Analysis Of The Dead By James Joyce English Literature Essay

Analysis Of The Dead By James Joyce English Literature Essay In the day of the Epiphany in 1904 one of the most popular celebrations of Dublin is about to start, the Misses Morkan’s party. The Morkan are three women belonging to the Irish bourgeoisie who receive in their home some relatives and friends to welcome the Christmas’ day. The warm of the home welcome the guests who arrive frozen from the street. Everything seems to be happiness inside: the piano’s music is accompanied by the dance, the champagne floods the party and the guests enjoy the magnificent evening. After dancing the moment of cut the goose comes and amid laughter the guests talk about opera, theatre, music, one of them dares to recite a poem and another one sings a song. After having a good time the night is over and the party with it. The characters come back home and the story focuses now in one of the couples that participated in the party: Gabriel and Gretta Conroy. The jovial and casual tone of the narration changes completely and we can feel the final climax that brings face to face the marriage. Just before leaving, Gretta listens ‘ The Lass of Aughrim’, an old romantic song intoned by one of the guests. The melody reminds her a love from the past, Michael Furey, who she feels that he died for her. She remains paralysed in the stairs, meanwhile her husband looks at her, spellbound by the vision of such mysterious scene. When they arrive to the hotel she tells him the story of Michael and this provokes in Gabriel an epiphany. 3.CHARACTERIZATION: GABRIEL CONROY The characters are defined by small actions, by physical appearances such as the way of wearing the hair, the gesture of the faces, the way of bowing down to someone and so on. Among the whole gallery of characters that assist to the Christmas party the main character Gabriel Conroy requires special attention. At first glance Gabriel seems to be a happily married teacher that as everyone that night is attending to his aunts’ annual party. However a s the story progresses we realize that he is not as confident as he looks. Gabriel is a man extremely worried about both external and physical appearances, he takes care over his clothes, his phrases, the impact of his words, so much so that his behaviour can result theatrical in some aspects. He is portrayed as a fashion victim ‘Goloshes! said Mrs Conroy. That’s the latest†¦Gabriel says everyone wears them on the continent’ and also during the party, while others are focussed on food, drink and music he spends the most part of the time thinking about the discourse that he will have make, instead of paying attention to his aunt’s song or the conversations of the others ‘Gabriel could not listen while Mary Jane was playing her Academy piece†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢, ‘He would fail with them, just as he failed with the girl in the pantry’. Here his insecurities become more and more evident and his constant attempts to hide them can be seen in g estures and phrases like ‘Gabriel laughed nervously and patted his tie reassuringly†¦.’He coloured and was about to knit his brows†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢Gabriel tried to cover his agitation by taking part in the dance with great energy’.