Fear and Change in Joyce's Eveline

Fear and Change in James Joyces’ “Eveline”

In the short story “Eveline,” by James Joyce, there is a continuous feeling of fear inside the protagonist’s thoughts. Although Eveline has been given a chance to escape the mundane life she lives and marry the man she’s always dreamed of, Joyce helps the reader understand furthermore why she opts not to go. Joyce develops the idea that some people are not quick to change and prefer to stay with what is familiar no matter how awful the lifestyle may be. By using a continuous parallel between fear and change, Joyce uses allegory to define Eveline’s true feelings about the hardships of life, and her perturbation of exploring happiness and love.
In the beginning of the story Joyce helps us see Eveline’s true feelings about the hardships of life. As she sits by her window, feeling tired, the author helps the reader begin to understand the fear of change Eveline has been feeling for so long. For example she star...