Common Themes in "Eveline" and "Good Country People"
While some people seem to be exact opposites, we often find that they have more in common than what we realize at first glance. This is a lesson from which we could all learn because nothing is as it seems. Two stories that illustrate this fact through choices and stark realizations are "Eveline" by James Joyce and "Good Country People" by Flannery O'Connor. Both stories illustrate the power of paralysis, the role of women, and missed opportunity through the characters of Eveline and Hulga. While these two women appear to be different on the surface, we learn the same life lessons through a series of their difficult circumstances. Eveline never quite realizes what has occurred to her because she refuses to delve into the future and its possibilities. Her lesson is left to us. On the other hand, Hulga is forced to face certain things about herself that she never considered before and we can learn from her experience along with her. Each women, though worlds apart, teaches us something about human nature.While each of us is in our own place on the earth, we are not that different from one another. Eveline and Hulga are women that become paralyzed by circumstances. In "Eveline," Eveline becomes paralyzed because of inde
Her opinion and impression of herself is obviously flawed because she feels superior to others. She does not want to be like her mother and she does not want to be like anyone else, either. Here we see how she has willingly passed up the opportunity for love. While this may be insulting, it is something he can use in his favor because he knows she does not expect much of him. People are never as simple as they seem and things rarely are as they appear. Both Eveline and Hulga miss opportunities. The most important aspect of the role of women in these two stories is the fact that while Hulga and Eveline seem to be worlds apart from one another in character, we see how they are more alike when Hulga is left in the barn. Had the two ever met, they would surely never get along because Eveline was timid, unsure, and afraid. Freeman's estimation that she could never be as simple as Manley illustrates the point even further. She desires a new life where "people would treat her with respect (Joyce)" and she would not be treated like her mother. We must learn from both of them that we are never to smart or too old to learn a lesson. In "Good Country People," we see a different take on the role of women. This is essential to understanding Eveline's character because it represents her inability to decide. She must face her demons as she sits alone in the loft. Hulga is quiet the opposite of Eveline in that she is very strong-willed and determined.
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Country People,
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