The characters in “Araby” and “Eveline” can be compared further, for example the boy’s uncle and Evelines father. In ‘Araby’, the boy’s uncle is a sad, depressed man who longs for nothing but happiness for his nephew and gives him all he has to show love for him. As the boy’s uncle is not his father he cannot stop the boy from going to the bazaar, but tries to delay him all the same as he knows how the boy is feeling living in a house with relations that aren’t his real parents, so he tries to delay him not on purpose, but hoping the boy would reconsider because of the fact they aren’t his parents and have very little money: “Cant you give him the money and let him go? You’ve kept him late enough as it is”. Whereas in ‘Eveline’, her father does the exact opposite and makes her give all she has instead of giving her all he has. Yet, there is a similarity. Both the boy and Eveline are poverty struck and both of their families, though one shows it more than the other, care very much for them. Both stories ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline’ have a similar plot line. Both the boy and Eveline show that there life as one big struggle to please people. Eveline tries to please both her dead mother and drunken father. The boy in ‘Araby’ tries to please Mangan’s sister with empty promises about souvenirs from the bazaar.
Joyce uses similar language techniques in both stories. People in both ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline’ to either explain a point or to emphasize it use exclamation marks. Examples include, “O, I never said such a thing!” and “Damned Italians! Coming over here!” The writer uses these very effectively as it makes the person in the story say things with immense power.
The writer also uses poetic techniques that work well with the story. In addition to this, the writer throws the language into the story and adds a natural feel making us aware that his language is real. Such examples of his poetic technique are in ‘Araby’ about the boy's passionate, uncontrollable feelings for the girl: "My body was like a harp," he says, " and her words and gestures were like fingers running upon the wires." In ‘Eveline’, much can be said in the way of poetic gestures, as for the example I have stated, “My body was like a harp” and the harp symbolizes the boy being strung along by her, and that she was the one playing it making us aware of the type of gestures he might be referring to. Nevertheless in ‘Eveline’, the writer describes her as if someone else was controlling her, and that she wasn’t the master of her mind or body. Yet another example of a poetic technique is “ Yellowing photograph”, making it seem old, dying and lifeless, as the person in the picture was, also ironic. Personification is also an aspect of both stories. In ‘Araby’, examples of personification are: “Brown imperturbable faces”. To me it means that the houses are actually people with faces and that paralysis is hinted here as the houses are still, meaning the faces are also. Another example in ‘Araby’ is: “When she came out on the doorstep my heart leaped”. This meaning his heart leaped (figure of speech) giving his heart movement when it shouldn’t be jumping. In ‘Eveline’ such examples of personification are: “She sat at the window watching the evening invade the avenue”. The word ‘invade’ brings an exciting and somber first line, which is very effective. Lastly, rhetorical questions are used in both ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline’. Examples of this are more clear in ‘Eveline’ than in ‘Araby’: “Why should she be unhappy?” and “Could she still draw back after everything he had ever done for her?” These are the questions that the writer asks for us in the third person perspective. We thus share her thought process successfully.
The writer is effective in both ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline’, yet my final point is on the similarities of both ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline’s’ themes. The themes in both ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline’ are paralysis and love. In ‘Araby’ love is a big theme as the boy shows love to Mangan’s sister, even though his love will never be returned. The story of ‘Araby’ is told in a first person perspective. Therefore meaning that the boy tells the story from how he sees and feels it, yet his deepest thoughts are given along with his feelings, something that no other narrator would be able to accomplish. His love for Mangans sister will never be returned and we know this because of her actions towards him and her need to use him for things she can’t get herself. “Turning a silver bracelet round and round her wrist”. This could possibly be another present from a boy who liked her too, yet couldn’t have her. The theme pops up into everything because of the influence she has on him. His schoolwork is affected: “I answered few questions in class”, thoughts of her disturb his sleep and the fact he went all the way to the bazaar for her with little to spend is also striking. Paralysis is also a major theme because the theme of ‘Araby’ is explored through the boy's last line, and through the disappointment of the bazaar making him frozen to the spot, as is expected, he finds himself in a state of paralysis, which is why it is a big theme in the story. The theme that Joyce gives the reader is that not only that you have to experience things for yourself, but that you shouldn't be driven by a vain urge, such as what the boy was driven to, an urge to buy a present for the girl. Jointly in ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline’ religion is also a big theme seeing as prayer is needed for people in those days because of poverty and instability. We know that religion is a major theme in ‘Araby’ because of some descriptions the boy uses to describe Mangan’s sister: “ Her name sprang to my lips at moments in strange prayers and praises”. Furthermore, she herself belongs to a convent, which is ironic as she doesn’t act as holy as should be expected of a girl in a convent, yet the boy’s family are holy: “Because she said there would be a retreat that week in her convent”. In ‘Eveline’, holy pictures are placed around the walls, yet are not taken very good care of: “Yet during all those years she had never found out the name of the priest whose yellowing picture hung on the wall”. In ‘Eveline’ the themes are also quite similar. Love drove her to stay and desire for love drove her to want to go. Then adding to the theme of love, paralysis is mixed in as she is frozen to the spot at the thought of leaving her dead mother’s memory and the thought of going with Frank, so she stays in the middle and is guilty for ever. Eveline's theme is one that shows how people respond to change. The entire flashback section of the story shows why Eveline desires a change, and the later part of the story shows her reactions to it. By Eveline's response, freezing and acting like an "helpless animal" shows that Joyce believes that human beings are completely against change, which is true, and that change comes so quickly that those who it affects will not know how to handle the change.
In conclusion, the writer effectively picks up on the themes, characters and language and put them effectively into the stories and makes the language work well with the story. However, in contrast with this, both stories, ‘Araby’ and ‘Eveline’ are quite similar, but yet with differences making them seem quite based on the same kinds of things; poverty, money, love and paralysis. Both “Araby” and “Eveline” have modern relevance as people now days can relate both stories, one being love not returned and the other being two types of love, were one is stronger. This is how it shows modern relevance to me. The writer, however effective he is, still leaves us thinking ‘are the stories similar of different?’ and this is a gift that not many writers have or could, so yes, the writer is very effective in both stories, and I guess that this leaves us in a state of paralysis also.
