Chapter 3 (ii) Summary & Analysis – Long Island by Colm Tóibín

Spoiler Warning: This chapter summary and analysis contains details from Chapter 3 of Long Island.

Summary

The chapter opens with Eilis observing her father-in-law’s Saturday ritual of inspecting his sons’ cars. After Eilis buys a cheap car, he pays her extra attention, eventually endorsing his friend Mr Dakessian, an Armenian garage owner, as the best mechanic. Eilis, still doing accounts for the family business, regularly deals with Mr Dakessian. One day he gives her a book on Armenian history, explaining that his family fled the genocide when he was a child. He shares his sadness that his son Erik knows nothing of their heritage, while his daughter Lusin—who handles the garage’s accounts—is about to marry an Armenian. Mr Dakessian then offers Eilis the accounting job after Lusin leaves. Eilis accepts on the spot, negotiating the same hours (10 a.m. to 3 p.m.) and four weeks of holiday, two unpaid. She decides not to discuss the move with Tony, aware that he would prefer her to stay with his brothers. Earlier, Frank advised Eilis that she should not work for his brothers after Enzo complained that Eilis was overstepping.

Key Events

Eilis’s father-in-law becomes more attentive to her after she buys a used car.
Mr Dakessian gives Eilis a book on Armenian history and discusses his family’s escape from genocide.
He offers her the accounting job at his garage after his daughter Lusin leaves to marry.
Eilis accepts the offer immediately, negotiating hours and salary.
Frank tells Eilis he would not work for his brothers, implicitly endorsing her departure.
Eilis keeps the decision from Tony, anticipating his objection.

Character Development

Eilis shows growing assertiveness. She makes a major career decision independently, negotiates terms, and chooses not to seek Tony’s approval. This marks a shift from her earlier role as a humble employee within the family business.
Frank reveals himself as a confidant who sees the brothers’ treatment of Eilis and encourages her to leave. His advice is blunt and supportive.
Mr Dakessian emerges as a sympathetic figure who values Eilis’s competence and shares his cultural grief. He offers her not just a job but a safe, respectful workplace.
Enzo (offstage) is portrayed as critical of Eilis’s invoicing system, reflecting the brothers’ resistance to her authority.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Cultural displacement and memory: Mr Dakessian’s Armenian history book and his comments about his son’s ignorance mirror Eilis’s own Irish diaspora experience. The motif of preserving heritage through books and rituals ties both characters.
Independence vs. family obligation: Eilis’s unilateral decision to leave the family business signals a break from the expectation that she serve her husband’s family. The job at the garage offers a clear boundary between work and family.
Negotiation as empowerment: Eilis haggles over hours and salary, demonstrating new confidence in a professional setting that she did not exercise with her in-laws.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter is a turning point for Eilis as an individual. By accepting Mr Dakessian’s offer without consulting Tony, she reclaims agency over her professional life. The parallel between Armenian and Irish histories underlines the novel’s concern with immigrant experience and the burden of collective memory. The chapter also deepens the tension between Eilis and the Fiorello family, setting up future conflict around loyalty and self-determination.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Eilis decide to accept Mr Dakessian’s job offer without telling Tony first?
She knows Tony would want her to continue working for his brothers. She has grown frustrated with the brothers’ resistance to her accounting system and, after Frank’s encouragement, sees the garage job as a way to escape their control while preserving her own financial independence.
How does Mr Dakessian’s story about his family’s escape from Armenia connect to Eilis’s own background?
Both characters come from nations that suffered historical trauma (the Armenian genocide and the Irish Famine). Mr Dakessian gives her books about their shared histories, implying that Eilis, as an Irish immigrant, will understand the pain of erasure and the need to remember.
What does Eilis’s negotiation over work hours and salary reveal about her character at this point?
It shows she has developed a sense of her own worth and the ability to advocate for herself. Unlike her passive role in the Fiorello family business, here she sets clear terms, balancing work with personal time (the short hours allow her to manage family life).