Table of ContentsJames Joyce "Eveline" - Analysis of Symbols, Motifs and ThemeConclusionWorks CitedThe story of Eveline is one of many stories in a collection of short stories titled With the Dubliners by James Joyce; they take place in the early 1900s. The story is realistic fiction and takes place in 1914 Ireland. The story is about a young girl who leads a difficult and unhappy life with household chores and responsibilities that overwhelm her. Some foreshadowing, symbols, motifs, themes, and message analyzes will be discussed in what follows. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay The foreshadowing of Eveline's story is mentioned at the beginning of the story when Eveline recalls some memories of a of his childhood friends called Keogh who was crippled. This friend foreshadows Eveline's paralysis as in a scene where Eveline stands alone in front of a window, thinking and watching her life unfold. Furthermore, this foreshadows the end of her relationship with Frank since in another scene, she finds herself alone, thinking about her life and doubting her decision to abandon her family.James Joyce "Eveline" - Analysis of symbols, motifs and theme When it comes to symbols, window is the first one. A window in Eveline represents the difference between the reality Eveline lives in and the new life she dreams of. Additionally, it represents the contrast between prison and freedom, domestic chores and future events she might encounter in her new life. The second symbol is dust, which represents monotony, repetition and boredom. Eveline regularly and frequently cleans her room and her family's house, no matter how many times and how often she does it, the dust always continues to accumulate and comes back as an analogy to her miserable and boring life. Water is the third symbol. In the story, the sea is mentioned to represent the unknown and the anonymous. Eveline, deep in her heart, does not want to leave her familiar life and family, and leaving the only life she knows to the unknown is a terrifying idea for her. Also, the sea signifies freedom, which is yet another reason why Eveline is scared and uncomfortable with her decision to run away as freedom opens up and offers more options not guaranteed. Even though she dreams of having a new life full of love, care and freedom from restrictions, she doubts herself and her choice, because her father's meanness and her mother's words paralyze her decisions. As for motives, the first is Paralysis. “She turned her face white, passive, like a defenseless animal.” On page 6 of the last scene, Eveline's inability to move shows the significant impact of death on her life and mind. The second motif is the Epiphany, which highlights the repeated desire for hope on the one hand and the acceptance of one's life on the other. The third motive is Betrayal, due to the death of his mother, his favorite brother and one of his childhood friends. Additionally, her father's cruelty and her entire situation make Eveline feel abandoned, isolated and betrayed. The fourth reason is religion. Some religious references and symbols suggested by the author in the story refer to religion which sometimes traps people in thinking about life and death. Because it's just another procedural routine and repetitive way of life. We can see some of these references in certain lines of the story, “she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what her duty was” “A bell tolled on her heart”. The bell here resembles a church bell. As for the themes, the.