Eveline

Throughout James Joyce's Eveline, and internal conflict is occurring in the woman's mind. She is in love with a sailor. Of course, sailors are traveling people and if she wanted to marry him she would have to go with him on his travels. Her father does not like her little sailor boyfriend at all. The woman is conflicted about whether she should go with this sailor who she loves or to stay with her father who has loved her all her life. Might I just say, I totally predicted the ending after the first page. Although it doesn't really make it a perfect love story, I think it is good that she values her family. However, I think this really because she fears her father's wrath. Eveline describes: "...she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father's violence." I think this line makes it pretty clear that her father has a short temper and he tended to beat his family. The last line also gives a clue as to why she fled the sailor. It says that her eyes gave no sign of love or farewell or recognition. It appears that Eveline had a revelation that she did not really love this man, and she wanted to get away in order to reevaluate her life.