Eveline, by James Joyce

 Rating: 8/10

  'Eveline' shows a character's inability to escape for her own good, because she unwillingly adapted to the restrictive situation she was in. Even though Eveline was thirsty for 'freedom' and Frank gave her a hand to rescue her from pain, she was reluctant to seize the chance. This portrays the situation of Ireland in the 20th century. Just like Eveline's father controlled Eveline under the name of protection, England colonized Ireland, saying that they were 'protecting' Ireland for Ireland's sake. So I thought the action of Eveline not grabbing Frank's hand can be interpreted in two different ways. Maybe the author was trying to criticize Ireland, the dubliners, who were afraid to step out and achieve freedom. But a simple change in point of view leads to totally different analysis. The refusal of grabbing the hand might mean Eveline's - or Ireland's - will and determination to stop acting in a passive voice and become a subjective and independent existence. This specific open-endedness suddenly popped inside my head, making the story a lot more interesting.