Many people face making difficult decisions everyday, often thinking back if it was the correct one or wondering what would happen if one's choice was different. James Joyce's "Eveline" illustrates a young woman growing up in a poor neighborhood. Her mother is very ill and her father grows more abusive as her mother becomes sicker. Eveline herself is very unhappy with her life. That is, until she meets a young man named Frank who makes her feel happy and full of desires. This new experience leaves Eveline with two very difficult choices, the pursuit of happiness or the continuation of an unhappy life. Sometimes we find ourselves in agony when caught between pursuing our own dreams and fulfilling our duties.
Eveline lives a hard and hopeless life. The only joy she could remember is in her childhood where she could roam free of problems. Years ago she recalls, "The children on the avenue used to play on a field where now stands many houses." Her mother was alive and well then, but now she is dead. Losing her mom at a young age had a devastating effect on her. The odors that now surround Evenline are of dusty cretonnes mixed with the stale smell of her clothes. Not only has she lost her Mother, a mentor in her life, but a friend who was always there to make her feel alive. The promise she made to her mother shortly before her death, to keep the home together as long as she could, would make her think twice about leaving Ireland to pursue happiness.
Eveline has taken on an incredible burden in keeping the family together, as her mother did before her. She works hard at the store and also at home, where she cares for her old father and younger siblings. Although she works tireless at her job, her salary is garnished by her father who is always accusing her of being a irresponsible spender. She realizes everyday that goes by how difficult it is to take over an unwanted burden. This is causing Eveline a great deal of sorrow.