Enniscorthy's Quiet Beginnings

Eilis Lacey lives in the small Irish town of Enniscorthy with her widowed mother and glamorous older sister, Rose. The family is held together by Rose's job and the occasional remittances from Eilis's brothers in England. Eilis, intelligent and reserved, is finishing bookkeeping classes but finds no work in a town where jobs are scarce and social mobility is limited. The sisters' relationship is close, but Eilis feels overshadowed by Rose's confidence and beauty. The town's routines, gossip, and social hierarchies define Eilis's world, and her future seems predetermined: a job, marriage, and a life much like her mother's. Yet, beneath the surface, there is a sense of longing for something more, a quiet restlessness that sets the stage for change.

Rose's Sacrifice

Rose, recognizing Eilis's lack of prospects, arranges for her to emigrate to America with the help of Father Flood, a visiting priest from Brooklyn. Rose's actions are both loving and self-sacrificing; she gives up her own chance at marriage and independence to ensure Eilis has opportunities she never will. The family's preparations are bittersweet, filled with unspoken fears and sadness. Eilis is swept along by the momentum of others' decisions, unable to voice her own reluctance. The emotional cost of leaving home is profound, but Rose's determination and the family's economic reality make the choice inevitable. Eilis's departure is marked by a sense of duty, guilt, and the heavy weight of her sister's sacrifice.

Passage to America

Eilis's voyage across the Atlantic is physically and emotionally grueling. She endures seasickness, claustrophobia, and the indignities of third-class travel, sharing a cramped cabin with the brash but kind Georgina. The journey is a rite of passage, stripping Eilis of her old identity and forcing her to confront her vulnerability and isolation. Georgina's practical advice and camaraderie help Eilis survive, but the experience leaves her shaken. By the time she arrives in Brooklyn, Eilis is exhausted, disoriented, and acutely aware of her aloneness. The crossing marks the end of her childhood and the beginning of a new, uncertain chapter.

Brooklyn's Boarding House

Eilis moves into Mrs. Kehoe's boarding house, a microcosm of Irish Brooklyn, filled with young women navigating work, romance, and the expectations of their landlady. The house is governed by strict rules and subtle hierarchies, with Mrs. Kehoe's authority ever-present. Eilis struggles to fit in, feeling both invisible and scrutinized. The other boarders—Patty, Diana, Miss McAdam, and others—offer a mix of camaraderie, rivalry, and advice. The rituals of meals, laundry, and gossip provide structure but also highlight Eilis's outsider status. The boarding house becomes both a refuge and a prison, shaping her early experiences in America.

Homesickness and Survival

Eilis is overwhelmed by homesickness, loneliness, and the strangeness of her new life. The routines of her job at Bartocci's department store and her night classes at Brooklyn College offer distraction but little comfort. Letters from home are both a lifeline and a source of pain, reminding her of all she has lost. Eilis's grief is compounded by the realization that she is a ghost in Brooklyn, unseen and unanchored. A crisis at work exposes her vulnerability, but the intervention of Miss Fortini and Father Flood helps her regain her footing. Gradually, Eilis learns to manage her sadness, finding solace in routine and the slow accumulation of small victories.

The Shop Floor and Night School

Eilis becomes a reliable worker at Bartocci's, learning the intricacies of American retail and customer service. She is selected to help launch a new line of stockings for Black customers, navigating the racial tensions of 1950s Brooklyn. Night classes in bookkeeping and law at Brooklyn College challenge her intellectually and provide a sense of progress. Eilis's world expands as she gains skills, earns respect, and begins to imagine a future beyond the shop floor. The support of Miss Fortini and the discipline of study help her build a new identity, one rooted in competence and quiet ambition.

Christmas Among Strangers

Eilis spends her first Christmas in Brooklyn volunteering at Father Flood's parish hall, serving dinner to elderly Irish men who have been left behind by time and circumstance. The experience is both heartbreaking and illuminating, connecting her to the broader story of Irish emigration and loss. A moment of mistaken recognition—seeing her father in an old man—brings her grief to the surface. Yet, the day also offers a sense of belonging and purpose, as Eilis becomes part of a community of exiles. The holiday marks a turning point, as she begins to accept her new life and the necessity of forging connections in a foreign land.

