Escapism and the Exotic Theme Analysis

As in many of the other stories in Dubliners, the protagonist of “Eveline” has a desire to escape from the drab, brown Dublin life. But unlike the narrator in “Araby,” for example, Eveline has an actual plan to escape to Argentina. She also has an opportunity to gain respect through marriage and also by distancing herself from the bad reputation her family seems to have, escaping the limitations of her current social status. Eveline fantasizes about her escape and seems to think it will solve all of her problems: her financial disputes with her father, the lack of respect her coworkers show her, and her general discontentment with Dublin life. However, when it comes time for Eveline to actually board the boat with Frank, she decides against her escape. This implies that perhaps the idea of an escape was satisfying in itself, but the actual act of escaping is too scary. Eveline liked having the opportunity for an escape, and it temporarily soothed her anxiety about the lack of respect she receives from her boss and her fear of being treated like her mother. It is possible that all she really desired was some kind of reassurance in the form of another potential path.

Eveline takes interest in Frank not only because he is offering her an escape, but also because she finds him exotic. He tells her stories about faraway places and people and exposes her to music and culture that she has never before experienced. Frank takes her to see the play “The Bohemian Girl,” which although the music is written by an Irish composer, deals with “gypsies” in Austria and other Eastern European countries. For Eveline, anything outside of Dublin most likely seems exotic, since she seems to have lived on the same quiet street, surrounded by the same people, her whole life. Even the fact that Frank is a sailor is a bit exotic, at least to the extent that because of this Eveline’s father forbids her from seeing him. She is also thrilled to sit in an “unaccustomed” part of the theater, which suggests that Frank is of a higher status than Eveline and was able to buy more expensive seats. At one point Eveline reflects on the lack of respect she receives in Dublin and imagines that in Argentina, “a distant unknown country,” it will not “be like that.” Eveline reveals her ignorance with this somewhat contradictory thought. She is assuming it will not “be like that” but she also admits that she is going to make a new home in an unknown country, and does not seem to have any basis for the assertion that she will have more respect in Argentina.

Similar to Joyce’s other protagonists in Dubliners, Eveline is searching for an escape. However, at the end of the story it becomes clear that Eveline was not as serious about finding a physical escape as she initially appeared. Additionally, she seems to realize that an escape does not necessarily promise a happy ending and she could easily end up with a violent husband, just like her mother did. Joyce seems to see all Dubliners as trapped by society. The opportunities for escape are scarce, so instead many of his characters choose to fantasize about the exotic and satisfy themselves with more of a mental escape.