Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn: A Novel
Metamorphosis of the psyche cannot simply be achieved by coming of age. One may grow older, but not mature, as Simone de Beauvoir said: "One is not born, but rather becomes, a woman." Colm Tóibín 's Brooklyn: A Novel chronicles the apparent transformation, yet intrinsic stagnation of its protagonist, Eilis Lacey. Through the events of her life, Tóibín forces the examination of whether or not crucial experiences during coming of age alter who one essentially is.
While exterior facets of the protagonist change through the course of the novel, Eilis remains fundamentally the same person as she comes of age. She begins her life in the homogenous, small town of Enniscorthy, in post-World War II Ireland and stays essentially the same person as she is when she leaves. At this stage, she is polite, well-mannered and has a deep-seated desire to maintain her reputation as such, as evident in her dealings with the people of the town. Early on in the story, she and Nancy are introduced to Jim Farrell at the dancehall, who "[nods] curtly but [does] not shake hands" (Tóibín 20) and makes it clear he "[does] not like Nancy or Eilis and [has] no intention of speaking to them" (Tóibín 20). However, later on, as Eilis believes Jim is about to ask her to dance,
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It is evident at the dinner table at Mrs. Kehoe 's, when the topic of the coloured women at Bartocci 's, Eilis 's workplace, is brought up. As she attempts to defend these women as best as she can, she suddenly feels brave and lashes out at her fellow lodgers ' racist remarks (Tóibín 122). This is out of character for the Eilis readers have known, exemplifying the new identity she is cultivating in Brooklyn - one with enough confidence to stand by her beliefs and opinions. However, this is only a façade. Throughout her time in Brooklyn and return to Ireland, her core character traits remain the same and this new-found confidence does not appear in crucial
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