REVISE – Eveline

Read the statements and choose the correct alternative to complete the sentences.

1 The window symbolises ________.
2 Dust symbolises ________.
3 The broken harmonium symbolises ________.
4 The black mass of the boat symbolises ________.

Read the text and complete it with the words given.

Throughout the story, Eveline spends much of her time reflecting on the past and her ________ situation. Her ________ of childhood, family life, and her mother are stronger than her thoughts about what might happen next, or about the possibility of a ________ life. Although she could build a ________ with Frank, she struggles to ________ it clearly. This lack of ________ makes it difficult for her to ________ to a new life and, as a result, when the time comes to make a ________, she remains where she is.

Reorder the events as they happen in the short story. Write the correct numbers (1-10) in the gaps.

Eveline hears the organ in the street.              ________
Eveline looks around her room and focuses on its familiarity.       ________
Eveline wonders what it would be like to be a married woman.       ________
Eveline becomes frightened and stays behind.       ________
Eveline recalls how she and Frank got close.              ________
Eveline sits by the window and reflects on her life at home.              ________
Eveline recalls the promise she made to her mother.       ________
Eveline thinks about the hardships of her job.       ________
Eveline remembers her childhood and the changes in her neighbourhood.              ________
Eveline and Frank go to the docks to leave Ireland.              ________

Read the text and decide if the statements are true or false. Then look at the prompts in brackets and write some extra reflections in your exercise book. You can use the final text as revision material for your test.

Eveline reflects some of the innovations that would become central to Modernism in the early twentieth century. (Refer to the section 'The modern novel' in your textbook to explore the key aspects of the modern novel.) Unlike many nineteenth-century writers, Joyce is less interested in describing external events and more interested in representing the way people think and perceive reality. The story follows the associations that unfold in Eveline's mind, as memories, sensations, and reflections interrupt one another, making psychological time more important than chronological time. (Refer to STEP 1 and STEP 2 to explain how Eveline's thoughts and memories shape the structure of the story.) Joyce also avoids judging his characters directly, encouraging readers to interpret Eveline's thoughts and actions for themselves. At the same time, the narration is filtered through Eveline's mind: ordinary objects and details acquire symbolic significance and reveal aspects of her inner conflict. (Refer to STEP 4 to explain how the symbols foreshadow Eveline's final decision.) Through these techniques, Joyce suggests that reality is not a fixed, objective truth but something shaped by individual consciousness.

Decide whether the events in STEP 1 refer to the past, the present, or the future.

Eveline hears the organ in the street. ________
Eveline looks around her room and focuses on its familiarity. ________
Eveline wonders what it would be like to be a married woman. ________
Eveline becomes frightened and stays behind. ________
Eveline recalls how she and Frank got close. ________
Eveline sits by the window and reflects on her life at home. ________
Eveline recalls the promise she made to her mother. ________
Eveline thinks about the hardships of her job. ________
Eveline remembers her childhood and the changes in her neighbourhood. ________
Eveline and Frank go to the docks to leave Ireland. ________