Notes of March, 28th 2012

Gretta's Characterisation

Gretta is one of the characters belonging to James Joyce's short story The Dead.
Gretta is a significant character, even if she is not one of the most important ones. Gretta is introduced by her husband's point of view. He is really in love with her and that makes him being overprotective towards her.

The writer gives the reader few information about Gretta; the reader soes not know anything about her physical appearance, her inner part, her thoughts etc. the only information the reader has about Gretta are that she is a woman of the country, that her mother-in-low was against the marriage and that she is not a conventional woman or wife ( precisely, this is an information the reader can deduce by the fact that Gretta did not wear galoshes when she arrived at the party even if Gabriel, her husband and the main character, wanted her to do so).

But, more than a character Gretta's role is related to the narration. She is a narrative device, an expedient used to activate the epiphany which changes Gabriel. She is needed to highlight Gabriel's inner growth.

For this reason, no information about her is needed, except for her past relationship with Michael Fury, which makes Gabriel  aware of the distance existing between him and his wife and makes him aware of the fact that his wife does not love him as much as he does.