The story begins with Eveline sitting at the window of her room, looking out at the street. She is lost in thought, remembering her childhood, when she played with other children in a field that is now filled with new houses. She also thinks about her mother, who died when she was young, and her brother Ernest, who died in a fire.
Eveline's father is a drunken and abusive man, and she has been taking care of him and her younger siblings since her mother's death. She works as a shop girl and a nanny, and she is exhausted and unhappy.
Frank is a sailor who is visiting Dublin on leave. He has been courting Eveline for some time, and he has promised to take her to Argentina, where he lives. Eveline is excited about the prospect of leaving Ireland and starting a new life with Frank, but she is also afraid. She is afraid of leaving her father, who she feels responsible for, and she is afraid of the unknown.
On the day that Frank is supposed to take her away, Eveline goes to the docks. She stands on the deck of the ship, ready to leave, but at the last moment, she changes her mind. She cannot bear to leave her father and her home, even though she knows that she will never be happy if she stays.
The story ends with Eveline walking away from the ship, back to her old life. She is filled with sadness and regret, but she knows that she has made the right decision.
"Eveline" is a story about the conflict between duty and desire, between the past and the future. It is a story about the difficulty of breaking free from the bonds of tradition and family. It is also a story about the power of the past to hold us back.
The story is told in a matter-of-fact style, but it is full of emotional power. Joyce's use of symbolism and foreshadowing adds to the story's richness and complexity. The story is a classic example of Joyce's early mastery of the short story form.
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