Analysis of Similar Themes in 'Eveline' and 'The Answer is No'

According to Marilyn Frye’s definition of “oppression”: “ the experience of oppressed people is that the living of one’s life is confined and shaped by forces and barriers which are not accidental or occasional and hence avoidable, but are systematically related to each other in such a way as to catch one between and among them and restrict or penalize motion in any direction. It is the experience of being caged in: all avenues, in every direction, are blocked or booby trapped.” (Frye,Marilyn. PP12). Through the selection of themes, characters, characterizations, settings and conflicts. “The Answer is No” and “Eveline” had to choose their decisions between their freedoms or being oppressed in their lives.

Every story must have a theme in it. The theme is the principal idea of a literary work. Besides that, theme is what the story tells the audience. Naguib Mahfouz's 'The Answer is No' and James Joyce’s 'Eveline' have the same themes about females that had to choose their decisions between their freedoms or being oppressed in their lives. The character is a personage in a film or in a story. There are two different types of characters first is major and second is minor. Both of the characters in the short story “The Answer is No” and “Eveline” are major characters.

The characterization is how people are represented in a movie, play, or story. There are two main different types of representing characters are direct characterization and indirect characterization. Direct characterization is when the author tells the audience what the traits of the character is. On the other hand, indirect characterization shows things that disclosure the traits of the character. The two of the short stories “The Answer is No” and “Eveline” are direct characterizations. The characterizations of the protagonist in the short story 'The Answer is No' is a rich Egyptian beautiful woman in her twenties called Miss who is a teacher. Indeed she lives in Egypt and teaches in a school. In contrast, in the short story 'Eveline' The characterizations of the protagonist is a young poor Irish woman of her nineteen years of age called Eveline in 'Eveline' are of two different characters but Miss and Eveline both value their freedom.

Setting is an incredibly important part in almost every literary work. Setting is the period of time and place in a literary work in which the event of a story or a movie. Furthermore, setting can also contain social positions, climate, historical period of time. Besides, settings can be actual or imaginary. Also it is useful to tell the difference between general setting and particular setting. Additionally, setting can guide shows the character traits. In some stories the setting may have a powerful impact on the story. The setting of the two stories “The Answer is No” and “Eveline” the first one the setting was in Egypt and the second the setting was in Ireland specifically in Dublin at the end of 1890s and the beginning of 1900s.

The literary objective of conflict is to increase tension in the story and making the readers more interested in reading the story. Moreover, it develops the characters. Conflict means the problem in any work of literature. There are two different types of conflicts the first is called External conflict which means the struggle between two opposing powers and the second is Internal conflict which means the struggle within a character. Besides that, both of the short stories “ The Answer is No” and “Eveline” have the similar conflict which is internal conflict in their stories and in the stories they have to deal with it by themselves.

According to the short story ”The Answer is No” by Naguib Mahfouz ”She had asked him in terror about what had occurred, and he had told her, ”Do not be frightened or sad. Keep it to yourself and I will come and propose to you the day you come of age.” (Mahfouz, 673). To clarify, Miss had an unforgettable and disagreeable experience when she was fourteen years of age her tutor who is the headmaster in her school now raped her. She went through a rough and painful time struggling with her private and emotional conflict. Furthermore, he kept his word and he proposed to her but she rejected him because she had no respect or love for him. The author Naguib Mahfouz describes in the story an awful life event in the childhood of an innocent and pure girl who was the victim of a horrible crime. The story was a nightmare that represented devastation and shocking reality. the poor little girl had suffered terribly from the disgusting abuse of her tutor. Miss who has gone through a sexual abuse that has devastated her life. Worse than that, she thinks that she has nowhere else to go and is forced to remain silenced and alone in her own suffering. She had to make a decision which is to accept the headmaster proposal or refuse it and live rest of her life alone without being married and having children. Miss was oppressed in her life.

In the short story “Eveline” which was written by James Joyce, it was about a young poor Irish woman of her nineteen years of age called Eveline. In addition, She lives in Dublin which is in Ireland with her Family members her father, brothers and sisters. Also She was responsible for the house works such as cleaning and cooking. And she also has a job working in a shop. Accordingly to the short story “Eveline” “Even now, though she was over nineteen, she sometimes felt herself in danger of her father’s violence.” (Joyce, 536). To illustrate, she was tired of her life and she daydreaming about a better life without her abusive father who is addicted to alcohol. Moreover, her drunk father used to take her money and waste it on buying alcohol drinks for himself. She was planning to escape with her secret lover Frank to Argentina. On top of that starts a new life with her secret lover Frank. She had a decision to leave with her secret lover to Argentina and starts a new life or being oppressed in her life because of her father. Despite that she had a decision to make, she promised her mother to look after the house. However, her mother was dead. Furthermore, she thinks that doing the house works is not that bad at all and her father is not always abusing her. James Joyce, the author of the short story “Eveline” “She sat her white face to him, passive, like a helpless animal.” The author described Eveline like a helpless animal because she is powerless and unable to make a decision. Moreover, she continues to live oppressed in her life with her abusive father.

In conclusion, through the examination of themes, characters, characterizations, settings and conflicts in the two short stories “The Answer is No” and “Eveline” had to choose their decisions between their freedoms or being oppressed in their lives. Finally, both of the protagonists of the two short stories were not able to choose their decisions to be free and independent in their lives without being oppressed in their lives.

Works Cited

• Frye, Marilyn. 'The politics of reality: Essays in feminist theory', Trumansburg, New York: Crossing Press, 1983. Oppression, by Marilyn Frye. www.filosoficas.unam.mx/docs/327/files/Marilyn%20Frye,%20Oppression.pdf. Mar 01,1983