The dead is a short story written by James Joyce and published in his collection Dubliners.
Gabriel and his wife take part to a party organized by the Morkans; when they had arrived at hotel room, the man wanted to satisfy his passions, but Gretta interrupted him to tell him about her sadness. During the party Gretta had listened to a song which reminded her of a guy she had met in Galway and who had fallen in love with her.
Before she left, he walked under the rain just to see her for the last time even if he was sick.
The scene moves again to Gabriel and Gretta who are staying at the window and in this moment the man understands that it is better to live a short life full of passion instead of a long but insipid life. The title of the story referes to the interior death of the two main characters: Gretta lives always thinking about her past and her memories and Gabriel's life isn't based on a solid marriage as he had always thought.