Tony: An Unexpected Love

At a parish dance, Eilis meets Tony Fiorello, a warm, open-hearted Italian-American plumber. Their courtship is marked by shyness, humor, and the crossing of cultural boundaries. Tony's affection and optimism draw Eilis out of her shell, offering her a vision of happiness and stability. His family welcomes her, and their outings—to Coney Island, baseball games, and family dinners—introduce her to the rhythms of American life. Eilis is cautious, aware of the differences between them and the expectations of her family back home. Yet, Tony's sincerity and the comfort of their growing intimacy help her imagine a future in Brooklyn.

Becoming American

Eilis's relationship with Tony deepens, and she gradually becomes more American in her habits, tastes, and outlook. She navigates the complexities of intimacy, guilt, and confession, ultimately consummating her relationship with Tony in a moment of shared vulnerability after Rose's death. The experience is both awkward and transformative, marking her passage into adulthood. Eilis's success at work and school, her friendships, and her romance with Tony all contribute to a sense of belonging. She is no longer a ghost but a woman with agency, desires, and a stake in her adopted home.

Letters from Home

Throughout her time in Brooklyn, Eilis remains tethered to Ireland by letters from her mother, Rose, and her brothers. The correspondence is both comforting and constraining, filled with news, expectations, and unspoken needs. Rose's letters, in particular, are a lifeline, offering advice, encouragement, and a sense of continuity. Yet, the distance grows, and Eilis becomes increasingly aware of the impossibility of bridging the gap between her two worlds. The letters become a symbol of divided loyalties and the emotional cost of emigration.

Rose's Death

News of Rose's sudden death arrives, plunging Eilis into grief and guilt. The loss is devastating, not only because of her love for her sister but because Rose was the architect of her new life. Eilis is forced to confront the reality that she can never return to the world she left behind. Her mother's loneliness and the family's disintegration weigh heavily on her. In her grief, Eilis turns to Tony, and they marry in secret before she returns to Ireland to care for her mother. The marriage is both an act of love and a desperate attempt to anchor herself amid loss.

Marriage in Secret

Fearing that she will be unable to return to Brooklyn if she stays in Ireland too long, Eilis agrees to marry Tony in a civil ceremony before her departure. The marriage is secret, uncelebrated, and fraught with anxiety. Eilis is torn between her duty to her mother and her commitment to Tony. The clandestine nature of the wedding underscores her divided self and the impossibility of reconciling her two lives. The act is both a promise and a burden, shaping the choices she will face upon her return to Ireland.

Return to Ireland

Eilis's return to Enniscorthy is marked by grief, nostalgia, and a sense of unreality. She moves into Rose's room, helps her mother with the rituals of mourning, and is drawn back into the rhythms of small-town life. The town's familiarity is both comforting and suffocating. Eilis is celebrated for her American style and success, and she is offered work at Davis's office. The prospect of a stable, respectable life in Ireland becomes increasingly seductive, especially as her mother's dependence and the community's expectations close in around her.

Ghosts of the Past

Eilis reconnects with old friends, attends weddings, and is courted by Jim Farrell, a local publican. Jim is kind, steady, and well-regarded—a match that would please her mother and secure her place in the community. The ease of their relationship, the approval of her mother, and the prospect of a comfortable life in Enniscorthy tempt Eilis to forget her American self. Yet, the ghost of her marriage to Tony haunts her, and the duplicity of her situation becomes increasingly untenable.

The Pull of Home

As Eilis becomes more enmeshed in Irish life, the pull of home grows stronger. She is offered a permanent job, her mother's hopes for her future intensify, and the town's social fabric enfolds her. The possibility of erasing her American life and starting anew with Jim becomes real. Eilis is caught between two worlds, each demanding loyalty and offering different forms of fulfillment. The tension between duty, desire, and the longing for belonging reaches its peak.

