Although a scene of a funeral home might come to mind when a reader first hears a short story aptly named “The Dead,” the tale actually takes place in the festive setting of a winter dance at the home of the two aunts of the main character, Gabriel Conroy. James Joyce’s short story “The Dead” has a literal title, because its main concept is death – both physical death and spiritual death.
Gabriel Conroy and his wife, Gretta Conroy, attend a party held by Gabriel’s aunts, Kate Morkan and Julia Morkan. The mood of the party is intentionally festive. It’s an annual event – “the Misses Morkan’s annual dance” (1227). But parts of the evening turn out to be quite nostalgic. The nostalgia comes from certain guests attending the party who are reminiscing about the past. Most of the people discussed in the story from the past are now dead at the time of party, so nostalgia gives way to considerations of the dead, thus emphasizing the theme of death prevalent throughout the rest of the story. Gabriel is Kate and Julia’s favorite nephew because he is the son of their dead sister, Ellen (1229). Another deceased family member, the “late lamented Patrick Morkan” is also mentioned (1241). Not only is there mention of people who have already died, but there is also mention of people who are soon to die. Past deaths and future deaths both resound in the story. Gabriel thinks that his Aunt Julia “would soon be a shade with the shade of Patrick Morkan and his horse” meaning that she is very near death, since Patrick Morkan and his horse are deceased (1248).
The language that Joyce chooses to use in the story is also vastly symbolic of mortality. Certain phrases and words are used throughout the story to emphasize death. Gabriel tells his aunts...
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...f some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age” (1248).
The story ends with death intermingling with life. Snow is falling over the houses and over the graveyard where Michael is buried (1248). The image of snow falling over the houses of the characters in the story, as well as over the graveyard (which is basically the houses of dead people, such as Michael, because it is where their bodies are laid to rest), connects life and death into one central theme. “His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last end, upon all the living and the dead” (1248). Gabriel finally realizes that one cannot avoid death.
Works Cited
Joyce, James. "The Dead." The Broadview Anthology of British Literature. By Joseph Laurence Black.
Peterborough, Ont.: Broadview, 2007. 1227-1248. Print.
James Joyce is praised for his distinct stylistic purpose and furthermore for his writings in the art of free direct discourse. Though at times his language may seem muddled and incoherent, Joyce adds a single fixture to his narratives that conveys unity and creates meaning in the otherwise arbitrary dialogue. Within the story “The Dead”, the final and most recognizable piece in the collection Dubliners, the symbol of snow expresses a correlation with the central character and shows the drastic transformation of such a dynamic character in Gabriel Conroy. The symbol of snow serves as the catalyst that unifies mankind through the flawed essence of human nature, and shows progression in the narrow mind of Gabriel. Snow conveys the emission of the otherwise superficial thoughts of Gabriel and furthermore allows for the realization of the imperfections encompassed by mankind. Riquelme’s deconstruction of the text allows for the understanding that the story cannot be read in any specific way, but the variance in meaning, as well as understanding depends solely upon the readers’ perspective. Following a personal deconstruction of the text, it is reasonable to agree with Riquelme’s notions, while correspondingly proposing that the symbol of snow represents the flaws, and strengths of Gabriel, as well as the other characters as it effects all equally.
The interpretations of what comes after death may vary greatly across literature, but one component remains constant: there will always be movement. In her collection Native Guard, Natasha Trethewey discusses the significance, permanence and meaning of death often. The topic is intimate and personal in her life, and inescapable in the general human experience. Part I of Native Guard hosts many of the most personal poems in the collection, and those very closely related to the death of Trethewey’s mother, and the exit of her mother’s presence from her life. In “Graveyard Blues”, Trethewey examines the definition of “home” as a place of lament, in contrast to the comforting meaning in the epitaph beginning Part I, and the significance
The presence of death in the novel looms over the characters, making each of them reflect on the
Death and Reality in "Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been?" by Joyce Carol Oates
"One day he caught a fish, a beautiful big big fish, and the man in the hotel boiled it for their dinner" (p.191). Little did Mrs. Malins know that those words issued from her feeble old lips so poignantly described the insensibility of the characters in James Joyce's The Dead toward their barren lives. The people portrayed in this novelette represented a wealthy Irish class in the early twentieth century, gathered at the house of the Morkan sisters for an annual tradition of feast and dance. Although all of the personages had, at one point, a potential for a beautiful life, sad memories of the past and the despair that invaded Ireland had eventually boiled all true senses and desires into a dull stew, destined to rot. Of particular interest is Gabriel Conroy, whom Joyce singularly bestowed a gift of introspection, though that did not save him from becoming yet another of the living dead.
To sum up everything we can say that Gabriel's story in The Dead surely is not a story about love, nor about a man with different faces but much more a story about a man finding his way out of the life he never really lived. The prime concern is that in this story we are dealing with a progress or a development of Gabriel's character. It is a progress of finding his true self, which he himself probably not even knew. Self-awareness, self-consciousness and a sudden real subjectivity are the 'signposts' in Gabriel's path he has to undergo.
At last the mention of snow is a summary of the perception of events and of the characters' thoughts. The snow is falling all over Ireland, on both the living and the dead. The snowfall symbolizes and predicts that Gabriel cann't uncover the feelings and thoughts of women. In short, the interchange between Gabriel and the female character like Gretta, Miss Ivors, Lily and Aunts Mary and Kate indicates the Gabriel is not able to reflect accurately upon his own motivations, desires, and actions.
Death can both be a painful and serious topic, but in the hands of the right poet it can be so natural and eloquently put together. This is the case in The Sleeper by Edgar Allan Poe, as tackles the topic of death in an uncanny way. This poem is important, because it may be about the poet’s feelings towards his mother’s death, as well as a person who is coming to terms with a loved ones passing. In the poem, Poe presents a speaker who uses various literary devices such as couplet, end-stopped line, alliteration, image, consonance, and apostrophe to dramatize coming to terms with the death of a loved one.
... make poor decisions. Freddy Malins shows up at the party drunk, causing problems for the host. Gabriel has problems socializing with Miss Ivory, because she does not agree with his opinions. As a result, she leaves the party early. When people socialize, they usually do not want to discuss work but use socialization as an escape from it. The songs at the party have some significance because of the feelings and thoughts they provoke in different people. The song “The Lass of Aughrim” causes Gretta to smile and stimulates Gabriel’s desire for his wife. The next song, however, back at the hotel, reminds Gretta of a previous lover. Where the first song brings them together, the second song pulls them apart. The first song, for Gabriel, is an escape from his problems to his wife, while the second song causes the wife to want to escape her marriage with Gabriel.
Why do people celebrate death? Many people including myself have wondered this, and when I first heard of the mexican holiday Dia De Los Muertos. Translated in english, day of the dead is a holiday where instead of mourning lost ones they remember their lost ones by making alters, decorating their graves with things they used to like or their favourite food and celebrate their life. This mexican tradition is now celebrated throughout the united states aswell and this year we decided to dedicate alters to people we lost in the battle against police brutality. We have lost so many souls in the past decade that a black lives matter movement was created. Its sad that it even had to get to this point but all we can do now is fight for change and
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