Compare the ways in which Kate Chopin and James Joyce portray Dorothea and Eveline

James Perry

Compare the ways in which Kate Chopin and James Joyce portray Dorothea and Eveline, and their relationship to men, in the stories ‘the unexpected’ and ‘Eveline’.

James Joyce and Kate Chopin, both wrote at the turn of the nineteenth century; were women’s rights were very different to today. James Joyce is actually a feminist writer, however due to the outlook on women it was not seen to be respectable. Therefore she used the pseudonym (James). However Kate did not do this because she wanted to make the stand and try to make people see that women are relevant to life. The general status of women on the turn of the century was very dull. Women were almost taken for granted, also were very reliant to men, largely for money. The women gained their status via men, also were given no political voice or vote. Overall women were practically powerless.

Both Dorothea and Eveline are products of this restricted society, although they both came from different backgrounds. Dorothea came from America where there was a concern with women’s liberties and freedom; whereas Eveline came from Ireland where, by many other countries, they were seen as outcasts and backward.

Dorothea, was a middle class women, however she was still financially dependant on the men in her life. To support her financially was here parents, who played a dominant role in her life, and it was hard to see how the bond was to be broken. However whilst she had her parents a man named Randall came along where he became infatuated with her and offered her, almost a fresh beginning where she could be relieved of being dependant on her parents. The way that he could have gave her the fresh beginning was because he was because he is a wealthy, middle to upper class man.

Eveline, in contrast was a working class women. However even though she had a job in the store, the men with the same type of job as her tried to show that they were superior, by teasing and taunting her. Unlike Dorothea, she had a very dominant farther who was often was violent towards her. Then the same thing happened to her as Dorothea, a new fresh beginning could be hers for the taking, a time for marriage. The man that wanted to give her all of this was named Frank; he was a sailor and wanted to give her a sort of ‘bohemian’ life style. However like before she decides to stay with her farther, who didn’t give her a good life.

Whilst both women were given the opportunity to ‘escape’ there daily bad lives;

they both deal with their opportunities in very different ways and very different reasons.

The situation at the start of the stories that both women are in is one of anxiety, this is because both appear to be controlled by their parents. However they both have what seems to be an unbreakable love on their men (Randall and Frank). Dorothea found a man that appeared to love and be devoted to her, and her to him:

The good-by dragged with ...

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Whilst both women were given the opportunity to ‘escape’ there daily bad lives;

they both deal with their opportunities in very different ways and very different reasons.

The good-by dragged with lingering kisses and sighs, and more kisses and more clinging till the last wrench came

This quotation shows the deep love that they both have for each other; it shows this because it explains their position is like they are almost linked in a way that they are

Inseparable. However when we look at this it is explained in an over exaggerated way till the point of just before onomatopoeia ‘lingering hisses and sighs’. Within this sentence the word that are used are generally used in the context of a mother and child’s love ‘lingering’ and ‘clinging’; therefore this gives the impression that they are at the start of their relationship. However the use of ‘dragged’ gives the connotations of something that is never-ending and is ‘dragging on.

Eveline’s situation at the start is almost the same as Dorothea, she appears to be trapped by the way that she lives, she also appears to be a ‘loner’ and finds it hard to mix with people of the same sex as her, this is due to the family that she is brought up in, i.e. all men, therefore she lead the lifestyle of a male

Usually a little Keogh used to keep nix and call out when he saw her father coming

This implies that there is a fear between Eveline and her father. Also that they had to be subtle in the way that they warn each other of when their father is coming; this also implies that she was treated the same as her brothers. The fear of her farther is found also in the sentence before “her farther used often to hunt them in out of the field with his blackthorn stick”; this quotation shows that the farther treated his children like animals; this is implied by the use of ‘hunt’. By the use of ‘blackthorn stick’ it appears that her farther used to beat them as this is a very harsh thorny stick which gives connotations of torture as the weapon is so brutal.

