Reading Journal 4: The Dead

Yoo Sun Sung / 111064 / 12v3

Mr. Garrioch

World Literature

March 27, 2013

 

Reading Journal: The Dead

 

             James Joyce's The Dead is the final ending of the series 'Dubliners.' The story is quite long with somewhat elaborate depictions of the Morkans' Christmas party. On a superficial level, the story seems to deal with the different people present at the party, especially focusing more on Gabriel and Gretta. However, in depth, The Dead pictures conflicting emotions Gabriel feels and the eventual epiphany he encounters.

             The flow of the story is quite subtle, without any sudden leaps in the plot or shocking events. The Christmas party is like an ordinary party, except for the fact that it is static in some sense. Or maybe the readers feel that way because the novella follows the eyes and thoughts of Gabriel a protagonist with a twisted mind. He regards himself as royal and educated, above all the others present in the party. Before he makes his speech, Gabriel is worried that the lines from Robert Browning would be "above the heads of his hearers." He becomes sure that "[people's] grade of culture differed from his" when he hears the "indelicate clacking of the men's heels and the shuffling of their soles." Even when Mary Jane plays the piano, instead of feeling the music, he notes how the music is devoid of melody and puts his attention on the young men who left the room. Overall, Gabriel has a pessimistic mindset.

             Such mindset has its own base in the confidence and pride Gabriel has for himself. However, subtle it may be, Gabriel's foundation shakes as he meets person by person throughout the party. The first encounter is with Lily. Gabriel first intention for the conversation with Lily was out of gaiety; however, he made a mistake in doing so and offended her. Instead of trying to explain his original intention, Gabriel just covers up his mistake by suddenly giving a coin as a Christmas present. This shows that Gabriel did not have much successful relationships with other people. He may be regarded as a kind, honorable man such as "aunt's best nephew," but he lacked true human contact with others. He was unconfident in his ability to truly convey his feelings to Lily. The same event happens right after, when Gabriel goes on a dance with Miss Ivors. Miss Ivors jokingly calls Gabriel as "West Briton," because he writes an editorial for The Daily Express and further interrogates Gabriel about his future trip. Gabriel apparently fails to explain his true feelings or acknowledge them and ends up going to the extreme, saying he is "sick of [Ireland]." As people act differently from what he expected, Gabriel begins to notice the difference between himself and others.

             The behaviors portrayed in The Dead indicate that Gabriel is stubborn and has his own ways of living. His main speech also gives a peek about what person Gabriel is. He does not want to "linger on the past" and be depressed by the sad memories that infest on it. In the same sense, Gabriel pursues new nations rather than his Irish heritage. What Gabriel did not recognize is that Gretta - his own wife - is the foil character of himself; later, Gabriel realizes that Gretta lingers on the past memory and love for Michael Furey. Here, as he looks through the snow, Gabriel meets his ephiphany, realizing that past and present are not that different. Through his epiphany, Gabriel gets one step closer to Gretta , overcoming his stubbornness.

 

----------------------------------------

 

            

             When I first read The Dead, I had quite a hard time first diving into the story, since quite a lot of characters suddenly emerged all at once. There was quite a difficulty in keeping the track of who is whom and who did what. It was during the second time that I was able to fully understand what was taking place in the story.

             Actually, I just understood the story superficially when I read it. It was after the discussion that I realized the story dealt with epiphany. I did know that Gabriel went through a change in heart, but that it was called the epiphany I knew later. Epiphany, by definition, is an experience of sudden and striking realization. I first "saw" this specific word when I watched the movie adaption of the musical Sweeney Todd. "Epiphany" was the title for one song. To recount the summary a little bit, the barber goes through an epiphany when he fails to kill the judge for vengeance. I never looked up the concise definition of epiphany, but I just liked the word itself linked with the song. In my personal sense, I believe people experience epiphany when their long-held belief is overturned by a certain event or situation. In this sense, Gabriel did experience epiphany, because his long-held belief for the past and present was overturned by his wife, one of the person that Gabriel would have considered a similar counterpart of him.

             I am not sure if I had truly experience epiphany. The world is vast and there exists various people. After meeting all the diverse individuals, I had changed or moderated my beliefs, but I do not remember a time when I completely flipped my long-held thoughts due to someone other's influence. If I had one, it would be so shocking enough for me to immediately recount the incident. I do not know when or by what I would experience epiphany, but I hope it would lead me in a better course.