James Joyce paints a grim picture of the sheltered life of 19th century women in Dublin in his story Eveline. Part of a series, entitled Dubliners, Eveline is the story of a young woman torn between romantic duty and the opportunity to escape. Eveline chooses neither; his life instead reflects a cyclical and immobile position, which characterizes the bleakness of Joyce's commentary on life in Dublin in general. His struggle is articulated through a unique narrative that includes third-person perspective and stream-of-consciousness technique. Eveline's point of view is integral to conveying the protagonist's literal and mental conflict regarding her obligation to stay and her fantasy of freedom. By entering Eveline's mind, the narrative explores her thoughts and desires which are responsible for the plot. Although the story lacks physical action, the importance lies in Eveline's inability to move, in her psychological and spiritual paralysis. The perspective coincides with three main figures: the window, the perpetual dust and the memory of Eveline's deceased mother. These figures represent the transcendent turmoil that afflicts the individual Eveline, as well as the wider context of the city of Dublin. The significance of a third-person narrative, aided by the stream of consciousness method, highlights the paralysis with which Eveline was paralyzed, both in mind and body. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original Essay Joyce's narrative begins as a depiction of the protagonist from afar, as if he were sitting across the room from Eveline. He comments on her physical description and some details of her immediate environment, however, the voice slips into Eveline's consciousness as she begins to remember the innocence that was central to her childhood. Eventually a point is reached in the fifth paragraph, where the narrative resembles Eveline's own voice and her polarizing personal thoughts. Eveline mentally notes that "It was hard work - a hard life - but now that she was about to leave him she didn't find it a wholly undesirable life." (Joyce 553) The sentence lacks grammatical structure and the absence of commas. simulates a constant flow of brain activity. The narrative returns to the standard third-person perspective in the final scene with a simple but emphatic description: “She turned her white, passive face towards him, like a helpless animal. Her eyes gave him no sign of love, farewell or recognition. interacts mentally with both. The figure of the window represents a division between the domestic space and the outside world. Eveline's repressed nature and the anticipatory symbol of the window create a subtle juxtaposition of hope and despair. The window appears in the narrative outside of Eveline's consciousness, creating a duality: Eveline's time spent near the window is both a form of subconscious imprisonment and a violation of liberated life. The duality, however, is unstable due to Joyce's second "dust" figure. They are mentioned next to each other in two cases: “SHE sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue. His head was leaning against the window curtains and the smell of dusty cretonne was in his nostrils. She was tired." (Joyce 552) And again on page 554: "Her time was running out but she continued to sit by the window, resting her head against the window curtain, inhaling the smell of dusty cretonne." (Joyce 554 ) The dust that collects on the drapery represents the passage of time with uninterrupted physical movement. This is very similar to Eveline's situation;.