Joyce’s words flow in such a beautiful and poignant fashion that it’s almost impossible to choose just one example to highlight something about “The Dead.” But one of the many passages that is particularly memorable for me is on page 191, after Gretta has told Gabriel of Michael Furey’s death. Gabriel’s own self-reflection is so powerful and telling. Joyce sets the scene with the snow falling outside, which is a perfect backdrop to the thoughts that are spinning in Gabriel’s head: his own thoughts about life and how he doesn’t want to fade slowly. He thinks to himself, as the snow is falling, and as he’s reflecting upon the evening with his Aunt Julia who is old and incapable of having a meaningful conversation with anyone anymore, that it is “better to pass boldly into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age.” Snow covers all things—living and dead, but soon enough, it melts. James, in this story, unlike in some of the other short stories we’ve read thus far, describes Dublin with vividly beautiful images enhanced by the white snow that covers them. For a brief amount of time, a place that may not always be quaint and stunning is breathtaking. But soon enough, it will all be gone, just as his feelings of intense love for his wife were a product of the moment at hand. After he found out about Michael Furey, he realized not only that his wife didn’t love him in the same way she loved Michael, but that he had never actually even experienced love. Although there are signs throughout the story that Gabriel and Gretta are in a functional relationship, they’re not happy. They live dull, passionless lives. I think Michael Furey, in both life and death, represents everything Gabriel wishes to be. Gabriel wants a way to escape, as he had hoped to escape in the hotel room with Gretta. But he soon sees that perhaps death is the only true escape. Gabriel envies Michael Furey not because he was the true love of Gretta’s life, but because he lived a life of passion, and died with that same passion still there. None of Michael Furey melted like the snow. Nothing about him was temporary except his concrete presence in this world. Seventeen years of his life left a stronger impression on Gretta’s heart than her own husband could ever hope to achieve. And this passion and undying love is what is missing for Gabriel, and he will live the rest of his life being envious of the dead.
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I agree Amy, and i like the way you said that the snow, soon enough, melts away, like a fading, dismal life. It's also interesting that you say Michael Furey represents both life and death. I kind of thought as the snow unifying the living and the dead. Though, Michael Furey very much represents more to life than anyone else in the story, though Freddy is pretty lively.
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this struggle Gabriel deals with at the end of the story is something he really overcomes, or if its something that changes his life for the better? Dose he seem the type to repress his feelings, not revealing his true feeling of inferiority to his wife's past love?