Formalist approach

The short story “Eveline,” by James Joyce, displays many elements that can be defined as formalist. The formalist approach focuses on the language, structure and tone of a work. Examples of formalist elements can be shown throughout the story.
When the story begins, James Joyce addresses to the protagonist by saying “her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odor of dusty cretonne.” Right away I wonder of the tone. When I keep reading, the dust is mentioned again. “She looked round the room, reviewing all its familiar objects which she had dusted once a week for so many years, wondering where on earth all the dust came from.” Seems to me, the dust symbolizes the struggle. When someone breathes in the dust you automatically start coughing and chocking. For that reason, the fight is there between your life and death. Eveline wanted to know where all of her difficulties came from to attack her. As I read more into the story, internal...