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THE DEAD BY JAMES JOYCE

            The short story "The Dead" by James Joyce talks about people and their relationship. One of the major themes in the story is miscommunication. This theme arises throughout the story and is mainly expressed through the relationship of Gabriel Conroy and his wife Gretta. Gabriel miscommunicates with Gretta throughout the story, does not interpret her behavior and misjudge her. During their ride back to the hotel he longs for her, while she is recalling her dead lover from her past; Gabriel doesn't see or sense that at all, being caught in his own string of thoughts. From the beginning of the story until its end Gabriel is going through a learning process from the way he sees his wife in the beginning of the story to a different point of view on her in the end. The process is influenced mainly by miscommunication on Gabriels' side. He also comes to a realization regarding his marriage. .
             The story takes place at the annual Misses Morkan's dance. Among the invited people we see Gabriel Conroy and his wife Gretta. Gabriel is characterized as a very dominant person. Gabriel is concerned only about the tasks he needs to do in the party and hardly pays attention to his wife. Gabriel takes care that everybody will feel comfortable in the party: He talks to lots of of people in the party, makes sure the aunts feel comfortable and have fun, dances with the guests. He is also concerned about the speech he is about to make in the party later on. He does so many things that he is not aware of his wife's existence. She is taken for granted. .
             In the beginning of the story there is scarcely a concrete reference to his wife. We know little about her. She is described as Gabriel's wife and nothing more than that. As the story begins, she is called "his wife"(200) or "Gabriel's wife"(201). Any information given us about her comes through Gabriel's eyes, or what Gabriel feels towards her. In fact, Gabriel sees her as a symbol and not as real person.


Essays Related to THE DEAD BY JAMES JOYCE

1. Gabriel: An Awakening To Mortality In "The Dead"

... is taking place inside of Gabriel. "Realizing his condition of death, Gabriel symbolically annunciates the new life through the salvation of Michael:" (Billigheimer 483) Gabriel: An Awakening to Mortality in "The Dead" Gabriel Conroy, the protagonist in the short story "The Dead" by James Joyce, is the victim, due to his delusional feelings toward humanity and his ignorance against the mortality of all mankind. "A teacher and critic of literature," [ ] (Benstock 85) Gabriel is ... is taking place inside of Gabriel. "Realizing his condition of death, Gabriel symbolically annunciates the ...

  • Word Count: 5176
  • Approx Pages: 21
  • Has Bibliography
  • Grade Level: High School

2. James Joyce

... he had compiled (15 in all) entitled Dubliners. However, the difference there was to be between this and the preceding stories was that, whereas the others tended to underline only the negative aspects of his homeland, Ireland, this would include some positive aspects as well. By the time Joyce had begun to write The Dead, his attitude towards Dublin, the central city in Ireland, had softened slightly in that he ... efficacy generally attributed to Irish Catholicism" (Lodge, 1977:129). This same theme he also applied to the overwhelming sense of Irish nationalism that prevailed in Dublin...

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3. "The Dead"

... Gretta became such an important character in the film. Certain aspects of Gretta's character in Joyce's original work were carried out well by the actress who played Gretta in Huston's film. The actress portrayed Gretta's emotions accurately. In both works Gretta starts off the night on a very emotional high (she is very happy and excited) but by the end of the night she totally falls apart (starting when ... painter he would paint her in that attitude. Her blue felt hat would show off the bronze of her hair against the darkness and the dark panels of her skirt would show off the light o...

  • Word Count: 2001
  • Approx Pages: 8
  • Grade Level: High School

4. Dubliners by James Joyce

... under a regime than fight it. " Hemingway is saying here that living the controlled life is easier than living the adventurous life. In Dubliners by James Joyce, we venture into the lives of four subjugated individuals living in the city of Dublin, Ireland. The people in these stories each have different regimes in which they live by. However, their longing for adventure sparks epiphanies in their minds as they ... of family and of self paralyze Eveline as she stands against the dock watching her love sail away from her. Ultimately we come to the problem of self-consciousness. To discus...

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5. The Dead by James Joyce

In the novel "The Dead," by James Joyce, Gabriel Conroy is Joyce in character form. James Joyce was an outcast to society and in this novel it is understood that he is because of the way Gabriel Conroy acts. Being uncomfortable with society, Joyce made Gabriel have awkward encounters in which he gets angry but he is forced to hold his anger back. Gabriel Conroy holds his anger inside and ... expresses the outer ... that is why he tried to hide his true feelings behind a thick wall. He knew that he had to act the right way or else he would be judged by society. James Joyce made him this way b...

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6. Ireland: From the Past to the Present

James Joyce completes his series, The Dubliners, with a story that does not give any hope for Ireland. "The Dead," refers "to the story's moribund characters and their preoccupation with the past" (Munich 173). Though the title is quite morbid, the theme of mortality is constantly reinforced throughout the entire story. This final story concludes "a collection of stories that begins with the statement "there was no hope" and ends with the words "the dead"" (Peterson). To ... not lived his life to the fullest and "is one of the dead" (Walzl 449). Throughout his life Gabriel has been in constan...

  • Word Count: 1200
  • Approx Pages: 5
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  • Grade Level: High School

7. The Role of a Woman

... , women have always aimed for a recognized place in society. Guided by their own field of knowledge and expertise, they longed to bring awareness to women's roles in any walk of life. In "The Boarding House", James Joyce describes Mrs. Mooney as a woman who is able to keep things to herself, a determined woman. Unfortunately, the behavior Mrs. Mooney portrayed is mind boggling at times. It is ... background. Not only did Mr. Mooney begin to drink, but started to physically abuse Mrs. Mooney as well. James Joyce describes him as, "He began to go to the devil. He drank, plundered the till,...

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8. Gabriel Conroy in The Dead by James Joyce

In James Joyce's novella, "The Dead," Gabriel Conroy's character plays a central role in the theme of paralysis throughout the story. Initially, the story seems to be that of a holiday party given by Gabriel's aunt Kate and aunt Julia. As the plot unfolds, however, it becomes clear that Joyce uses his ability to beautifully portray the party in great detail as a method of building this central theme. Although the underlying message Joyce is trying to ... own faults, he has never truly loved as Michael Furey had. Although Michael is physically dead, Gabriel's condition is no better. He finds h...

  • Word Count: 1476
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9. James Joyce

... ? Some people can not handle being in that situation. In addition, it wont guarantee that your life will get any better. After all, money sometimes is the root of all evil. The short story "Araby" by James Joyce shows that the boy has similar characteristics to Chandler in "A little cloud". They both think of ways to make their miserable lives bearable. In "A little cloud", Chandler thought ... everything he had done was "useless". The story shows many ways in which the boy's animosity is shown. Starting with his home environment and the adults around him. It's clear that these causes of...

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10. Robinson Crusoe as the Prototype British Colonist

... owned by his captors, and throws a young crew member overboard. He ignores the young Moor's cry for help, and lets him drown in the sea. Crusoe, like many British Colonists, saw the 'Moor' people as inferior, and even savage like, so Crusoe would have felt little remorse about leaving the young boy for dead. This is the type of unconscious cruelty which explains why Robinson ... Crusoe has been described as the prototype British Colonist. Crusoe could also be said to have shown an unconscious cruelty towards Xury, his young Moor companion, when he agrees to sell ... an important r...

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