"Eveline" by James Joyce

"She sat at the window watching evening invade the avenue. Her head was leaned against the window curtains and in her nostrils was the odor of dusty cretonne" (page 218).

I feel that this is an image that constantly is integrated throughout the story. For instance, Eveline is one of those characters who is constantly waiting on something or reflecting on life. She's pondering life at the beginning of the story. She looks out the window when her mother is dying. She looks out the window, thinking of Frank. At the end of the story, she looks across the railing as Frank leaves her. It's constant. She constantly is the person reflecting on things, but she fails to do anything for herself. This makes me believe that Eveline is a static character; she doesn't change much throughout the course of the story. Eveline's father is characterized as an angry person. He was always slightly mean to her, and he is characterized as a gruff character. I wonder if he is abusive at all to Eveline. I feel that the author wants the audience to sympathize with  Eveline. For instance, her mother died, her brothers died, her father is mean, and she has to earn a living to support her brothers. However, I feel that there is a word in the end that best describes Eveline. The word used is "helpless." Eveline does so much for other people, but she cannot do anything for herself. I am still trying to figure out why she did not run off with Frank... I mean, it makes sense that Eveline cannot date him because Frank is a traveller, but still. The entire story seems to lack substance. Maybe this also parallels with Eveline's life. It's there, and it's interesting. However, the story lacks substance and meaning, just like Eveline's life.