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“But in her new home, in a distant unknown country, it would not be like that. Then she would be married--she, Eveline. People would treat her with respect then.”
Here, Eveline allows herself to dream about a life far away from the trials and routines of Dublin. Her use of the word “home” is revealing because it shows that she is, at this point in the short story, seriously planning to leave for Argentina. It is important to note that Eveline does not mention Buenos Aires by name and, instead, simply refers to it as her “new home.” As a result, Joyce implies that their destination does not really matter to Eveline as long as Frank provides her with an escape from Dublin.
“She stood up in a sudden impulse of terror. Escape! She must escape! Frank would save her. He would give her life, perhaps love, too. But she just wanted to live. Why should she be unhappy? She had a right to happiness. Frank would take her in his arms, fold her in his arms. He would save her.”
After reflecting on her mother’s sad life of self-sacrifice, Eveline pictures herself ending up the same way and appears to suddenly make a decision: she will leave Ireland with Frank. She remains unsure of his love for her, or hers for him, but in this moment, she realizes that escaping her current life will make her happy. To Eveline, love would be a nice bonus, but it’s not a necessity.
