Response: Choose one student to respond to regarding his/her post.
Initial Post: In a well-organized response, discuss why “Eveline” by James Joyce is part of the Death and Loss unit. Be sure to use textual reference to support your ideas.
Response: Choose one student to respond to regarding his/her post.
Steven
9/17/2013 06:07:17 am
"Eveline" by James Joyce is included in the Death and Loss unit because of the various indications of death and the one to loss. The first indication of death is when the narrator talks about her mother dying. "...her mother was dead." When the narrator says this the mood of the story changes, causing the feeling of sorrow for Eveline. Then immediately after stating about the mother dying, Joyce goes on to talk about how one of Eveline's brothers has also passed away. Because of this, the readers get a sense of sadness and sympathy for Eveline. The second element of the story that allows it to be a part of the death and loss unit is the feeling of loss that she presents when about to move away from Belfast. The entire story Eveline is almost being described as though she hates her life at home currently, but as the story progresses, she becomes more and more in tune with the fact that she actually likes it in Belfast because it is the only thing that she knows. She feels guilty as if she is going to lose everything that she had her entire life.
Logan
9/19/2013 07:49:50 am
I really like the way you read deeper into this story. I didn't think to include her mother's death into the reason for categorizing this story into the death and loss unit. The reference to her brother is quite interesting also. It is a small detail in the story and could easily be overlooked. One can definitely tell you thoroughly analyzed this piece.
Christine
9/20/2013 06:17:46 am
Your points are very valid. As you can see in my blog post, I focused on the same two topics. The only real "death" experienced in the story, "Eveline," was the death of her mother; however, throughout the story, Joyce focuses on how miserable Eveline is in her life. In a way, I feel as if Eveline's life is more tragic than her mother's death. She has to endure the feeling of lifeless sorrow every day she wakes up. So although the story does not focus on Eveline's mother's death, it still ties in greatly with our death and loss unit. Great insight, Steven!
Sam
9/20/2013 08:03:09 am
I see the death aspect of this unit that you describe, but where is the loss? You mention at the very beginning of the post that there is "one [indication of] loss" in the story. Why would you make distinctions between the two? Death and loss almost go hand in hand. The death of a loved one is a loss, and the story mentioned two deaths in the main character's family. Would that not make a total of THREE losses? It would, I guess, if this other loss you included was an actual loss. When you say, "She feels guilty as if she is going to lose everything that she had her entire life," I'm assuming you mean the character losing everything is a loss for her and is the reason this story is included in the Death & LOSS Unit. The problem with that reasoning is that the main character didn't actually lose anything aside from the aforementioned family members after their death. The main character in the story doesn't actually go through with leaving Belfast. Therefore, she does not lose everything she had in it. Even if the main character did leave Belfast and "lose" everything, your reasoning would still be off. You misinterpreted the context of "Loss" in the Death & Loss Unit. The reason "loss" is included in the title of this unit is not to describe someone misplacing something or having a deficit of something. Instead, "loss" is meant to describe the deficit of a person, because it is paired with the word "death." The word "death" does not typically connote absent mindedness or losing one's phone, so I don't really see how you arrived to the concept of one losing anything other than a loved one due to death.
Logan
9/17/2013 06:44:43 am
The short story "Eveline" by James Joyce tells the tale of a girl given the choice to leave her family and abusive father to sail with her lover to Buenos Aires. She had to make the decision to lose her family or her lover, and in the end she picked to stay with her family, even if that meant being brutally abused. The plot of this story focuses around the idea of loss. No matter which option she picked, she had to choose someone she cared for deeply to leave behind.
Jess
9/19/2013 10:37:16 am
The story of Eveline does focus around the idea of loss, however, it portrays death as well. The story mentions how Eveline's mother died. Although, death is mentioned as well as loss, for the rest of your response I 100% agree. She did have to choose someone who she cared for deeply to leave behind.
Cristina Haller
9/17/2013 06:47:46 am
It is very obvious why "Eveline" is part of the Death and Loss unit. Almost right away Eveline states that her mother is dead and so is her brother Ernest. Not only that but her father is losing his mind over the death of his wife. He threatens his daughter and belittles her. Eveline herself is planning on leaving her familiar home and memories to be with a man she thinks she loves. She questions her choice to leave "She consented to go away, to leave her home. Was this wise?". All of her doubts flood her mind when she thinks of her promise to her mother and the struggle she has been through to keep that promise. In a way the story is about the loss of love and freedom that she once had. And in the end she loses the one she planned to run away with. In a way she loses herself because he was her escape and her chance at independence. So there is no doubt that this story fits in with the Death and Loss unit.
