Skip to main content

Now that Eveline has decided to leave, what has she begun to notice?

In James Joyce's "Eveline," the title character notices the dust in her home. This dust is one of the major symbolic elements of this story. Throughout the opening pages of the story, including the opening paragraph, the narrator mentions dust several times. As Eveline looked out from her window "in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne." Later on, she again ponders about the dust by looking at the "familiar objects which she had dusted...

In James Joyce's "Eveline," the title character notices the dust in her home. This dust is one of the major symbolic elements of this story. Throughout the opening pages of the story, including the opening paragraph, the narrator mentions dust several times. As Eveline looked out from her window "in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne." Later on, she again ponders about the dust by looking at the "familiar objects which she had dusted once a week for so many years, wondering where on earth all the dust came from."


The dust symbolizes Eveline's life, which has become stuffy and stale and suffocating. Her life has become suffocating because of the responsibilities placed upon her. She must make money for her father, take care of children and live up to the promise she made to her dying mother.


Eveline notices the dust at this part of her life because she plans on leaving it, which means that the dust she so often cleans will no longer be cleaned. Instead, the dust will build as will the internal conflict within Eveline knowing that she is not fulfilling the promise she made to her mother.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Can you analyze the poem "Absolution" by Siegfried Sassoon?

Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and... Sure! Siegfried Sassoon fought in World War I and was wounded in battle; he spent much of his life speaking out against war, and these pacifist feelings are easy to see in his poems. This one, "Absolution," was published in 1917, the same year that Sassoon was hospitalized for what we know today as post-traumatic stress disorder. "Absolution" is a short poem that contains three stanzas of four lines each. The word "absolution" means "forgiveness," and the v...
Post a Comment
Read more

How and why does James Gatz become Jay Gatsby? Describe the young Gatsby/Gatz.

James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune,... James Gatz, a poor Midwestern boy of probable Jewish lineage, becomes Jay Gatsby, a presumed WASP and wealthy socialite, when he moves to New York City and acquires his fortune. It is wealth that has allowed Gatz to transform himself into Gatsby. However, those who know his background (e.g., Daisy and Tom Buchanan) never allow him to forget that he is nouveau riche -- that is, an upstart who has just recently made his fortune, whereas they arose from well-to-do families. Gatz became Gatsby through determination and discipline. At the end of the novel, the narr...
Post a Comment
Read more

In chapter one of The Great Gatsby, what advice does Nick's father give him? How does this make him a good person to tell this story?

Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches... Nick says that his father advised him that, before "criticizing anyone," he "remember that all the people in this world haven't had the same advantages" as Nick.  As a result, Nick claims that he is "inclined to reserve all judgments," presenting himself to the reader as a fair and dispassionate arbiter of character, and thus, a reliable narrator.   The problem is that Nick immediately reveals himself as anything but reliable, as he then launches into a discussion of how pe...
Post a Comment
Read more