Chapter 2: Eveline

Answer. The two characters Eveline liked and loved were her mother and Frank. Eveline’s mother bore the torture inflicted upon her by her husband and took care of the entire family by providing all comforts to her children. Frank was her very kind, manly, open-hearted lover, and he admired her very much. He was the only hope for her future, who would get her out of the problems she faced.

She hated her father and Miss Gavan as they both used to criticise her, and they had always been harsh towards her. Her father used to drink and humiliate her, whereas Miss Gavan always passed comments on her.

Answer. Eveline loved Frank a lot, and when she decided to elope with Frank and marry him, it was not easy for her as all her memories of childhood, happy days, mother and siblings flashed in front of her eyes like a movie. She felt sentimental about the memories of her brothers, Harry and Ernest, who had left her house. The music played by the organ player reminded her of the day her mother died.

On the other hand, she wanted to run away from her father’s cruelty and start a new respectful life with Frank in Buenos Aires. However, the promises she had given to her mother were that she would keep the house together as long as she could. The flash of memories kept haunting her, which did not let her go away with Frank.

Answer. Eveline let go of the opportunity to escape with Frank because she was stuck with the responsibility towards her family. The promises she had given to her mother were to keep her family together and never get separated. Even though she hated her father, she was worried about him. Her duty towards the family was much more important than escaping from home, which prevented Eveline from leaving home.

Answer. As the hour of her departure with Frank neared, Eveline suddenly got restless and turned pale out of fear, whether she was doing right or wrong. She also felt depressed and cried out of anguish. She also prayed to God to direct her to the right path and perform her duties in the right way. In the end, her conscience did not let her give up on her duties, and she skipped the idea of eloping with Frank.