Story that I decided to use for this essay and exploration of some of the Aristotle’s story telling ideas is a story Eveline, written by James Joyce. Elements that are going to be analyzed include the following: the universality of theme, the application of the theme to the audience, dramatic irony, and if the story contain an epiphany, or a sudden reversal of fortune.
James Joyce, one of the greatest writers from Ireland, knew very good Aristotle’s ideas of good story telling, and based on this story he applied them into his work. Aristotle had a very big influence on James Joyce according to Joyce thomist masters, “Aristotle and Aquinas furnished Joyce with his applied aesthetic, and provided his characters with multifarious themes for discourse as they reflect on daily life“(p. 1). This story is about a young girl, Eveline, who lead a miserable life and now has an opportunity to go and live a happy, different life with her boyfriend Frank in Buenos Aries. The theme of this story is a fear of unknown and conceding with the known. She is a real tragic hero in this story. According to Aristotle’s Poetics, “The true tragic hero cannot be too good or too bad, but he must end up in misery”. It is evident from this story that Eveline is a true tragic hero. This theme is universal and it has been explored in literature, modern and ancient as well by many writers. Rejection of a possible better life because the fear of the unknown prevails is the story.
This theme can easily be applied to the audience who reads this sad story. The end of a story, when Eveline unconsciously rejects to board on a ship with her boyfriend waiting and calling her is a heartbreaking and one can easily place into her seat and imagine that what he/she would do and the way that she felt. All the seas of the world tumbled about her heart. He was drawing her into them: he would drown her. “She gripped with both hands at the iron railing” (Joyce). She had a miserable life, watched her mother struggle through life, nursed her at her deathbed, talking care about her father who abuses her and still the fear of the unknown will not let her go and lead a better life. Eveline constantly seeks excusion not to go, grabbing for a straw and everyone who has read this story can not remain calm and imagine how she must have felt.
Dramatic irony is evident is this story. Eveline decided to go into the new world with her boyfriend, but she freezes at the last moment. Something held her back, as it she experienced a kind of epiphany, cleansing at the very end. The irony of the story is that she decided to stay home, to be abused by her father and lead a life that is like a prison. The climax of the story is when she decides to stay in Dublin and unconsciously refuses the opportunity for a better life, even though she had done all the preparation. In the end we see the twist of events.
It is evident from the story that is contains an epiphany. The lines: “It was impossible. Her hands clutched the iron in frenzy. Amid the seas she sent a cry of anguish.” (Joyce), present an unconscious epiphany, as if she doesn’t believe that there is a possibility for a better life. According to McManus (1999) Aristotle suggests that “the end of the tragedy is a katharsis (purgation, cleansing) of the tragic emotions of pity and fear”. All of these elements are applied in this story and that is probably one of the reasons that this story can be applied to every person and everyone can identify with the hero. There is a inner force that makes her to stay home, to continue with her know life, probably a miserable one, but it is the life that she is familiar with and unconsciously she thinks that it is her destiny.
Eveline is a true tragic hero and this story proves that by using Aristotle’s techniques and combining it with brilliant writer like James Joyce can only bring a master piece. Many centuries have passes since Aristotle set these rules, and so far, they have been applied to stories, dramas and films with success. Clearly, there are many other works that can not be classified into this category but most of them belong to another genres.
Bibliography:
McManus, F.B (1999). Outline of the Aristotle’s theory of tragedy in the Poetics. Retrieved from:http://www2.cnr.edu/home/bmcmanus/poetics.html
Joyce, James. Eveline. Dubliners
Joyce’s thomist masters. Retrieved from: www.ucd.ie//staff//2008%20Joyce's%20Thomist%20Masters.pdf
