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If Dublin life represents the real world, then Frank represents the possibility of escape; even his very name means “freedom.” Frank, a charismatic sailor, offers Eveline a life in a far-off country miles and miles away from Dublin, her two lifeless jobs, and her abusive father. Joyce characterizes Frank as a man who is full of life. He is charming, he is handsome, he has seen the world, he sings, and he introduces Eveline to new experiences such as taking her to the theater. Frank’s lively disposition is contrasted with the dull drudgery that makes up Eveline’s life in Dublin. However, over the course of the story, Eveline comes to see Frank as a fantasy as opposed to a means of liberation. She may be enticed by him, and by the idea of Buenos Aires, but she is unable to make the final leap and board the ship. Instead Eveline rejects both Frank and her lofty dreams for the future because she is too entrenched in Dublin and her family. In that sense, Frank is meant to symbolize an unattainable future.
