According to Joyce, Dubliners of his time have fallen into a rut - they are living their routine lives, with no excitement whatsoever, and it doesn't seem like they are even aware of the tragedy in their everyday lives. He believes they should wake up from this dream and face the reality before them.
Eveline is a great example of this type of a Dubliner - she is living with her father, taking care of him day after day, forgetting to live her own life. When she is presented with an opportunity to escape, she rejects it, too afraid to leave her rut and start something exciting.
