James Joyce

1. James Joyce “Araby” and “Eveline”

2. James Joyce • 1882-1941 • Born in Dublin, Ireland • Writer of great importance • First major work is Dubliners

3. James Joyce • Published in 1914 • Collection of short stories about life in Dublin • Includes “Araby” and “Eveline”

4. James Joyce Major Themes • Paralysis • Isolation • Poverty • Longing for Escape • Religion • Epiphany

5. “Araby” 1. How would you describe the narrator as a character? What word or words describe him well? Why? from Rambo’s Angels: The narrator is a young boy who comes across as fairly bored throughout the day. An indication of this is that he follows a random young, beautiful girl during the day.

6. “Araby” 2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? from Sloth:The setting or environment seems dark. I think it contributes to the story by the coming of age and the boy realizing Araby was not what he expected, kind of having his dreams crushed.

7. “Araby” 3. Identify at least one thing in the story that you think might be symbolic, that is, something that seems to have more meaning than what it literally is. What might this symbolism contribute to the story? from a team without a name:The lightness and darkness that is described in the story might be symbolic for the way that he is feeling. It is dark when he is angered and light when he is happy.

8. “Araby” 3. Identify at least one thing in the story that you think might be symbolic, that is, something that seems to have more meaning than what it literally is. What might this symbolism contribute to the story? from An Awesome Team Name:When he gets to the Bazaar, everything is dark and closed which symbolizes how he lost his chance with the girl. His future with her is now empty and the darkness represents the depression he is now feeling.

9. “Araby” • “’If I go,’ I said, ‘I will bring you something.’”

10. “Araby” 5. Finish the sentence below to express what you think is a good one-sentence summary of the main theme (or the comment about life) that we should get from the story “Araby.” From a team without a name: James Joyce’s “Araby” shows us how people have certain expectations for a day, or life, and how they don’t always come to fruition.

11. “Araby” 6. If you write an essay on this story, what would be three or four good topics for the body paragraphs of the essay?

12. “Araby” Look Carefully at the Details! “North Richmond Street, being blind, was a quiet street except at the hour when the Christian Brothers’ School set the boys free.”

13. “Araby” What passages did you identify as being important?

14. “Araby” from a team without a name and Team Free Will: “’If I go,’ I said, ‘I will bring you something.’” This shows that the boy has made a promise and will feel as though he would let her down if he does not return with a worthy girl for the girl. This quote is exceptionally important because this is the defining moment where the story now has purpose: to get a gift for the girl.

15. “Araby” • from The Rebels:“At nine o'clock I heard my uncle's latchkey in the hall door. I heard him talking to himself and heard the hallstand rocking when it had received the weight of his overcoat. I could interpret these signs. When he was midway through his dinner I asked him to give me the money to go to the bazaar. He had forgotten.”

16. “Araby” • from Rambo’s Angels:“I lingered before her stall, though I knew my stay was useless, to make my interest in her wares seem the more real. Then I turned away slowly and walked down the middle of the bazaar. I allowed the two pennies to fall against the sixpence in my pocket. I heard a voice call from one end of the gallery that the light was out. The upper part of the hall was now completely dark. Gazing up into the darkness I saw myself as a creature driven and derided by vanity; and my eyes burned with anguish and anger.”

17. “Araby” Questions?

18. “Eveline” “She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue.”

19. “Eveline” 1. How would you describe Eveline as a character? What word or words describe her well? Why? from Spider Monkeys: She seems to be shy and timid. She doesn’t like change. A little romantic.

20. “Eveline” 1. How would you describe Eveline as a character? What word or words describe her well? Why? from The Bears: She is indecisive, naïve and dependent on others. She is indecisive because she spends the entire story contemplating weather or not she wants to run away from home with a sailor. She is naïve because she barely even knows the guy and she is planning on marrying him because she thinks that he will “save her”. (when she really doesn’t even seem to want to be saved.) She is dependent on others because she thinks that becoming the possession of a man is her only way out of being possessed by her father, when in reality she doesn’t NEED either of them. She relies on other people to make her decisions for her.

