The Dead is a short story by James Joyce and it belongs to Dubliners, a collection of short stories.
The main characters are Gabriel Conroy and his wife Gretta Conroy. The name Gabriel refers to the Archangel who announced the Virgin Mary she would be the mother of Jesus Christ. Therefore Gabriel is expected to make an announcement, but he doesn't succeed. On the countrary Gretta makes the revalation, so the reader expectation is turned upside down. This aspect puts Gabriel in the same level of the paralyzed characters, but for other reasons he differs from them. For instance Mr Gabriel is different from Eveline because he is capable of autonomous choises. His paralysis is indeed express by the inability to communicate.
When he decided to marry Gretta her mother wasn't happy because she condidered her a woman from country, that is coming from a low social position. Mr Gabriel's characterization is made up by what he does, what he says, what poeple say about him and what he thinks.
The short story takes place in a house in Usher Island, in Dublin where Gabriel's aunts have organized a party as every year. Poeple who attend the party are family friend and many of them are expert of music. Everybody is waiting for Grabriel, therefore he is an important figure. Gabriel Conroy commits a big mistake when he talks with Lilly, the servant. He asks her if she has finished school and, according to the mentality of the time, he asked her if she has got a boyfried. After the question Lily feels ill at ease because she probably had a delusion. So, right from the start, the reader has some anticipations of what will happen later. Mr Gabriel wears gallosh because he likes to be trendy and he is angry because his wife does not want to wear them. Gretta, indeed, disobeys him therefor she is different from the conventional wife, she isn't subjugated. On the other hand Grabriel wanted Gretta to wear them in order to protect her, indeed he loves her very much.
The short story is structured in three parts. The first part has got two settings: an outside setting where it is cold and it is snowing, and an inner setting, inside the house where the music creates the atmosphere. Gabriel's aunt follow the convenctions and the rituals so they organize the same party as every year, with the same poeple, with the same plan. The second part is about the party. During the party poeple dance, talk, listen to music and have the possibility to come together. Mr Conroy and Miss Ivors dance together and talk. Miss Ivors does not agree about Gabriel's vision of Ireland. He would like to leave Ireland beacuse he does not bear the suffocating irish society and for this reason Miss Ivors calls him anglophile, indeed she is a nationalist. The speech between Gabriel and Miss Ivors is a narrative pretext to make the reader understand Irish culture. After the dance the dinner starts. The situation may be connected to a religious theme, indeed it may refer to the Last Supper with Gabriel who play the role of Jesus Christ. Mr Gabriel is worried about the speech he have to give. He wants to explot a quotation from Browing but at the end he chooses to not use it because he is afraid the public is unable to understand the meaning.