Symbolism Of Dust In Eveline

Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odour of dusty cretonne."(3) In “Eveline”, Joyce portrays a tale around Eveline a young girl in Dublin; who is determining an extensive life decision which she will have to live with. Eveline wanted freedom, but she was too apprehensive to run from her strict catholic responsibilities. A common recurring archetypal in "Eveline" is the dust that is mentioned throughout the story. In James Joyce's "Eveline" dust is a controlling symbol that reinforces our understanding of Eve lines suffocating and acrid life. In other words, the dust symbolizes the dearth of life in the house. “Reviewing all its familiar objects which she had dusted once a week for so many years...” (3) Over time things hardly change much and as dust, lack of movement makes more of this debris accumulate. As in life, sluggishness also begets more stagnation unless some kinds of persistent action difference us. Dust is repeatedly mentioned to reinforce our understanding of Eveline's absence of movement in life. At the start of the story she is watching the world go by staring out the window. She almost makes it out of her homeland Dublin and to Buenos Aires, but in the end she is too afraid to make the change. Another key point, there is astounding evidence in Eveline's life that transition is positive, yet she continues to resist it."..she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father's violence."(5). She also claimed to have heart conditions as well from fear of her father. "She knew it was that that had given her palpitation."(5). Eveline also witnessed her mother make many routine sacrifices and give up her privilege of choice in everyday life. She learned, by glancing...

... middle of paper ...

...

To sum up, even if Eveline had settled to take off with Frank, she would have always be reminded by the “dust” she had deserted, the chores unfinished, and the job uncompleted. The culpability would have been as asphyxiate as the dust is. “..she could hear the street organ playing. She knew the air. Strange that it should come to that very night to remind her of the promise to her mother, her promise to keep the home together as long as she could.”(5). Eveline then comprehends that she is designed to live the equivalent life her mother lived surrounded by the same community, the same stuff, the same obligations, and the same old dust. When it comes down to meeting Frank at the port. She “..gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition.”(6). It is as if her intimate dust had been disrupted by a slender gust, only to resettle once again and envelope desires.