21. “Eveline” 1. How would you describe Eveline as a character? What word or words describe her well? Why? from The Dubliners: Eveline is torn as a character. Some words that describe her are troubled, confused, exhausted. The story describes her as tired possibly because she “tried to weigh each side of the question.”

22. “Eveline” 2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From Spider Monkeysand Alpha:This story seems to be set in the past considering they are getting on a steamboat. It starts out being light outside and gets darker showing how Eveline is sinking deeper into the own hole she’s created for herself in the town. The time of day is symbolic because it show how her life is getting darker and how the darkness is making her decision even harder.

23. “Eveline” 2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From Awesome Team Name and Cats in Space:Throughout the story, the sun continues to set, letting the world around Eveline grow darker and darker. This could represent how Eveline is stuck in this small town with her father and is unable to truly be with Frank. The light is fading, showing that her chance at happiness is slipping away. As the sunset gets darker, the story as a whole gets darker.

24. “Eveline” 2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From Icecaps:The setting of the story is gloomy. She seems to talk about the negatives in her life.

25. “Eveline” 2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From No Name:The setting goes from earlier in the day to late at night. At the end, she is in a crowded atmosphere. This environment shows how Eveline is feeling overwhelmed and fearful of the new life she could embark on.

26. “Eveline” 2. How would you describe the setting, or the environment, of the story? What does this setting contribute to the story? From Evelinator:Various setting throughout the story. Starting off with how it looked when she was a child and to how it looks and how it’s changed. The changing scenery helps contribute to the story because Eveline is changing too.

27. “Eveline” 3. Identify at least one thing in the story that you think might be symbolic, that is, something that seems to have more meaning than what it literally is. What might this symbolism contribute to the story? from B.S.:At the end of the story she showed no love or recognition towards the love of her life. This symbolizes that she did not really love the man, but she saw him as a way to escape her old life.

28. “Eveline” 5. Finish the sentence below to express what you think is a good one-sentence summary of the main theme (or the comment about life) that we should get from the story “Eveline.” From Penny for YoThots: James Joyce’s “Eveline” shows us how people will stick with familiarity, even if it doesn’t make them happy.

29. “Eveline” 5. Finish the sentence below to express what you think is a good one-sentence summary of the main theme (or the comment about life) that we should get from the story “Eveline.” From Awesome Team Name: James Joyce’s “Eveline” shows us how people can be unable to escape a bad situation.

30. “Eveline” 6. If you write an essay on this story, what would be three or four good topics for the body paragraphs of the essay?

31. “Eveline” Look Carefully at the Details! “She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne. She was tired.”

32. “Eveline” What passages did you identify as being important?

33. “Eveline” from Team Kassidy:“But in her new home, in a distant unknown country, it would not be like that. Then she would be married--she, Eveline. People would treat her with respect then. She would not be treated as her mother had been. Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father's violence. She knew it was that that had given her the palpitations. When they were growing up he had never gone for her like he used to go for Harry and Ernest, because she was a girl but latterly he had begun to threaten her and say what he would do to her only for her dead mother's sake. And now she had nobody to protect her.” I think this passage is important in the story because it is the entire reason why Eveline is thinking about running away. She doesn’t get the respect that she deserves.

34. “Eveline” from The Bears:“Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window, leaning her head against the window curtain, inhaling the odour of dusty cretonne.” I think this passage is important because it contains the symbolic window, the feeling that she is running out of time to make her decision, and her reluctance to leave behind what she is most familiar with all in one sentence.

35. “Eveline” from The Flying Tacos: “She felt her cheek pale and cold and, out of a maze of distress, she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what was her duty. The boat blew a long mournful whistle into the mist. If she went, tomorrow she would be on the sea with Frank, steaming towards Buenos Ayres. Their passage had been booked. Could she still draw back after all he had done for her? Her distress awoke a nausea in her body and she kept moving her lips in silent fervent prayer.”

36. “Eveline” Questions?