In James Joyce's story "Eveline," the main character, Eveline, experiences a sense of paralysis when faced with the decision to leave her home once and for all. This paralysis ceases when she reaches an epiphany that she can't leave her home, even if it is with the man of her dreams.
Eveline is a nineteen year old girl who is the head of the household. Although her father would be one to argue, Eveline takes care of the house, feeds the children, and makes sure the children get their studies done ever since her mother died. In addition to this, Eveline's father is an angry person. Eveline even says herself that sometimes she feels "in danger of her fathers violence" (38). She feels this way because there is no one left to protect her; she had two older brothers and her mother to protect her before, but both the mother and one of the older brothers are dead, and the other brother is now working away from home and can't protect Eveline daily. No one would blame Eveline from wanting to "run away" from this threatening and stressed lifestyle (37). This option comes upon her when she meets Frank.
Frank is the man of Eveline's dreams. Eveline describes him as "kind, manly, and open hearted" (38). Frank convinces Eveline to run away from her unattractive lifestyle and go with him to his home in Buenos Ayres. When the day finally comes for Eveline and Frank to depart, Eveline freezes at the railing of the ship. She is paralyzed. All Eveline knows is home. Although she is fearful of her father, she knows her father "could be very nice" and would "miss her" if she were to leave (39). This along with the promise she made to her mother on her mother's death bead to "keep the home together" lead Eveline to the epiphany that she couldn't leave home.
One can see a similar type of epiphany dealing with one leaving ones comfort zone for something better in the novel Disgrace. David Lurie is generally accepted as a womanizer in the novel. He moves from woman to woman never completely satisfied and eventually always desiring another. At one point in the novel, however, David Lurie is paralyzed when he comes to the epiphany that he needs no more women. This point emerges when he finds Teresa, a character in an opera he is writing to himself. When he finds her in his mind he is stuck in his house for days writing and singing about her. David Lurie leaves his comfort zone of sleeping with many woman to being happy with only imagining one. This is similar in idea to the "Eveline" epiphany, but opposite in the decision making of the character Eveline (David Lurie leaves whereas Eveline stays).
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Your post is really interesting in how it compares both the similarities and differences between two strikingly different characters; Eveline and David. While both their epiphanies concern questioning their needs for a lover, or in David's case lovers :), they each handle their own epiphany is contrasting ways, Eveline stays while David moves on. You also inserted how Eveline's realization is not all of a sudden, but gradual in the sense that a combination of her thoughts lead up to it.
ReplyDeleteI like how you thought that you connected the use of paralysis with the moment that Eveline freezes when she is about to go on the boat. Your quotes from the short story as well support at which point the paralysis was made and the epiphany was made. I am not to sure though about your analysis of Disgrace. It never said in the book that David was giving up women, it only suggests slightly that he was slowly waning of the idea. How you used your first topic sentence made me believe that you were going to talk about Lucy, because she too could not leave her comfort zone, even after she had been raped at her house. Also, remember to underline book titles. Other than that, good integration of quotes to support your view of Eveline's paralysis and epiphany.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the connection to David Lurie's epiphany of not needing anymore women because he has Teresa, and he focuses on writing her role. She becomes the only woman that he can truly control.
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