Eveline by James Joyce

Eveline (protagonist) wishes to escape her life and she is afraid of leaving her life. One infers some Catholic guilt or belief in being punished for happiness. This very short story uses sparity of language that takes the reader through just enough scenes in Eveline's life to give a complete picture. It is very tightly written with every paragraph working hard; every image pulling you into the story.

Paragraph 1: what it's like in the house. Pararaph 2: a history of the neighborhood and family. Paragraph 3: how she feels about her home. Paragraph 4: what she's about to do. Paragraph 5: why she's doing it. Paragraph 6: how she came to decision. Paragraph 7: what she will regret. Paragraph 8: what she feels guilty about. P9: What she fears about going. P10: what she does. P11: how she feels about what she does. P12: what she can't do. P13: how she feels about what she can't do.

Despite the brevity and the spareness, Joyce has used all the "right" paragraphs to cause the reader to feel sympathy for Eveline and wants her to be happy. She has been a "good" woman all through her life, taking care of others. While she doesn't actually express unhappiness, her description of her mother's life, her desire to not follow in her footsteps, her longing for happiness all create the sensation of unhappiness. The denial of her happiness by her own hand, is what creates such a sense of tragedy in this story. The inaction of the story while the tension is built (will she? won't she? similar to The Years of my Birth) makes you feel anxious that perhaps she won't be able to go. And then, perhaps, she doesn't. Joyce doesn't outright tell us she doesn't get on the boat, but he far from assures us that she will.