In the story Eveline was a character, who dealt with the dilemma of choice between responsibility and happiness. She promised her mother that she’ll not let the thread of relations break and will always think of her family and stay with them. On the other hand, she had a choice to start a respectful, happy and fairy-tale story with her beloved Frank. All the promises, memories and relationships acted as a shackle to her legs. In the end, she gave upon her dreams and chose the welfare of family.

This shows that there is always a conflict when a person has to choose between their family and their personal life, happiness and future. Same happened with the Eveline. It was hard and burdensome for choosing between her monotonously tortured life with her family or eloping with her lover. Thus, in social sphere, right to personal happiness is always considered as selfish and bounds a person to fulfil their filial duty, sacrificing the happiness in their private spheres of life.