The Dead written by James Joyce takes place on New Year's Day, with the background being a party hosted by the aunts of the protagonist Gabriel Conroy. After describing the preparations for the party, Gabriel brought his wife Gretta to the scene. He tried to praise the butler's daughter and servant Lily, but due to social embarrassment, it went against his wishes. Through these moments, as well as other details of the interaction between the hostess and guests provided by Joyce, we have learned about worrying social, religious, and political issues that Dubliners must negotiate in their daily lives. Although Conroy's social demeanor was quite crude, he was the core figure in many aspects of social occasions. At the end of the dinner, one of the guests sang a melancholic love song, which prompted Gretta to recall the man she loved before marrying Gabriel. Gabriel and Gretta left the party and headed to their hotel. Gabriel realized that he longed for his wife, but she still didn't realize it. He thought that she would always love Fury, and Fury loved her in a way that he couldn't compete with. He felt humble about this understanding, which was equivalent to his own epiphany: it freed him from his own thoughts and self-focus and enabled him to view his wife in a new way, and then view all humanity. “The Dead” deals with both literal and metaphorical death. Additionally, these perceptions of those who have died are often tainted by nostalgia, making it hard for the characters to forget about their glorified memories of the past.
Death is a universal objective factor that will not be delayed by other influences in society. Therefore, rather than fading with age, it is better to bravely enter another world. This book involves both literal and metaphorical death. Most of the content in the book revolves appropriately around the deceased and their legacy. For Gabriel and Gretta, the power of the deceased is greater than that of the living. The most obvious example is Gretta's former lover Michael Fury, who believes he sacrificed for her love. No matter how short or how long they have known each other, she seems to believe that this is the purest love she has ever received. Gabriel, on the other hand, was afraid of Michael - because he was already dead and his reputation could not be changed. When Gabriel's wife admitted that she believed Michael had died for her, Gabriel felt very scared, feeling that "some irreparable retaliator is attacking him, gathering forces against him in this vague world." Of course, Michael Furey did not pose a physical threat, but he controlled Gretta's emotions, which Gabriel was worried about. A key part of Gabriel's final epiphany is also related to death - accepting that death is universal and constantly approaching. Just like Ireland is covered in snow everywhere, death will also come. It does not distinguish between class, religion, or race.
We cannot idealize certain things too much, we need to learn more and not be too obsessed with the unknown. Gabriel developed anti-nationalist sentiment towards Ireland because he had no knowledge of other countries. From fashion trends to literature to vacation destinations, he is associated with the UK and other parts of the European continent in all aspects. Gabriel would seek to escape, but he also seemed to deny his dissatisfaction with life. He seems to think that anywhere outside of Ireland is a bit exotic and outstanding in all aspects. Gabriel's admiration for all foreign things emphasized his dissatisfaction with Ireland. His interest in the European continent is reflected in all aspects. This kind of praise for all foreign things also appears in the conversation between Mr. Brown and Mr. Bartel Darcy, when they talk about where all the excellent singers have gone. However Gabriel did not seem to truly realize that he wanted to escape, this was implicit in his anti-nationalist sentiment towards Ireland. Just as many other characters of Joyce among Dubliners are trapped in idealized versions of foreign lands that they actually know nothing about, Gabriel is also trapped in idealized versions of other regions of Europe.
Rights are not dominated by gender, and women should not be a disposable item, let alone a measure of strength and confidence for men. The description of women in this book is mostly from the perspective of men. In the story, women are considered to be fragile and helpless, which are all qualities that attract men. The most obvious way Joyce criticized the female characters in 19th-century Dublin was through criticism of the Catholic Church. For example, Aunt Kate couldn't reconcile her anger at the Pope's decision, nor could she reconcile her belief that both the Pope and the Church were infallible. In the end, she said she was just a foolish old woman, and of course, she would never question the Pope, thus dispelling her previous anger. Because Kate is a woman in Dublin society, she must avoid making overly forceful remarks, especially when accused of offending a man. Joyce exposed the hypocrisy of Catholics, who must accept every decision made by the church because it is considered absolutely correct, even if they really disagree, especially in social situations. Gabriel is proud of Gretta's elegance and wife's demeanor. He likes her to stick to her role as a wife and not try to challenge his authority like other women he interacts with. Gender roles seem to revolve entirely around power. He longed for his wife mainly because he wanted to dominate her.
In conclusion, in the final scene, the themes of death and self-awareness are closely connected. Gretta recounted her passionate love in childhood, revealing to Gabriel his diminished importance in her life and the reality that he had never loved any woman like Forrest. This conveys a high level of self-awareness. Furthermore, snowfall itself, like death, is merciless and equally befalls every living person, regardless of class or nationality. In this way, death is also a great unity of the past and present, indicating that true detachment from personal or national history is painful and almost impossible. Gabriel, like other Dubliners, must face the harshness of life in order to overcome it. The ups and downs of Dublin life will continue to bring insights, and whether they will lead to any lasting changes depends on the individual.
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