“Eveline” (James Joyce, 1914) (UK)
What obstacle does the protagonist face?
What details in the story foreshadow Eveline’s final decision?
This story by James Joyce asks more questions than it asks. But the answers to these questions are embedded in the very structure of Eveline's own life trajectory. Perhaps, the biggest obstacle faced by Eveline centers around the dissonace between the life she has found herself to be wound up in as compared to the life she hopes to have for herself someday. She extracts remnants of truth and hope from the life Frank provides for her, but does not choose it for perhaps the same reason most people don't break out of their misery: fear of the unknown. When Frank asks her to leave with him towards the end of the story, she thinks, "No! No! No! It was impossible". I think there is a lot to be said of how it was 'impossible' for her to take this step that would probably put her out of her misery. Eveline was at the crossroads of her life and her decision to choose between the unknown and the familiar says a lot about the human tendancy to choose familiarity, even if it means forsaking hope for her better life. She has always provided and endured and has played a particular role throughout her life. Maybe her biggest obstacle was to let go of this rule and allow herself to form an identity that is disjointed from the sorrow and frustrations of her familiar life.
Pragmatically, one can say that the promise Eveline made to her mother stopped her from leaving with Frank. As much as she did not wish to lead the life her mother lead, she perhaps retained great love for her mother. Eventually, her duty towards her family and mothe over shadowed her need for independence and respect. Her familiarity with her town and the reliance her brother had on her made the dream of a new life seem almost impossible. One's life has meaning if it has purpose and hers was bound by her duty and responsibility. Her feelings for Frank were complicated as she saw in him a possibility to attain love but probably did not feel the same love for him. Meanwhile, her love for her family was more palpable
“The Lottery” (Shirley Jackson, 1948) (US)
Many details of the ceremony have been lost over time. Does the story contain any hints as to what it used to be?
The lottery would have chips of wood instead of pieces of paper as the tickets. There was some original paraphanelia for the lottery that was long lost. A block box was substituted instead.
“Everyday Use” (Walker, 1973) (US)
What is this story about? What is its essence?
Does the narrator present a full account of the interaction? When does she skip details? Do you find her entirely trustworthy?
This story is about complex family dynamic and their translation into human behaviour and actions. There has been a fire that has indisputably changed the lives of the family but the mother doesn't provide much detail as to what lead to the fire. Her rendition is almost biased but honest. The story serves as a reminder of the distance between opportunity and worthiness. The daughter Maggie provides for with attributes like kindness and patience. She is good natured but unlike her sister Dee, she is not positioned for success. Her sister, perhaps under the influence of her latest lover's beliefs, is suddenly interested in the family quilt not because it poses as a reminder of her own culture but because it fills her up with a false sens eof pretence and meaning. The final scene where the mother chooses to bestow her daughter Maggie with the quilt, is representative of her own frustations with her daughter Dee and is her way of correcting the many chains of injustices her daughter Maggie has endured, due to no fault of hers. It might be a small action but this small action of depriving Dee of something that she wanted, is symbolic of slightly steering away from the many cyclic habits that the family found themselves would up in. Dee aspires to lead a life that is almost independent of her family. Her fear that she would lead a life that her mother and sister have accepted guides her actions and fuels her insecurities. It is hence ironic that this very same life of complacency seems to have both the mother and the daughter at ease.