The short story “Eveline,” by James Joyce is a story of a young girl who must make a decision between an unhappy life that she is familiar and comfortable with and a life of possible happiness, love, and the unknown. If she leaves with the sailor she has become fond of, she would have the chance to run off to unknown fun, unlimited dreams, and the possibility of love, or the possibility of a life of solitude. If she chose to stay with her father who was abusive and unwilling to change his ways, she would most certainly have a life of predictability and unhappiness. This made life with Frank sound more appealing. Also, Eveline had made a promise to her dying mother to take care of the home and her younger siblings for as long as she could. She would have to go back on her promise. Could she break a promise to her dying mother? The neighborhood she lived in was predictable and comfortable. She knew everything about it. As hard as the decision was, Eveline made the right decision to stay with her family because she is afraid to fail.
Although Frank was a sailor that promised fun, dreams, and the ability to be happy, he could never make Eveline …show more content…
This was where she had grown up. She used to play in the streets and she knew everybody. She even knew the sounds of the people walking down the street, like the familiar footsteps clacking on the pavement of the man in the last house on his way home. She knew the familiar smells of the area. She was fond of the smell of her house. Eveline often mentioned the familiar odor of dusty creatone. Everything in the house was familiar and she had wondered at times if she would ever see them again. She had never dreamed of being divided from them. She was unsure if she could leave and not come back. She would never be able to see these things again. This was something Eveline could never