The Dead

A detailed Summary of The Dead


James Joyce's "The Dead" begins at the annual 1904 Christmas party given by the Misses Morkans, Miss Kate and Miss Julia. This is also considered a yearly reunion. The party consists of many family members and friends many of whom dislike one another, particularly Gabriel. It is at the party that we are introduced to Gabriel, and our initial impression is that he is self-centered and selfish. As the story continues, our feelings towards Gabriel evolve as he changes. In the beginning of "The Dead", Gabriel is self-absorbed and solipsistic; however, he becomes a more caring individual following his epiphany.

Gabriel is a very rude and selfish man. He arrives late to the Christmas Party and then blames lateness on his wife by telling everyone, "'but they forget that my wife here takes three mortal hours to dress herself'"(290). In actuality, they arrive late due to Gabriel's stubbornness. This man does not enjoy family functions. Perhaps he caused their lateness because he does not really care for his family. By shrugging off people with whom he converses, it shows how much interest he has in his family, which is prac


2. Litz, Walton A. "On Joyce's 'The Dead'." In Birkerts. 520-523.

Another example of Gabriel's self-involvement is his interaction with Lily. Lily has been the caretaker's daughter for years, yet Gabriel does not even know how old she is. His asking if she goes to school or if she is planning to be married supports this. Lily realizes that he is not really interested in her life and is just making conversation. She says to him bitterly, "'The men that is only all palaver and what they can get out of you'"(290). Lily's response embarrasses Gabriel causing his face to flush. To ease his discomfort he gives her a coin claiming it is given to her due to the Christmas spirit and practically runs away from her.

P. Birkerts. Needham Heights, Mass.: A Simon and Schuster Company, 1996. 289-

1. Joyce, James. "The Dead." Literature: The Evolving Canon. Second edition. Sven

Another example of Gabriel's awakening is moving to a different area in Ireland. He is going to do this for his wife, rather than himself. In the beginning of Joyce's short story, Miss Ivors had told Gabriel that he should move to "West Briton", and yet Gabriel wants to go to ano

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Approximate Word count = 793
Approximate Pages = 3 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: English

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