James Joyce often depicts women as insignificant background characters due to the role of women during the period he wrote, but there are a few instances where a woman is essential to the story. “Araby,” “Eveline,” and “The Death” are all instances where a woman is essential to the story. In "Araby", there is only one female character. As a love interest, Mangan's sister, Mangan's sister, inspires the narrator to go to the bazaar. It symbolizes the familiarity of Dublin, as well as the hope of love and the mysterious allure of new places. In a way, the story revolves around her, but we don't learn her name. The narrator idolizes Mangan's sister and considers her an object of his desire more than a human. Joyce rarely describes the appearance of Mangan's sisters, and since we never learn her name, we can assume that Joyce is implying that she is a minor character, without much significance. In “Eveline”, there are two fairly important female characters. This is a rarity in Joyce's work since he primarily writes men as the main characters. The main character, Eveline, must decide whether or not to leave with her love, Frank, or stay where her father and home are. Eveline wants to go with Frank because she thinks that once she arrives in Argentina; she will be more respected as a wife than as a single woman. During this time, women were considered more valuable as wives than as independent women. She struggles to make a decision because even though her father is abusive, she has to take care of him, implying that as a woman she feels she has to take care of everyone. Frank loves Eveline and would have treated her well if she had gone to Argentina with him. Ultimately, Frank doesn't really matter in the story... middle of paper... there is personal frustration due to shrewd and manipulative behavior. (Henke, 1986) The women of Dubliners are clearly depicted as communal victims. James Joyce often depicts women as minor characters due to the role women played during the time period he wrote, but there are a few instances where a woman is the center of the story. .Works CitedMays, Kelly J. “The Norton Introduction to Literature.” New York: WW Norton & Company, 2013. Book. 592-638. October 27, 2013. Henke, Suzette A. “Through a Cracked Looking Glass: Sex Role Stereotypes.” International Perspectives on James Joyce. Ed. Gottlieb Gaiser. Troy, New York: Whitson, 1986. 2-31. October 27, 2013. Ingersoll, Earl G. “The Stigma of Femininity in James Joyce’s “Eveline” and “The Boarding House.” Studies in Short Fiction 30.4 (1993): 501. Literary Reference Center. Internet. October 27. 2013.