The opening lines of ‘Eveline’ immediately indicate that she is leading a life in which she is trapped, and a life which, although unpleasant, she has become to depend on because this is the only way that she has known:

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 odour of dusty cretonne

The opening sentence implies that she is lazy and has nothing to be worried about. However, at the start of the next sentence it uses an action but in a passive way. This gives it the connotations of somebody that is ‘trapped’ like a prisoner; this is a contrast to the previous sentence because it moves from a person with no worries to a person with the world on their shoulders. Also the use of ‘dusty’ my give referrals to her life at present.

This a great contrast from such powerful words at the start of ‘Eveline’ to impassioned love, at the start of ‘The unexpected’.

But Dorothea’s parents do not seem to be convinced of her new found love. The reason that they are not convinced is because he does not want to see her when he is ill; this in my opinion is a very childish mannerism because he doesn’t want her to be with him through ‘thick and thin’:

All this was torture to the impatient Dorothea; and if her parents had permitted she would surely have hastened to the bedside of her beloved

This shows a profound love that they share, however the feeling of ‘torture’ that she

has, still is still not deep enough to make her challenge her parents. This instantly makes the reader feel as though this unbreakable love is not like this but is actually an infatuation, which could be halted easily by her parents. This is then echoed by the verb of ‘surely’, this is because it makes one feel that if she wasn’t held by the reins then she would defiantly be beside her beloved.

Just the same as Dorothea, Eveline has a boyfriend that in the outside world could gain her much respect and wealth, due to his reputable job as a sailor. He offers her all this wealth and respect; also a new life:

If she went, to-morrow she would be on the sea with Frank, steaming towards Buenos Ayres

Although she thinks about the chance of ‘steaming towards Buenos Ayres’ with Frank, the word ‘if’ implies that is already considering not going even though Frank would treat her much better than her father ever has. It seems very significant that Frank chooses to go to ‘Buenos Ayres’ which in English means ‘good airs’. This is ironic since her home environment is symbolised by ‘dust’ and its restrictive atmosphere. In my opinion he offers her also a “bohemian lifestyle” which is very free and easy going. However, this chance of freedom could be too much for her to handle.

Both Dorothea and Eveline have the choice to stay with their parents or start a new life which ‘sounds’ better than their current lifestyle.

Eveline does not follow her heart because of a promise that she made at her mother’s death bed:

Her promise to keep the home together as long as she could

This is a significant part of the story because it shows the bond between parent and child; this is because although Eveline has this amazing opportunity she rejects it to stay with her father who treats her very badly. When this is related to modern life it show again the way in which women were treated; because any women in today’s society would never turn this offer down.

Therefore due to this Eveline stays with her father and returns to the oppressive situation she lead before with nothing changed.

“No!No!No! It was impossible

This repetition, in the form of a triplet, echoes that she is not leaving although twice Frank repeats ‘come’ and then suspends her name ‘Evvy!’ this shows that he had commitment and was willing to give her what she wants. However she feels this mystical grip that is explained as ‘She gripped with both hands at the iron railing’. This quotation also has connotations of a captive animal like a tiger in a circus where when its owner calls it has to come or there will be consequences.

However, Dorothea lets Randall go for the reason that she can have her own life free from her depression and be independent. “Seemingly borne on by some force other than mechanical” this reads from first impression that she is running scared from something, especially Randall. However the use of ‘mechanical’ suggests that she is not running scared but running with good intentions for her welfare in mind. “bent her supple body to one purpose – that was, swiftest flight” The way that she ran here, makes the reader think of her as inhuman, and that for nothing she is going to stop for nothing; therefore there must be a strong reason for her to run away. The use of the superlative ‘swiftest’ shows that this, running away from what most women dream of, which means that no matter how rich Randall was nor how much respect that she could have had, she finds her independence more important than these factors.

In my opinion of the stories, both ‘The Unexpected’ and ‘Eveline’ give a very real image to the reader; it depicts the way that women were treated around this era. This is because both were offered so much, by respect and riches, and they both turn these opportunities down due to the fact that freedom is more important or a promise restricts them.