1. James Joyce
“Araby” and “Eveline”

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

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

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

5. “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 The character is shown as withdrawn from his family, spending a great amount of time in the back room of his home where the previous tenant had died.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.

6. “Araby”
2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From Arab Hem The story happens in North Richmond Street, and is quiet except for when school is let out. The environment of the story is very bland and boring with not much happening. The air is “musty from having been long and enclosed”. Shouts are echoed in the streets because the environment around the street is so quiet.

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

8. “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 girl symbolizes change and something new. The man looked to her to help his life change for the better.

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

10. “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.

11. “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?

12. “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.”

13. “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.”

14. “Araby”
Questions?

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

16. “Eveline”
1. How would you describe Eveline as a character? What word or words describe her well? Why? From: Soup-A-Stars Eveline is very indecisive. She contemplates a lot about the situations around her because she wants to make the best choices in life and not waste time. Eveline also seems sensitive in way. She doesn’t like how she’s treated at home and at her job. Which is why she’d rather run away, although she is afraid of what people might say.

17. “Eveline”
1. How would you describe Eveline as a character? What word or words describe her well? Why? From: Mufasa Eveline seems to be insecure and timid. She doubts her own decisions to leave her home, even calling herself a fool which also hints to low self-esteem. She longs for respect and dreams of when she will be respected in her new home. She sometimes felt like she was in danger of her father.

18. “Eveline”
2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From: 5643 A couple of the traits is that the story seems that the setting is very negative and depressing. The author uses words such as “dusty” and “invariable” to show that the setting is a bad. This setting helping contribute to the story because there is a sad decision to make, the main character has to make the sad decision of breaking her promise with her mother. Since the decision seems a little saddening the author tied the setting in with sad traits.

19. “Eveline”
2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From: No Name The environment is oppressive in this story. Her home life is not welcoming at all: “Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father's violence.”

20. “Eveline”
2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From: thehemanwomanhatersclub Depressing and troublesome from having the violent father after the loss of her mother and friends that either died or moved.

21. “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: Convivial Cadaver The setting of the story is dark. Eveline’s house has familiar objects that have been there her whole life, that were now covered in dust. She looked out the window and thought of the memories she had as a child in the avenue. She imagined the field that was no longer there in which she used to play, and how the field was now gone. She remembered one of her old friends who was now dead.

22. “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: Mufasa The street organ symbolizes the promise Eveline had made to her mother to keep the home together. She thinks that it is strange to hear it on the night that she is about to leave just as memories would come to mind trying to influence her to stay.

23. “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: Legalized Sis Something that seems to be symbolic are the wide doors which symbolize her escape like it describes them in the passage, “Through the wide doors of the sheds she caught a glimpse of the black mass of the boat, lying in beside the quay wall, with illumined portholes.” The wide doors as she looks back to them, is the path to freedom and the life she has always wanted to live.

24. “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: Warped Rake I think the name of the boyfriend “Frank” is symbolic because it almost seems as if her choice to finally choose her own personal happiness would be obvious. Almost as if the clearly right choice would be to start a new and happy life with Frank because “frankly” he’s the right choice in the readers’ eyes.

25. “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.

26. “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?

27. “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.”

28. “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.”

29. “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.”

30. “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.”

31. “Eveline”
Questions?