(read the pdf on The Dead ’s symbolism)

It is the last short story of Dubliners, so it works as a coda.

It is the short story about public life (the dinner and the guests).

Is the story so relevant? No, it is not, because most important things are Gabriel’s thoughts and impressions.

How does James Joyce’s symbolic realism actually works?

He employed three kinds of symbols:

1.       1. Proper names

2.       2. Objects 

3.       3. Situations 

Most important symbols in the story are the snow and the music.

SNOW: 

White in American and British culture does not mean purity, but it is SYMBOL of DEATH.

GABRIEL

Gabriel, in Christian culture, represents a messenger of life. He is also the symbol of RESURRECTION, so he is able to RE-BORN after his epiphany.

Why he has an epiphany? Because he possesses the tools to become aware of what happens around him.

The DRUNK MAN

He is a paradigm of Irish people, they are inconclusive and so they are not able to find a sense in their life.

THE LASS OF AUGHRIM 

Gretta’s thoughts are not activate by an high song, but by a POPULAR song.

In the popular language there are lot of sayings that tells in a simple way complex aspect of reality.(FOLK WISDOM)

THE DEAD

Who are the DEAD?

They are people who live but their soul is DEAD. If we are not aware about our feelings, and also what happens around us, we are DEAD.