Eveline

by James Joyce

Eveline: Setting 1 key example

Definition of Setting

Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or it can be an imagined... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the city of New York, or... read full definition
Setting is where and when a story or scene takes place. The where can be a real place like the... read full definition
Setting
Explanation and Analysis:

Like the rest of the stories in Dubliners, “Eveline” takes place in early 20th-century Dublin, James Joyce’s place of origin. Published in 1914, it captures Dublin during the rise of Irish Nationalism, a time characterized by great change, transformation, and a search for identity. At the time, Great Britain occupied Ireland, and Irish Nationalists supported Irish independence. Ireland’s broader conflict between stability and change is reflected throughout Dubliners, as characters find themselves in moments of transformation that lead them to new realizations. In “Eveline,” the titular character must decide whether to leave the familiarity of Dublin for an unknown future with her romantic interest, Frank, in Buenos Ayres.

On a more specific level, most of the story takes place in Eveline’s family home. The story opens with her looking out 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. She was tired.”