching the road. They are so active that she cannot be like them. This is why she envies them. Eveline is limited to watching men walk and smelling the dust that they leave behind. Frank’s company gives her the chance to be a passenger with a man later. Because she is a domestic person, she must travel with a man. This is because she is able to see her father’s affection towards her mother and her social norms. These lines allow us to see outside through Eveline’s eyes. “Then a Belfast man purchased the field and built bright brick houses with shining roofings in it. She describes her house as an ordinary brown house that she has used before. She mentions the bright, shiny, and well-constructed houses while she describes them. They are made from bricks. Bricks symbolize trust. Frank is there to help. Frank is Eveline’s new home. Frank is her new home. Eveline wants Frank to be there, but her conformist side is due to trauma from her father. These two opposing sides of Eveline make it difficult to know if Eveline will leave her comfort zone and if she will prefer to remain there due the uncertain nature of the new things. “Her time was running short but she kept sitting at the window.”
Last but not least, the horbour. Eveline must decide whether she wants to break the chain, be active or passive. She heard a bell at her heart. He grabbed her hand. He was luring her in: he would drown. She grasped the iron railing with both her hands. ”Come!” No! No! No! Despite its captivating appearance, the sea is mysterious and boundless, making her feel both liberated and frightened. She feels like drawing, because she doesn’t know where to go. She has always known what she should do. Even though it may seem boring, she knows exactly what she should do. She doesn’t question her house, no matter how dangerous it may be. “She set her white, helpless face to him.
The story follows Eveline through her dilemmas. Setting, through metaphors, helps us understand Eveline’s mood swings, borderlines, expectations and ultimately her final decision. The story is rich in setting elements that give insight into Eveline’s emotions, her perceptions of her environment and ultimately the purpose of the story.
Work Cite
Joyce James wrote a short story in 1904 titled “Eveline”. It tells the story of a young woman who must decide whether to stay at home with her family or to leave with her lover to start a new life.
