Symbolism of the Dust, the Old Photograph, and the Ship in James Joyce's "Eveline"

Symbolism of the Dust, the Old Photograph, and the Ship in James Joyce’s “Eveline”

In his short story "Eveline", James Joyce uses symbols—the dust, the old photograph, and the ship—to portray the self-imposed restrictions that limit not just his title character but also us from becoming individuals. Eveline  longs to escape from home, but relies on the past to stabilize her present, and depends on others to make decisions for her. When faced with the dilemma to either stay in Ireland or to leave for Buenos Aires with Frank, Eveline chooses to stick to the familiarity of her home. Joyce's symbolism represents the inner conflicts and self-imposed restrictions that young adults often face when on the verge of breaking into adulthood and essentially coming-of-age

In the beginning of “Eveline”, Joyce stresses the importance of dust through symbolism. The concept of dust symbolizes the layers of time that accumulated over the years.  Like dust, Eveline’s life has remained settled and unchanging, “She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odor of dusty cretonne. She was tired," (Joyce 20). The dust in Eveline’s house reminds her of all that’s gone, because while she stays put in the house, others have either died or moved away. The dust consistently collects in parts of her home, but instead of dusting the particles away, Eveline chooses not to because the odor has become so familiar, "Home! She looked round the room, reviewing all its familiar objects which she had dusted once a week for so many years, wondering where on earth all the dust came from,” (Joyce 20). Rather than cleaning the dust out of the house, Eveline allows the dust to collect. Eveline finds comfort in the dust because she has grown accustomed to it.

Early in the story, Joyce uses the yellowing photograph of her father’s old school friend as a warning to Eveline that those who leave inevitably disappoint her father. The man in the photograph had once been important to Eveline’s father; "He had been a school friend of her father. Whenever he showed the photograph to a visitor her father used to pass it with a casual word: 'He is in Melbourne now'." (Joyce 20), However, her father continues to keep the old photograph on the wall throughout the years; Eveline’s father has never moved on from the abandonment. Eveline “had never found out the name of the priest whose yellowing photograph hung on the wall above the broken harmonium..." (Joyce 20). She does not want to leave her father and become nothing but an unnamed, yellowing photograph on the wall. The thought of disappointing her father, however abusive and demanding he may be, “…she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father’s violence…latterly he had begun to threaten her and say what he would do to her only for her dead mother’s sake,” (Joyce 21), holds her back from becoming an independent young woman.

        The ship, which Eveline plans to escape with Frank on, signifies Eveline’s opportunity of escape.  Frank, a sailor, had “…tales of distant countries…He told her the names of the ships he had been on and the names of the different services. He had sailed through the Straights of Magellan and he told her stories of the terrible Patagonians,” (Joyce 22). He intrigues Eveline with tales of foreign places; Eveline, too, wants to experience new things on her own. Eveline “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 21). She finally makes her own decision: she plans to sail away on the ship and relocate to a foreign place. Eveline has the chance at a new life—one that doesn’t involve the familiarity of her home. However, when the time comes to make a final decision and board the ship, “She felt her cheek pale and cold and, out of a maze of distress, she prayed to God to direct her, to show her what was her duty. The boat blew a long, mournful whistle into the mist,” (Joyce 23). Eveline, unable to go through with her plan, does not escape to Buenos Ayres with Frank. Although given the opportunity to leave her familiar and unchanging life, Eveline chooses not to step onto the ship. Instead, she sticks to what she has known her entire life.

Joyce’s symbolism in Eveline provides background to the hesitance she feels towards making her own decisions—particularly one decision that could drastically change her life, for better or for worse. Ultimately, Eveline chooses to stay behind while Frank leaves on the ship.. The symbolism of the dust, the old photograph, and the ship proves Eveline lacks the confidence and maturity she needs to strive on her own. As we grow from young adults into adults, the pressure to act like an adult—to take responsibility for ourselves and to make our own decisions—often frightens us. Like Eveline, we might restrict ourselves from the new because we fear unfamiliarity.  Joyce shows that the shift into adulthood is often frightening and new, but requires maturity and independence in order to be successful.