Jim Farrell's Courtship

Jim's courtship is gentle, respectful, and supported by the community. He represents everything Eilis once thought she wanted: stability, respectability, and a place in the world she knows. Their relationship deepens, and the prospect of marriage becomes real. Eilis is torn between her secret marriage to Tony and the life she could have with Jim. The duplicity becomes unbearable, and the need to choose becomes urgent.

Miss Kelly's Revelation

Miss Kelly, the town's sharp-tongued shopkeeper, reveals that she knows about Eilis's marriage to Tony, having heard from Mrs. Kehoe in Brooklyn. The threat of exposure forces Eilis to confront the reality of her situation. The web of secrets, lies, and divided loyalties unravels. Eilis is faced with the impossibility of living two lives and the necessity of making a definitive choice.

Choosing a Future

Eilis confesses her marriage to her mother and prepares to return to Brooklyn. The farewell is painful, marked by regret, love, and the recognition that every choice comes with loss. Eilis leaves a note for Jim, unable to face him, and boards the train for her journey back to America. The novel ends with Eilis's acceptance of her fate: she cannot have both worlds, and the cost of emigration is the permanent division of the self. Her future is uncertain, but she moves forward with resolve, carrying the weight of her choices and the memory of all she has left behind.

Characters

Eilis Lacey

Eilis is a young Irish woman whose life is shaped by the expectations of family, community, and circumstance. She is intelligent, sensitive, and reserved, often swept along by the decisions of others. Eilis's journey is one of self-discovery, marked by homesickness, adaptation, and the gradual assertion of agency. Her psychological complexity lies in her passivity, her longing for belonging, and her struggle to reconcile competing loyalties. Eilis's development is subtle: she moves from being a ghost in her own life to a woman capable of making painful, definitive choices. Her relationships—with Rose, Tony, her mother, and Jim—reveal her capacity for love, guilt, and sacrifice. Ultimately, Eilis embodies the emigrant's dilemma: the impossibility of returning home unchanged and the cost of forging a new identity.

Rose Lacey

Rose is the linchpin of the Lacey family, supporting her mother and siblings with grace and determination. She is elegant, ambitious, and outwardly confident, but her actions are driven by love and a deep sense of duty. Rose orchestrates Eilis's emigration, sacrificing her own prospects for her sister's future. Her death is a turning point, exposing the fragility of the family and the depth of her unspoken sacrifices. Rose's presence lingers throughout the novel, shaping Eilis's choices and haunting her with the memory of all that has been lost.

Mrs. Lacey

Mrs. Lacey is a widow whose life revolves around her children and the maintenance of respectability. She is practical, stoic, and emotionally guarded, relying on Rose and then Eilis for companionship and support. Her grief at Rose's death and Eilis's emigration is profound but largely unspoken. Mrs. Lacey's psychological complexity lies in her ability to both demand and relinquish control, her pride masking vulnerability. Her relationship with Eilis is marked by love, disappointment, and the pain of inevitable separation.

Tony Fiorello

Tony is Eilis's first real love, a plumber from a large, affectionate Italian family in Brooklyn. He is open, humorous, and deeply devoted, offering Eilis a vision of happiness and stability. Tony's sincerity and vulnerability contrast with Eilis's reserve, drawing her out of her shell. His dreams of a future together—children, a house on Long Island—are both comforting and constraining. Tony's psychological depth emerges in his fear of losing Eilis and his willingness to bind her to him through marriage. He represents the promise and the limitations of the American dream.

Jim Farrell

Jim is a publican in Enniscorthy, well-liked and considered a "catch" by the community. He is kind, reliable, and somewhat reserved, embodying the virtues of small-town respectability. Jim's courtship of Eilis is gentle and sincere, offering her the possibility of a life rooted in familiarity and tradition. His psychological complexity lies in his vulnerability, his longing for connection, and his inability to imagine a world beyond Enniscorthy. Jim is both a temptation and a reminder of all that Eilis has left behind.

Miss Kelly

Miss Kelly is a figure of authority and menace in Enniscorthy, wielding gossip and social power with precision. She employs Eilis briefly and later exposes her secret, acting as a catalyst for Eilis's final decision. Miss Kelly embodies the small-town surveillance and judgment that Eilis both fears and resents. Her psychological depth lies in her need for control and her enjoyment of others' discomfort.

