James Joyce “Araby” and “Eveline”

James Joyce 1882-1941 Born in Dublin, Ireland Writer of great importance First major work is Dubliners

James Joyce Published in 1914 Collection of short stories about life in Dublin Includes “Araby” and “Eveline”

James Joyce Major Themes Paralysis Isolation Poverty Longing for Escape Religion Epiphany

“Araby” 1. How would you describe the narrator as a character? What word or words describe him well? Why? From Still Better Than Matt The narrator throughout the story seems like he is a very shy individual that might also have some amount of social anxiety or awkwardness. “I had never spoken to her, except for a few casual words, and yet her name was like a summons to all my foolish blood.”

“Araby” 1. How would you describe the narrator as a character? What word or words describe him well? Why? From Star Power! The narrator of this story is young, shy, and anxious. Almost as if he has a type of social anxiety. The character is shown as withdrawn from his family, spending a great amount of time in the back room of his home where the previous tenant had died. Within the story we are told that the narrator finds isolation in the upper floor of his home. He is shown falling in love, or at least infatuation with a friend’s sister.

“Araby” 2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? Darkness . . .

“Araby” 3. Identify at least one thing in the story that you think might be symbolic, that is, something that seems to have more meaning than what it literally is. What might this symbolism contribute to the story? From Distracted Dingos The girls symbolizes change and something new. The man looked to her to help his life change for the better.

“Araby” Another symbol: Araby “’If I go,’ I said, ‘I will bring you something.’”

“Araby” 5. Finish the sentence below to express what you think is a good one-sentence summary of the main theme (or the comment about life) that we should get from the story “Araby.” From James Joyce’s “Araby” shows us how people shouldn’t get caught up in their own fantasies and lose touch with how the world really is.

“Araby” 6. If you write an essay on this story, what would be three or four good topics for the body paragraphs of the essay?

“Araby” Look Carefully at the Details! “North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers’ School set the boys free.”

“Araby” Look Carefully at the Details! “At nine o'clock I heard my uncle's latchkey in the hall door. I heard him talking to himself and heard the hallstand rocking when it had received the weight of his overcoat. I could interpret these signs. When he was midway through his dinner I asked him to give me the money to go to the bazaar. He had forgotten.”

“Araby” What passages did you identify as being important?

“Araby” Questions?

“Eveline” “She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue.”

“Eveline” 1. How would you describe Eveline as a character? What word or words describe her well? Why? From Rabbits Eveline seems lonely and neglected. In the story it talks about how she’s frightened by her father’s violence. When she talks about Frank her character lightens up from the darkness her father brings her.

“Eveline” 1. How would you describe Eveline as a character? What word or words describe her well? Why? From A Solomind Eveline is a young woman in her early twenties. She lives in a town that she has lived in since she was young but her family has grown and moved away and now she does not know what to do. She is very independent and strong, but at times she feels insecure and unsure of what she wants to do with her life. At times, she may seem adventurous and want to explore but then at other times she is shy and very frightened. She cannot decide if she wants to leave the place where she has grown up and move to a new beautiful place with her boyfriend, or if she wants to stay with her angry father who does not show his love towards her like he once used to.

“Eveline” 1. How would you describe Eveline as a character? What word or words describe her well? Why? From Lone Wolf She is trying to see the best in life no matter how deep she has to dig into her past. Though she is unhappy with her life, she feels a heavy responsibility of duty to her family and her household. She is torn between keeping the promise to her mother to “keep the home together as long as she could”, and her right to happiness. Eveline is conflicted both in her head and in her heart.

“Eveline” 2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From The Lonely Mountain The setting is very dark: The streets are lined with dingy brown houses, her home is a dusty mausoleum where relics of the past lie broken, the very air of the city is crippling and oppressive, and light is fading as “evening invade[s] the avenue.”

“Eveline” 3. Identify at least one thing in the story that you think might be symbolic, that is, something that seems to have more meaning than what it literally is. What might this symbolism contribute to the story? From Squad Goals The dust is symbolic because it shows the lack of change in Eveline’s life.

“Eveline” 3. Identify at least one thing in the story that you think might be symbolic, that is, something that seems to have more meaning than what it literally is. What might this symbolism contribute to the story? From Umm When Eveline hears the street organ playing it reminds her of her mother. It just happens to be on the day she plans to leave. Hearing it play brings back the last memories of her mother and they make her think if she doesn’t get out now she never will. Then she runs off to Frank.

“Eveline” 5. Finish the sentence below to express what you think is a good one-sentence summary of the main theme (or the comment about life) that we should get from the story “Eveline.” From James Joyce’s “Eveline” shows us how people who are in an abusive situation while afraid still find it scarier to leave that situation. The fear of the unknown is harder than the fear they feel already.

“Eveline” 6. If you write an essay on this story, what would be three or four good topics for the body paragraphs of the essay?

“Eveline” Look Carefully at the Details! “She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired.”

“Eveline” From the writer Kurt Vonnegut “Joyce, when he was frisky, could put together a sentence as intricate and as glittering as a necklace for Cleopatra, but my favorite sentence in his short story ‘Eveline’ is just this one: ‘She was tired.’ At that point in the story, no other words could break the heart of a reader as those three words do.”

“Eveline” Look Carefully at the Details! “Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window, leaning her head against the window curtain, inhaling the odour of dusty cretonne.”

“Eveline” Look Carefully at the Details! “She felt her cheek pale and cold and, out of a maze of distress, she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what was her duty.”

“Eveline” What passages did you identify as being important?

“Eveline” Questions?