Paralysis and Entrapment Hadeel Asaad

Even though money can't buy happiness, the lack of money is usually the cause of sadness. Poverty is, in fact, a widespread problem that can sometimes restrict and even imprison a person to the point that struggling seems pointless. In Dubliners by James Joyce, the author reveals how money problems, family responsibilities and other social pressures can paralyze characters and prevent them from fulfilling their dreams. In fact, the harsh conditions they live in make them unable to escape, even if fleeing just means leaving the country, not marrying, writing poetry or getting drunk. The entrapment caused by paralysis is shown in "Eveline," "The Boarding House," "A Little Cloud" and "Counterparts." Through symbolism and imagery, Joyce reveals the realistic meanness of life for the Dubliners.

The stories in the Dubliners are ordered chronologically based on human life, moving from a childhood prospective to an adults' awareness of life. Therefore, the protagonist in Eveline, being the 4th story, is somewhere between a child and an adult, who struggles with poverty and the difficulties of supporting her family. Throughout most of the story, this 19yr old girl sits at the window...