Examples Of Epiphany In The Dead By James Joyce

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James Joyce normally has an ordinary character go through a revelation, or epiphany. Gabriel from "The Dead" is no exception to this, as he too has an epiphany. His epiphany is slowly drawn out during the story to show the essence of his character. Eventually leading to his revelation, or epiphany, being that of life and death. "The Dead" starts out with Gabriel and his wife, Gretta, arriving at a holiday party that they routinely go to every year.

The soon to be routine and somewhat stressful evening starts off with Gretta making a comment about Gabriel. The comment hints that their marriage may not be filled with passion or love, as Gabriel is irritated at her comments. At the party, many routines happen, such as a drunk Freddy Malins stumbling in, various people inclined to dance in circles in similar steps to similar songs, for Gabriel to sit at the head of the table making a speech, and then all the guests to eat a similar meal. During this annual speech that Gabriel makes he touches on his beliefs of separating the past from the present. This, I believe is foreshadowing to the epiphany that will come to him later regarding that very subject. However, all these reoccurring events so far are resembling a paralysis in these people’s lives, specifically Gabriel’s. Gabriel's life tends to go in circles much, like the story he shares about his grandfather’s …show more content…

Gretta is memorized by a song being sung by Mr. Bartell D’Arcy. Gabriel observes her and becomes filled with lust as he remembers wooing her in the past. However, when the two arrive at their hotel for the night and he intends to make love to her, she suddenly breaks down in tears. Gabriel is angry at first but as Gretta explains how the song resurfaced the feelings for a past lover, Michael Furey, that had died outside her window in the cold. She tosses herself into the bed and cries until she is

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