The Dead is the final short story of collection Dubliners by James Joyce. The story can be divided into three sequences: the first one is during the dance and the dinner; the second one is during their way to the hotel and the last one is their night in the hotel.

In the first sequence the narrator introduces the characters, the space and the time of  the story. It is the annual party held held in the Dublin by Morkan family. In the first part the reader can find many cultural hints of the Irish culture. The fact that the party is the same every year, that the people who take part in it are always the same, that they perform the same dances demonstrate paralysis of Irish people that are considered the dead, they cannot divide from the routine and the actions know. The image is similar to the anecdote told by Gabriel about her grandfather and the house that circles around the statue.without control. Another important hint is of alcoholism spread in Ireland that the reader can see in the character of Freddy Malins. Also there is the hint to the religiosity in the words of Mary Jane, but also in the priests' acts who do their tasks.

Gabriel seems to be the unique character who is aware of this situations in his country and he is unique who tries to run away from it. The reader can see this especially in his dialogue with Mrs. Ivors, supporter of Irish culture, but also for his interest for the culture of the continent. But the principal characteristic of all Joyce's character, inability of action, is present also in Gabriel, who would like to go away he cannot. This is the characteristic of anti-heroes,  because Joyce does not like to represent traditional heroes, people who are able to make what others cannot.

Another important character is Gretta, Gabriel's wife, because from her love story revealed in the last sequence Gabriel understands many things, changing his idea about life expressed during his traditional speech held during the dinner because he was the point of reference for the society, man of letters.

In the second sequence the story  is told by Gabriel's point of view who watching his wife on the way to the hotel remembers their love story and courtship when they were young and this provokes in him passion, desire and attraction for Gretta, but he managed to hold his passions.

In the last sequences Gabriel is still taken by passion and desire Gretta reveals him the reason of her strange mood and she tells him about the dead of young man who died for her love, he was ill but he wanted to see her because her departure and he said that he did not want to live. This words does not allow Gabriel to sleep because he thinks about his life, his morality but also about life generally. Gabriel's speech and his words in some way betrayed him because he said that the people had to live without thinking about past and the dead, but it was not truth because the young boy remained in the Gretta's thoughts and he was very important for her. Another conclusion may be that Gabriel does not really love Gretta or he does not love her enough, because he confesses that he has never felt anything similar for her. So maybe his desire and passion can be only the desire to control her. The last few lines when Gabriel watches the snow that were falling in the whole country, and also on  Michael's grave, and it in some way puts together all the people, the dead but also alive person. It also can be seemed as a kind of paralysis that freezes whole people.