Sam
9/17/2013 08:37:02 am
I think "Evaline" by James Joyce was included in this unit, because both the unit and the short story dealt with death. The current unit is titled "Loss & Death," which is what the main character experiences with her mother. Furthermore, the main character uses her mother's death as a sort of motivation to leave her family. This occurs when the main character recalls her mother's death and what she says right before it. The relevance of what the mother said is due to her death. Had she not died, it would not have stuck with the main character. Therefore, the main character's actions are directly motivated by death, and the story is centered around death.
Steven
9/20/2013 06:16:29 am
First I'd like to start by pointing out that you misspelled the name of the title, "Eveline." Next, I would like to point out that the main character of the story did not leave. At the end of the story, she is grabbing on to the fence at the quay and does not follow Frank. Although she experiences death throughout the story, it does not directly correlate to her actions; if it did, she would have left.
Christine
9/17/2013 09:14:08 am
While the story "Eveline" by James Joyce does not focus the conflict on a death, it still ties into this unit very well. The story does mention the death of the protagonist's mother, but not in detail. The story is mainly about a girl who wants to live adventurously and not live a life filled with regret and unhappiness, which is the life her mother had lived. Eveline had a lover, Frank, who she had planned to run away with and explore the world with. "She was to go away with him by the night-boat to be his wife and to live with him in Buenos Ayres where he had a home waiting for her." (Joyce, 1) Unfortunately, when it came time to leave her old life to start her new one, she could not bring herself to see what the world had to offer. She simply just watched as Frank was begging for her to come onto the ship. "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, 1) This story ties into the Death and Loss Unit because it talks about a girl, Eveline, who could of had the adventurous life that she wanted; but instead, could not bring herself to leave behind her old life. She lost one of the only opportunities she had of starting over. The reader assumes that she will end up living the life her mother lived and dying unhappily.
Samantha
9/19/2013 03:40:15 pm
I really like the perspective of certain aspects of the story you have taken. Such as, that "Eveline" loosely fits into the death and loss unit because it focuses more on Eveline and her life. I felt, that if Emily had gone, a part of her own life would have died. So, we did not agree there. But, I do also like that you made the connection that Eveline was living the same life her mother had. I did not make that connection. I very much enjoyed reading your outlook and how you interpreted certain details of the story.
Samantha
9/17/2013 10:22:04 am
"Eveline" is a part of the death and loss unit for many reasons. The story is about a girl who have the opportunity to go with her lover and live a happy life. In the end, she does not go with Frank, her lover, because she wants to keep her promise to her mother. The promise was to keep the home together as long as she could. Throughout the story, Eveline has flashbacks of her childhood. I believe the story is in this unit because Eveline is not able to leave her past behind. It would be like a part of her life has died. This can be shown through, "she prayed God to direct her, to show her what was her duty." In this line, Eveline wants God to tell her what to do. Should she break the promise to her mother or go live a happy life for once? Eveline chooses to not go and does not feel anything as she watches Frank leave. By keeping the promise, she did not allow her mother's spirit to die within her family.
Cristina Haller
9/19/2013 12:43:42 pm
I agree that she wanted to keep her promise to her mother and I think that her looking to God for guidance is important but in what way does that show loss? Do you mean this in a loss of faith sort of way? Loss of faith in her ability to keep a promise perhaps? By not allowing her mother's spirit to die isn't that preventing death and loss?
Jess
9/17/2013 11:28:47 am
Eveline by James Joyce is part of the death and loss unit because it discusses the death of Eveline’s mother and also the loss of her loved ones as they move on in their lives. The lesson is that although people come and go we have to learn how to cope and move along with our own lives. Eveline finds it hard to pack up her stuff and leave the home she grew up in. However, she then finds that letting go is an essential thing in life. This is a lesson that is also portrayed in the death and loss unit.
Tori Posivak
9/17/2013 12:00:16 pm
The story Evaline is part of the death and loss unit because it describes the loss of a family member through death and how i affects and changes peoples lives. It also describes the losses people feel when they are not living a happy fulfilling life. Eveline "sat at the window watching the evening evade the avenue" as she reflected on her life. "She remembered the last night of her mothers illness", before she died and the promises she made to her. And now, she had thoughts of leaving, going out on her own she that she would no longer feel the sadness she felt. However when it came down to actually making changes "she gripped with both hands at the iron railing". She was afraid of change, unable to go, realizing maybe she was content and ok with her life. Comments are closed.
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