No matter how old we grow, how mature we become, games will always be an essential part of our lives. The playful interaction that we go through in life, the ambiguity of life that we emerge ourselves to try to solve the many unsolvable mysteries of life is something that is vital and indispensable in our lives. It is one never-ending game of "hide and seek", one never-ending carousel ride. Life is just a mess of games that people play. No matter how hard we try, there is no way for us to escape from the games people play. .
James Joyce's novel Dubliners is a vivid depiction of the degrading state of Irish society. Joyce uses different central ideas or situations to portray every aspect of society in Dublin but it is evident that, in every situation, the characters are trapped by the familial, social and economic pressures of Dublin into an imperfect situation in which they strive to escape and achieve freedom but often fail to reach that point. Thus Joyce alludes in his short stories that human beings indulge in games to escape from life's seriousness and the harshness of reality that is too hard to cope with. Throughout his novel, characters are seen to "play games" with their problems of life, death, marriage, love and most importantly, their hope for a better tomorrow. However, in almost every situation, they fail to win at the game they play and return back to their normal lives trapped by the familial, social and economic pressures of Dublin society. .
It becomes particularly noticeable throughout the story "Eveline", where a young girl is trapped between two worlds - the desire for a "perfect" future versus the burden and responsibility of her past. Her very complicated present life forces her to seek outlets in life in which she notices various possibilities of escapes. At a very young age, Eveline takes note of the involvement of games in everyday life, specifically in the days of her childhood.
