Eveline

The ending of this story confused me. Did she go with Frank or did she stay behind? I'm fairly sure she remained behind, because I think James Joyce foreshadowed her lack of commitment to him earlier in Eveline. She mentions how "Frank would give her a life, perhaps love, too." She did not love Frank; she only hoped to love him. She was using him to gain a new life and to "escape" from her current situation. I don't think the want for a new life was strong enough to overcome the love she felt for her family and the responsibility she also felt for them. Eveline recognized her struggles and the lack of joy which her life brang her, but she also recalled the promise she made to her mother to take care of her family. Eveline recognizes the needs of her family before her own.