How the Past Affects Our Future in Eveline by James Joyce - Essay Example

"Eveline" by James Joyce How the Past affects our Future Introduction Stories are not only a reflection of one’s beliefs and ideologies but a reflection of the society at a particular time. Reading stories enables the audience get a picture of the environment in which they are set and the author’s views. “Eveline”, a story written by James Joyce, is one such example through which readers understand history and various aspects of life. In this story, a young girl named Eveline falls in love with a man who insists on eloping with her to Buenos Ayres. This is a decision Eveline finds hard to make. The present essay attempts to evaluate how the author makes use of elements of fiction to show how past experiences affect our future endeavors. By using these elements, the author successfully shows that clinging to one’s past experiences and traditions is a major obstacle to achieving our future dreams and aspirations. By focusing the characters, plot, setting and style, the paper will show how the story successfully brings out this point. A person’s surrounding, friends and family, routine, emotions and the inability to take action make it difficult to leave the past and pursue a better future elsewhere. Our traditional setting and environments prevent us from exploring better alternatives elsewhere. Setting is one of the elements of fiction used by the author to bring out the main ideas in the story. This setting had a great influence on Eveline’s life since she had become accustomed to it. The physical setting of the story is Eveline’s room and the field. The plot moves from the window to the field and then back to the room. For instance, at the beginning of the story, the author states that Eveline “looked round the room” and was “reviewing all its familiar objects” (Joyce, 29). Through the setting of the story, the author is able to highlight how familiar surroundings make us resistant to change. The story shows that Eveline was looking at the people and objects she had become familiar with, and this made it harder for her to live with her lover. Through the setting, the author shows how human decisions about the future are tied to the objects and people around him. It is hard for a person to live his or her familiar environment however good or bad it is. Secondly, the choice of characters used in the story further shows the conflicting emotions people have when choosing between a life rooted in the past and the possibility of a new better life elsewhere. Eveline, who is the main character in the story, is shown to be confused and undecided. For example, at one point, she feels happy that she will finally live the hard life, yet at another moment, she fears that she might not fulfill the promises to her late mother. This idea of conflicting emotions and feelings shows that family ties and bonds prevent one from moving forward but instead make one a slave of his or her past. Whereas Eveline might have wanted to live a better life, her obligations to her family make it impossible for her to elope with her lover. The author makes the point that in order for one to progress in life, it is important that familiar ties and bonds are sometimes let go. The decisions about our future need to be guided by reason but not emotions. One needs to be emotionally and psychologically strong in order to make better and sensible decisions. The concern about other people’s perceptions about our lives also affects the decisions we make about the future. The author’s omniscient point of view helps in revealing the characters’ thoughts and emotions. Through this point of view, the author is able to appeal to the reader’s emotions, and at the same time helping the reader understand the deeper feelings of the characters. For example, the author asks. “What would they say of her in the Stores when they found out that she had run away with a fellow” (Joyce, 30). Through this point of view, the author highlights the major concerns of the protagonist. In this case, it shown that Eveline was also concerned about what people around her would think of her when they discover that she had run away with a lover. This further supports the idea that our past makes it difficult to make better choices for the future. When one is concerned about the views held by others around him/her, it becomes difficult to make an independent decision, even if such a decision is for one’s own good. Through this story, the author advances the idea that in order for one to make progress in life, it becomes necessary to ignore the fears one has regarding other people’s perceptions about our actions and decisions. Unless this is done, one continues to be a slave of his past. The reliance and adherence on routine and repetition can hinder one’s progress in life. The plot of the story clearly illustrates this aspect of routine and repetition, and this prevents Eveline from making any meaningful progress towards achieving her desire to live with her lover and move away from the hard life. At the beginning of the story, Eveline is shown to be at home, in her room. She then moves to the fields and back to the house again. Later she is shown to be with her lover on the docks, away from her home, but she never gets to the ship with him. This shows that she was willing to go back home again and continue living her usual life with familiar routine- cleaning the house, going to the stores etc. The point made by the author is that when a person adheres to an established routine, it is likely that the person becomes a static machine that does not move forward. The unwillingness to change routine for better things is a major factor in preventing individuals from making progress in life. It is thus important for our usual routines to be re-evaluated in order to change our destiny. Perhaps the question one needs to ask himself or herself is whether such routine add value to their lives or not. This will help a person understand the need to live the past to better the future. The inability and unwillingness of a person to take personal initiative can also leave one rooted in one spot for a long time. This point is well brought out through the author’s style of writing. The author uses simple and clear words, making the story easy to read and understand. Through this, the author brings out the true nature of the characters. For example, at the start of the story, the author states that Eveline “sat”, “looked”, “heard” and “continued to sit” and did nothing (Joyce, 29). The fact that she failed to take personal initiative meant that she would continue to suffer in her family. In order for one to move away from his/her past, it is necessary to take the initiative and start moving in the right direction. The point the author illustrates here is that breaking away from the past requires personal action and not other people’s actions. Without this, one may not realize what lies on the other side. Conclusion This essay has focused on the idea of breaking away from the past in order to better one’s life. By using elements of fiction, the author has successfully illustrated how the past affects our future. Throughout the paper, it has been illustrated that one’s past can greatly hinder his/her ability to move forward in life and lead a better life. This is because our surrounding, emotions, adherence to routine and the inability to take initiative leave us stagnated in one spot. This paper has shown that unless one is willing and ready to break away from the past, it may become impossible to achieve future goals. This can only be achieved if one takes the personal initiative and summons enough courage to leave the past behind and everything associated with it for a better future. This is one of the major lessons the author brings out in this story. People do not need to be captives of their past and present situations. Works cited Joyce, James. Dubliners. London: Penguin Books, 1992, pp. 29-34. Read More