Mrs. Kehoe

Mrs. Kehoe runs the Brooklyn boarding house with a mix of strictness and maternal concern. She is a gatekeeper to the Irish immigrant community, enforcing rules and mediating conflicts among her boarders. Mrs. Kehoe's relationship with Eilis evolves from suspicion to affection, and her actions—both helpful and meddling—shape Eilis's experience in America. She represents the complexities of immigrant solidarity and the persistence of old-world values in a new context.

Father Flood

Father Flood is the architect of Eilis's emigration, using his connections to secure her passage, job, and education. He is kind, practical, and attuned to the needs of his parishioners, but he also exerts subtle pressure on Eilis to conform to expectations. Father Flood's psychological complexity lies in his blend of compassion and control, his ability to both comfort and direct. He is a symbol of the Church's role in shaping immigrant destinies.

Patty and Diana

Patty and Diana are Eilis's friends in the boarding house, offering advice, companionship, and a window into American youth culture. They are ambitious, fashion-conscious, and eager to embrace new experiences. Their friendship helps Eilis adapt and provides comic relief amid the novel's heavier themes. They represent the possibilities and challenges of female solidarity in a changing world.

Miss Fortini

Miss Fortini is Eilis's supervisor at Bartocci's, guiding her through the challenges of retail work and cultural adaptation. She is intelligent, assertive, and supportive, encouraging Eilis to pursue education and self-improvement. Miss Fortini's psychological depth lies in her blend of toughness and empathy, her ability to navigate the complexities of gender, race, and ambition in 1950s America.

Plot Devices

Emigration as Rite of Passage

The novel uses emigration as both a literal and metaphorical journey, marking the end of childhood and the beginning of adult selfhood. The physical crossing of the Atlantic is mirrored by Eilis's psychological passage from dependence to agency. The device foregrounds themes of displacement, identity, and the irreversibility of change. The cost of emigration is not only separation from home but the permanent division of the self, a motif that recurs throughout the narrative.

Letters as Emotional Bridge and Barrier

Letters between Eilis and her family serve as a lifeline, maintaining connections across distance. They are a source of comfort, guilt, and misunderstanding, shaping Eilis's sense of obligation and belonging. The device highlights the limitations of communication and the persistence of longing. Letters also function as a plot mechanism, delivering news (Rose's death) and prompting action (Eilis's return).

Doubling and Divided Selves

Eilis's experiences in Ireland and America are structured as parallel but incompatible lives. The device of doubling—two suitors, two homes, two selves—underscores the central tension of the novel: the impossibility of reconciling past and present, duty and desire. The narrative structure, with its mirrored episodes (work, romance, family), emphasizes the theme of irretrievable loss and the necessity of choice.

Foreshadowing and Irony

The novel employs subtle foreshadowing—Rose's secret illness, Eilis's reluctance to leave, Tony's fear of abandonment—to build tension and prepare the reader for the inevitable crisis. Irony pervades the narrative: the very opportunities that promise freedom become sources of entrapment; the sacrifices made for Eilis's future bind her to a fate she cannot escape. The interplay of foreshadowing and irony deepens the psychological complexity and emotional resonance of the story.

Analysis

Colm Tóibín's Brooklyn is a masterful exploration of emigration, identity, and the quiet devastations of choice. Through Eilis Lacey's journey from small-town Ireland to the immigrant neighborhoods of Brooklyn, the novel examines the emotional costs of leaving home and the impossibility of returning unchanged. Tóibín's understated prose and psychological acuity reveal the ways in which duty, love, and longing shape—and sometimes paralyze—his characters. The novel's power lies in its attention to the ordinary: the rituals of family, the routines of work, the slow accumulation of small decisions that ultimately define a life. Brooklyn is a story about the search for belonging in a world where every gain is shadowed by loss, and every act of self-assertion comes at the price of another's sacrifice. In the end, Eilis's choice is less about romance than about the acceptance of adulthood's irreconcilable demands. The novel's lesson is both simple and profound: there is no way back, only the courage to move forward, carrying the weight of all we leave behind.

Last updated: June 13, 2025