JAMES JOYCE
EVELINE
4C girls
JAMES JOYCE
EVELINE
Adapted by
Lombardo Sandra
Ruggieri Antonella
Türkyilmaz Özlem
CONTENTS
James Joyce
3
The Characters
4
Activities BEFORE reading
5
Eveline (The text)
6
Activities AFTER reading
9
Mini review
10
Keys to activities
11
BIOGRAPHY
Let’s meet James Joyce
James Joyce (1882-1941) is an Irish novelist. Joyce's technical innovations in the art of the
novel include an extensive use of interior monologue and he created a unique language of
invented words.
James Joyce was born in Dublin, on February 2, 1882, the son of John Stanislaus Joyce, an
impoverished gentleman. Joyce's mother, Mary Jane Murray, was an accomplished pianist. In
spite of their poverty, the family struggled to maintain a solid middle-class façade. From the
age of six, Joyce, was educated by Jesuits in several colleges.
In 1898 he went in University College in Dublin.
His first publication (an essay on an Ibsen play) was published in the 1900. At this time he
also began writing. At the age of twenty, he received graduated and then went to Paris where
he worked as a journalist, teacher and other occupations. He stayed in France for a year and
returned only when his mother was dying. Not long after, Joyce was traveling again.
He left Dublin in 1904 with Nora Barnacle (his future wife).
In 1907 Joyce had published a collection of poems, Chamber Music.
Joyce published Dubliners in 1914, A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man in 1916, a play,
Exiles, in 1918 and Ulysses in 1922.
In 1914 Joyce moved to Zürich, where he started to write Ulysses. Initially censured in Great
Britain and USA, the novel was published only in France, and only in 1933 became legal
everywhere. In 1923 in Paris Joyce started his second important work, Finnegan’s Wake, and
at the same time he began having problems with his eyes.
In 1924, the first part of the novel appeared in a review and in 1939 the final version was
published. His work is considered a masterpiece, but some people found it incomprehensible.
In 1941 Joyce died in Zürich on January 13.
THE CHARACTERS
Eveline1
Frank2
the father3
the mother4
Ernest5
Harry6
1
2
3
4
5
6
Young girl
Eveline’s boyfriend (a sailor)
Eveline’s father (a violent man)
Eveline’s mother (she is dead)
Eveline’s brother (he is dead)
Eveline’s brother (he works away from home)
BEFORE READING
Here are some words from the story. Do you know
them? Match a word from the box to the correct
definition.
UNHAPPINESS
INSECURITY
POVERTY
LOVE
VIOLENCE
………………………
A feeling when a person is not sure about something.
………………………
When a person hasn’t any money.
………………………
When someone says to another person bad words (verbal) or
when someone hits another person (physical)
………………………
A feeling, when people are not happy and so they are sad.
………………………
A deep feeling for another person.
THE TEXT
Eveline
She sat at the window watching the evening invade the
avenue.
One time there was a field there in which they used to play
every evening with other people’s children. Then a man
bought the field and built houses on it. They were happy.
Everything has changed. Now she was going to go away like
the others, to leave her home. Perhaps she would never see
again those familiar objects from which she had never
dreamed of being divided. Of course she had to work hard,
both in the house and at business. Miss Gavan would be
glad, if she left, she had always had an edge on her,
especially whenever there were people listening.
But in her new home, a new and distant country, her life
would be different because she would be married. Eveline
would be respected.
Although she was nineteen years old, she was afraid of her
father’s violence. When they were children, her father beat
more Harry and Ernest (Eveline’s brothers) because she was
a girl and one day the father said that he didn’t beat her
because the mother wouldn’t let him.
Now Ernest was dead and Harry was never at home
because he worked: she had nobody to protect her. Money
was another big problem: she and Harry gave money to the
family, but the problem was to get money from their father.
In the end he gave money to buy Sunday’s dinner.
Eveline looked after her father and the two young
brothers. She had a very hard life, but now she was about to
leave it and she felt better, because she was going to start a
new life with Frank. They would go away and live together
in Buenos Ayres. He was a sailor and a very good person.
Eveline was in love with him.
Her father knew about the relationship between Evelyn
and Frank and he didn’t like it. One day, her father and
Frank quarrelled and since then she met Frank secretly.
She had two letters. One was to Harry, the other was to her
father. Ernest had been her favourite, but she liked Harry
too. Her father was becoming old lately, he would miss her.
Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the
window, she remembered her mother, her promise to keep the
home together as long as she could. She remembered the last
night of her mother’s sickness, she was in a dark room at the
other side of the hall, outside she heard a melancholy air of
Italy.
She remembered her father: “Damned Italians! Coming over
here”
She trembled as she heard again her mother’s voice saying
constantly with insistence: “Derevaun Seraun!”
Escape! She must escape! Frank would save her, give her
life. Why should she be unhappy? She had a right to
happiness. Frank would save her.
She stood at the station and where it was crowded, she
prayed God to direct her, to show her what was her duty. The
boat blew a whistle. If she went, tomorrow she would be on
the sea with Frank. How could she change idea?
“Come!” He was drawing her into the boat. She gripped
with both hands at the iron railing. No, it was impossible!
“Eveline!” he rushed beyond the barrier and called to her
to follow. She was helpless. Her eyes gave him no sign of love
or farewell or recognition.
AFTER READING
Define the different relationships between the
characters.
Eveline and her father.
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
.............................................................
Eveline and Frank
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
.............................................................
Frank and Eveline’s father
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
.............................................................
Understanding the text. Answer the following
questions.
1. HOW DOES THE MEMORY OF HER MOTHER BOTH HOLD HER AND DRIVE
HER TO ESCAPE?
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
.............................................................
2. WHY DOES SHE NOT GO AWAY WITH FRANK?
..............................................................................................
..............................................................................................
.............................................................
MINI REVIEW
Eveline is a short story written by James Joyce and it is included in “Dubliners”, one of the
best pieces of work he ever produced.
This short story is sad and melancholic because the main character Eveline doesn’t take
a position and she fears for her future in a new country with Frank.
After reading this book it is possible that people could be disappointed with the ending
because this story leaves a lot of issues open.
KEYS:
Before reading:
UNHAPPINESS
A feeling, when people are not happy and so they are sad.
INSECURITY
A feeling when a person is not sure about something.
LOVE
A deep feeling for another person.
POVERTY
When a person hasn’t any money.
VIOLENCE
When someone says to another person bad words (verbal) or
when someone hits another person (physical)
After reading:



Eveline-father: it is a bad relationship, because her father is a bad and violent person. He
treated his daughter badly.
Eveline-Frank: they are in love with each other and they would like to go to Buenos Aires to
start a new life together.
Frank-father: Eveline’s father and Frank have a bad relationship because her father doesn’t
approve of their love. They are in conflict.
1. The memory of her mother holds her because Eveline promised to keep the home
together as long as she could. But she also wants to go away because she wants a new,
better life, without sacrifices. And then she thinks that Frank would save her, he would give
her life, perhaps love, too.
2. She doesn’t go away with Frank because she is linked to her family. She would have
another life but the memory of her mother and the sense of guilt are really hard.
JAMES JOYCE
EVELINE
Eveline is a young woman in conflict with the world and
with herself. She is tired of her life, so ordinary and
monotonous. Eveline wants a new life with Frank, her
boyfriend. She is faced with a choice and her indecision…