Before, while and after reading The Dead by James Joyce one question seems omnipresent – not least because of the title: What connection does the narrative have to the dead? This question yields another one, namely “What does that mean?”
In order to approach these two questions appropriately and to reach epistemically satisfying conclusions, I propose a simple structure which allows us to consider the issues in question. Firstly, we will look at three elements of the storyline: The environment, the people and most importantly Gabriel. Each element will be investigated concerning its role and meaning for the whole story and as to how appropriate connections between elements could be drawn. Following this, we will be able to rank the elements in regards to their importance with reference to the answers to our initial questions. Obviously Gabriel is the most important element and hence will help us best to deliver answers to our questions. Therefore we must take a closer look at him.
I will argue that Gabriel is the key element in answering the first of our initial questions. The whole narrative culminates in the end, when Gabriel realized that he was only a substitute for the deceased Michael Furey – the early love of his wife Gretta, if not the love of her life.
The answer to the second question is that the special circumstances which generate a paradoxical connection are nothing more than the inflexible and rigid attitudes of people who interact with their surroundings and cause them to be rigid and uniform.
Inhaltsverzeichnis (Table of Contents)
- Structure
- The Dead
- Background of The Dead
- Content of The Dead
- Interpretation of The Dead
- What meaning do the dead have in James Joyce's The Dead?
- Literature
Zielsetzung und Themenschwerpunkte (Objectives and Key Themes)
This term paper explores the connection between the dead and the living in James Joyce's short story "The Dead". It examines the story's environment, characters, and particularly Gabriel Conroy, the protagonist, in order to analyze the narrative's relationship to the deceased. The paper aims to understand the meaning of the dead in the context of the story and how the characters' interactions with their surroundings contribute to the narrative's meaning.
- The role of the environment in shaping characters' lives and dreams.
- The impact of the past on the present and the characters' inability to move forward.
- Gabriel's personal journey of self-discovery and realization of his own limitations.
- The significance of the dead in shaping the lives of the living.
- The use of language and style to portray the characters' inner lives and the story's themes.
Zusammenfassung der Kapitel (Chapter Summaries)
The paper begins by outlining its structure and introducing the central question of the narrative's connection to the dead. It then dives into a detailed analysis of "The Dead", starting with its background within Joyce's collection "Dubliners" and its function as an epilogue to the other stories. The analysis then delves into the content of the story, describing the characters, the setting of the Christmas party, and the events leading up to Gabriel's epiphany.
The paper further explores the interpretation of the story, focusing on the environment as a symbol of the characters' stagnation and the characters' interactions with their surroundings. It analyzes the use of language and imagery to convey the themes of the story, including the significance of Gabriel's self-awareness and his realization of his own limitations in the context of the dead.
Schlüsselwörter (Keywords)
This term paper focuses on the themes of death, memory, identity, and the impact of the past on the present in James Joyce's "The Dead". Key concepts include the story's environment, the characters' interactions, Gabriel's epiphany, and the use of language and style to convey the story's meaning. The paper explores the significance of the dead in shaping the lives of the living and the characters' inability to move forward from their past experiences.
- Quote paper
- Marcus Gießmann (Author), 2013, What Meaning do the Dead have in James Joyce´s "The Dead"?, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/233033
