The Dead

The Dead is a short story written by Joyce. It belongs to the collection of short stories called Dubliners. The story takes play in Ireland.

The short story "The Dead" can be divided into three parts: the first part belongs to Gabriel Conroy's arrive. Right from the start there is a great expectation for his arrive. This part has the function to introduce the characters and to explain their characteristics.
The function of the second part is organized in two micro scenes: the first scene is the dancing scene, where the role of the background characters is given in addition in this part Gabriel has got a discussion, while dancing, with Mrs. Ivors that accuses him not to love Ireland. This event recalls to the social problems that Ireland had to face. The second scene is set at dinner. Gabriel is sitting at the head of the table, busy by carving the goose. The dinner is a symbolic imagine and it might evoke conviviality and community. In this part Gabriel holds his speech about: Ireland's hospitality, sad memories, the three graces and Paride.
The third part is about both Gretta and Gabriel's epiphany.

Characters:
Gabriel Conroy is the protagonist of "The Dead". He is a university-educated teacher and writer. He feels out of place because he feels like in prison in Ireland. That is recognizable thanks to his answer to Mrs. Ivors:"I am sick of my own country, sick off it!". His function in the economy of the whole text is given by his aunts, that call him to perform the traditionally male activities of carving the goose and delivering a speech at their annual celebration. That is what marks him as a man of authority and caution, even the way he protects his wife. In addition he represents a figure full of attention but his wife make him realize that his marriage lacks of love.
Gretta Conroy is Gabriel's wife. In the economy of the whole text she plays the role of a secondary character, until the conclusion where she is the focus of Gabriel's thoughts and actions. She reveals the first epiphany, when she heard a song that recalls her childhood love story with Michael Furey.
Lily is the housemaid to the Morkan sisters. She has got at the beginning of the story an important role, that is she helps to create in the reader's mind the social structure of Ireland. she stands symbolically for premature death.  
Molly Ivors is a nationalist woman who teases Gabriel during a dance.
Julia and Kate Morkan are Gabriel's aunts. They organize the annual dance party.

The story is set, like the other stories that belongs to the collection, in Ireland. "The Dead" are told from a interior narrator and in the third person point of view but from no one fixed perspective. The way Joyce uses the free indirect speech creates the effect for the reader of "hearing" first person voices within a third person narrative. The dialogues of the guest is in direct speech. In "The Dead" the death of Michael Furey plays an important role in order to understand Gretta's epiphany. Gabriel is a difficult character to understand because he has many faces. His name refers to the archangel Gabriel who has the function to reveal an important message. That is what an epiphany does, it reveals deep feelings. These epiphanies allow characters to better understand their particular circumstances. In "The Dead" there are two central epiphanies: Gretta's epiphany begins when she hears the song "The Lass of Aughrim" and is fully explored when she returns to the hotel. And Gabriel's begins when he hears his wife talk of her love for Michael Furey and is fully explored in the last few pages of the story.

To better understand the story you should pay attention on the relationship between Gabriel and his wife: The role of these protagonists is paradoxical. They seems to be both very close to each other and very distant. There are other symbols like the goose that symbolizes for the Christian Symbol providence and vigilance of stands for freedom. Very important at the end is the symbol of the snow, that covers everything. Ironically, the snow has also functions as a symbol for the death that comes indiscriminately and in the same time it stands for a new birth of nature as for the human being. even Music plays an important role: it introduces the first epiphany and it anticipates in Gabriel's mind Kate's death.