Joyce, J. (1914). Dubliners. Eveline. ESL-Bits.

I have a friend who in his 40's, dealing with the idea of losing audiences for his music, decided to follow our character path of today, Eveline from James Joyce's serie of stories Dubliners, short narrations about people living at Dublin, to see if he could approach new generations through new musical proposals, so he left all constructed at London and runaway, as a teenager, behind an american woman he just had met, and supposedly he was in love with.

Real border about James Joyce is he rather to follow a teenager's depth insights, a young woman, and put on her shoes to discover her naive feelings toward Frank, the sailor she is supposed to meet at Buenos Ayres to get married, as if he might have been practicing actual actor's studio's method for launching an actor's career.

I almost forgot writer was a man, while listening the woman reader, who prints a nostalgic, and out of time atmosphere to the story.

Sucess of the story has to do with a detailed description of the challenging point in which Eveline, nineteen, with two envelopes at her hand, she had wrote to his brother Harry, and her dad she's living, reviewed every single situation from her childhood; how she grew up with the kids at the streets; even more, reflexion on changes in the city's build; times working at the stores, same as taking care of two children; thinking about of provoking envious to the woman that had always yelled at her ... and main, thinking about her mother who had died, asking her for taking care of the family as she did. (Joyce, J. 1914).

As she can't stand her violent drunk father; even remembering her favorite brother has died as well; sorrying for her other brother yet working … shuffled, while seeing a picture of her dad's childhood's friend, who had left to Canada, embed at the room… she just appear from one paragraph to next at the train's station, hurrying her tickets to jump over the vehicle, facing opportunity forward, but … she listens a phantom's voice, calling her by her name, telling her to come. (Joyce, J. 1914).

End. I did not know if phantom's voice was Frank calling her from Argentina, or if otherwise, she was so nervous about leaving without permission that she could imagine the situation, because she knew she was doing something wrong.

A bell clanged upon her heart. She felt him seize her hand:

“Come!”

All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart. He was drawing her into them: he would drown her. She gripped with both hands at the iron railing.

“Come!”

No! No! No! It was impossible. Her hands clutched the iron in frenzy. Amid the seas she sent a cry of anguish.

“Eveline! Evvy!”

He rushed beyond the barrier and called to her to follow. He was shouted at to go on but he still called to her. She set her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love or farewell or recognition. (Joyce, J. 1914. p.1).

Joyce portrayed the teenager by observing her behavior, emphasyzing on her fear and foolhardy attitude, and letting us get touched by a “magnifique” story. I love it.

Joyce, J. (1914). Dubliners. Eveline. ESL-Bits. http://eslbits.net/ESL.English.Listening.Short.Stories/Eveline-Dubliners/index.html