Dubliners Group

Question:

eng102
eng102
Student
College - Freshman

In "Eveline", what is the contrast between the concrete pavement road and the cinder path?

I want to know if the cinder path is a representation of her old life and the concrete pavement is an abstract of the life she dreams of.  Maybe the concrete pavement shows the hard life she lived since her mother died and the cinder is a representation of Frank.

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Posted by eng102 on Wednesday June 11, 2008 at 9:50 PM and tagged with dubliners, setting, symbols, themes.

Answers:


  1. dymatsuoka

    eNotes Editor

    The cinder path runs "before the new red houses...bright brick houses with shining roofs", while the concrete pavement lies before the drab "little brown houses" where Eveline lives.  I believe the contrast is meant to accentuate the difference between the old and stagnant, and the new and vibrant elements in Eveline's world. 

    The concrete path is functional; it is not meant to be pretty.  It might be representative of Eveline's life until now - comfortable but duty-bound.  Eveline's existence is rooted in the past and in things that are old; it lacks excitement and the potential for renewal and discovery.

    The cinder path has an aspect of rustic quaintness.  It has personality, and, along with the brick houses which have only recently been built by a man from Belfast, an aesthetic appeal.  The cinder path represents progress and freshness, a step away from the plain brown houses into a changing future.  Eveline can see a world of beauty and promise from her window, but when her opportunity comes, she does not have the strength to step out and become a part of it. 

    Sources:
    http://www.enotes.com/dubliners
    http://www.enotes.com/dubliners/eveline-summary-analysis

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    Posted by dymatsuoka on Wednesday June 11, 2008 at 11:07 PM