1) Look carefully at the sentence structure in the story. How do you think
this adds to the overall impact of the contents?
2) Who are the two characters in the story?
3) In many ways, this isn't a traditional short story. What elements of the
short story appear to be missing? Do you think that this missing material is
necessary or is it supplied in other ways? Explain.
1) Who is the girl? What do we know about her? What do you imagine her feelings
are when she listens to this litany?
2) What is the relationship like between the two characters in the story? Explain.
3) What kind of things does it seem like a girl needs to know? Although this
list seems to be specific to a certain culture do you see parallels with your
own culture?
4) What is the main speaker's main fear for the girl? Why do you think these
fears are paramount?
1) Vocabulary to check before you read: cretonne, harmonium, palpitations,
latterly, squabble, squander, courting, lass, anguish.
2) Do we ever see Eveline experiencing an epiphany? If so, where?
1) Describe the physical setting of Eveline's home. How does she feel about
living at home? How do we know what we know?
2) How does Joyce immediately tell us that this is a Roman Catholic home?
3) What sort of relationship does Eveline have with her father? Describe the
range of her feelings toward him. Does this remind you of any other father-child
relationships we've seen so far?
4) When Eveline thinks of her mother, she wants to escape. Why might this be?
5) Why do you think Eveline doesn't go to Buenos Aires with Frank?
6) What associations do you have about Buenos Aires? Do you think Joyce would
have had similar associations? What symbolic value does the city have in the
story?
7) One of the songs of The Bohemian Girl is titled "Tis Sad to Leave our
Fatherland" and contains these verses: "Without/friends, and without
a home, my country, too! Yes, I'm exiled from thee; what/fate, what fate awaits
me here, now! Pity, Heav'n! oh calm my despair!" How might these lines
underscore Eveline's emotional turmoil?
Related Links:
Kincaid:
A very thorough biography: http://voices.cla.umn.edu/authors/jamaicakincaid.html#Biography
Mother Jones interview: http://www.mojones.com/mother_jones/SO97/snell.html
Salon interview http://www.salon.com/05/features/kincaid.html
Emory University's JK page: http://www.emory.edu/ENGLISH/Bahri/Kincaid.html
Joyce:
A James Joyce website
http://www.2street.com/joyce/index.phtml?Inframe=1
International James Joyce Foundation homepage:
http://www.cohums.ohio-state.edu/english/organizations/ijjf/
The James Joyce Center, Dublin, Ireland: http://www.jamesjoyce.ie/
A list of websites of interest to Joyceans and others!
http://www.cohums.ohio-state.edu/english/organizations/ijjf/
A Joycean multimedia gallery: http://www.2street.com/joyce/gallery/index.html
The Brazen Head, a large website on Joyce http://www.themodernword.com/joyce/
Twelve Promises Made to Margaret Mary Alacoque: http://www.dailycatholic.org/issue/2002Sum/promises.htm