Gabriel: An Awakening To Mortality In “The Dead“

21 Pages 5176 Words

his readers Gabriel’s uneasiness with women. Lily, the caretaker’s daughter, is the first in the story, to witness Gabriel’s insensitivity. Gabriel has known Lily since she was a small girl, yet he is too self-absorbed to see the mature woman she has become. His question to Lily about her schooling is just another affirmation to his ignorance and the dead existence he is living. When Gabriel realizes his lapse in time, “he jokes that she will probably be married someday soon, but he is confused and taken aback by her bitter reply.” [..] (Begnal 1) 'The men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get out of you.' (Joyce 176) Gabriel tries to cover his discomfort over the situation by giving Lily a coin as a Christmas present. Gabriel would rather soothe his ego than do a kind gesture. As the evening progresses, the main character again finds himself in an uncomfortable place. Gabriel has been paired up to dance with Molly Ivors, a former University classmate and fellow teacher. While they are dancing, Miss Ivors informs Gabriel that she has learned that he writes for a Briton newspaper. He confesses his dislike for Ireland but fails to disclose to her that he views the Irish as a poorly educated, lower class of people. Her line of questioning unnerves Gabriel because he despises anything that creates discord in his life. “He answers her questions awkwardly because he wishes to flee from the confrontation altogether, and he can barely muster the strength to defend himself because he might displease her.” (Rapp 2) Gabriel feels a surge of relief when Molly Ivors decides to leave the party. To him, this is one less reminder of the shell of a man he has become. This collision between Gabriel’s emotional and intellectual state proves to be an unveiling, as to the truth about his death in life, which he is not yet ready to face.
Throughout the short story “The Dead”, Joyce makes several reference...