James Joyce’s Dubliners is a famous collection of short stories, which introduces its readership to the life of Irish middle class people at the beginning of the 20th century. Especially the final of these short stories named The Dead, which simultaneously is the longest, received a brought reception. It is “the story of Gabriel Conroy who attends the Christmas dinner party of his aunts, the Morkans, accompanied by his wife Gretta” (Brannigan 56, 57). Here, he is confronted with his pro-British existance, in contrast to some nationalist attitudes. In the end, he discovers that his wife fell in love with a boy in Galway once, who died, and that their relationship is not, and never was, as passionate as he wants it to be. In general it can be said that “Joyce presents people in their relation to both nationalism and love” (Manganiello 94)
It arouse interest over seventy years after its first publication, when John Houston made it into a movie in 1987. This essay will analyze the changes that happened through the conversion from short story to film. Because the paper has a limited number of pages, the special focus will be on the women Gretta Conroy, who is next to her husband Gabriel the main actor, Miss Ivors, who stays in mind because of her strong feelings for her home country Ireland and Lily, a minor character but the first woman appearing in the story. After giving a description of their characters in the novella, the third chaper of this paper will deal with these women in the movie. It will be shown that they nearly all went through a kind of transformation and, in contrast to Joyce’s outline, were strenghtened by John Houston in various respects.
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. James Joyce’s Women in The Dead
2.1. Gretta Conroy
2.2. Molly Ivors
2.3. Lily, the caretaker’s daughter
3. The Women in John Huston’s Film
3.1. Gretta Conroy
3.2. Molly Ivors
3.3. Lily, the caretaker’s daughter
4. Conclusion
Objectives and Topics
This paper aims to analyze the narrative and character transformations occurring in the transition of James Joyce's short story "The Dead" into John Huston's 1987 film adaptation, with a specific focus on the representation of female characters.
- Comparative analysis of literary and cinematic characterizations.
- The evolution of Gretta Conroy's role and emotional depth.
- The portrayal of Molly Ivors and her nationalist influence.
- Lily, the caretaker's daughter, as an observer of social and personal shifts.
- The impact of directorial choices on thematic elements like love and nationalism.
Excerpt from the Book
2.1. Gretta Conroy
Gretta Conroy is the wife of Gabriel Conroy, the person around whom the narrative circles. She visits together with her husband his Aunts Kate and Julia Morkan for a Christmas dinner party which draws together a variety of relatives and friends. “In the midst of these solitaries, Gabriel and Gretta stand out as a surprising anomaly: a married couple with children at home” (Cowart 501). While they are at the Morkan’s party, their housemaid Bessie takes care for the children so that Gabriel and Gretta do not have to worry. During the party one gets the impression that Gretta really loves Gabriel and cares for him. But as the party progresses, she is reminded of her heritage and life as a young girl in the West of Ireland, in Galway, especially when Mr. Batell D’Arcy sings The Lass of Aughrim, “a nationalist ballad” (Brannigan 58). Furthermore this song makes her remember that she had had an admirer named Micheal [Furey]” (Wright 27) at that time. When the couple leaves the party and arrives at the Gresham Hotel, “Gretta is full of past memories” (Ehrlich 95) of her former lover. When Gabriel wants to know, what she is thinking about, she bursts into tears, because Michael Furey died as a young boy after Gretta went to a convent. Gretta says, she thinks that he died for her. After this sentence she falls asleep and leaves Gabriel thinking about their passionless relationship.
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: This chapter introduces the literary source material, the significance of "The Dead," and outlines the comparative focus on female characters in both the novella and the film.
2. James Joyce’s Women in The Dead: This section provides a character analysis of Gretta Conroy, Molly Ivors, and Lily within the context of the original short story.
3. The Women in John Huston’s Film: This chapter examines how the film version alters the roles and prominence of the three main female characters through new dialogue, focus, and performance choices.
4. Conclusion: The final chapter summarizes how the transformation from text to film successfully created a unique work of art while strengthening the depth of the female protagonists.
Keywords
James Joyce, The Dead, John Huston, adaptation, Gretta Conroy, Molly Ivors, Lily, Irish literature, film studies, nationalism, gender, character transformation, cultural studies, short story, Dubliners.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core subject of this academic paper?
The paper examines the literary and cinematic portrayal of women in James Joyce's "The Dead" and its 1987 adaptation by John Huston.
Which female characters are the primary focus of this study?
The study focuses on Gretta Conroy, Miss Molly Ivors, and Lily, the caretaker's daughter.
What is the primary objective of the author?
The author intends to demonstrate how John Huston adapted the source material and how he shifted the narrative focus by giving more agency and depth to the female characters.
Which methodology is applied in this analysis?
The paper utilizes a comparative analysis between the original novella by Joyce and the film version by Huston, supported by secondary literary criticism.
What does the main body of the paper cover?
The main body is divided into two parts: an exploration of the characters as written by Joyce and an investigation into their cinematic representation and development under Huston's direction.
Which keywords best characterize the research?
Key terms include James Joyce, John Huston, adaptation, Gretta Conroy, Molly Ivors, Lily, and cultural studies.
How does John Huston change the character of Lily compared to the book?
Huston expands Lily’s role by adding dialogue, such as her asserting herself in the kitchen, and using her as a recurring observer of the party's intense moments.
Does the film change the perception of the marriage between Gabriel and Gretta?
While the film maintains the essence of their distance, it uses cinematic techniques like close-ups to emphasize Gretta's internal emotional life and disappointment, creating a more visible transformation than in the text.
What is the significance of the "Lass of Aughrim" scene in the film?
The scene is central to Gretta's character development, as it triggers her memories of Michael Furey and is highlighted by the film through visual focus and acting, distinguishing her internal state from Gabriel's perception.
- Quote paper
- Lena Spiekermann (Author), 2008, The Women in James Joyce's "The Dead" and in John Huston's filmic adaption, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/180523
