Moving To America Character Analysis

Eilis Lacey’s character in Brooklyn goes through sever physical, emotional, and mental changes throughout the book. When she is first introduced, she is a soft-spoken young girl who seems to lack the ability to say no to others. Her incredible agreeableness is the reason for the main theme of the book: her move to America. As she navigates the new world she finds herself in, she begins to grow as a character. However, upon her return to Ireland near the end of the book, Eilis’s character takes a hit, and she begins to revert back to the quiet and agreeable girl who seems incapable of speaking for herself.
The growth that Eilis’s character goes through after living in Brooklyn for two years isn’t one of character change, as is seen in many

When she meets him, she is lonely for Ireland and everyone she knows. She has the forced companionship of the girls at Miss Kehoe’s, but they are people she didn’t decide to allow into her life. Tony is the first person that Eilis chooses to spend her time with, and from there, she begins to make more and more of her own choices. Although the process is slow, and goes through a period of seven or eight months, Eilis slowly begins to put her foot down on things. When Tony begins talking about ‘their kids’ Eilis begins to panic. Her first reaction is to do nothing, like she has done with everything else, and let Tony have his way. But as she continues to grow into herself, she realizes that she doesn’t want people making all of her decisions for her, and tells Tony that talk of kids is too soon and unwanted: “…don’t mention wanting kids who are Dodgers fans” (Brooklyn, 151). It’s this type of growth makes the reversion to her former self incredibly

Her mother tells her she is going to stay a few weeks longer, to stay for Nancy’s wedding, and Eilis complies with little argument. Mr. Brown says he will look into hiring her until they get permanent help, and when she tells him she is returning to America, he says, “Well, yes, of course…But you and I will speak again before you make any firm decisions” (239). Eilis does not tell Mr. Brown that her decision is already firm, and so lets him make his decision for her. When Jim begins to date her, she lets him without any verbal fuss. She concludes that she must not love Tony because of Jim, and yet she is unable to be firm with him and tell him the truth, because she is afraid that he will be hurt and