The-Dead(James-Joyce)--Analysis

JamesJoyce-TheDeadTheAuthorJamesJoycewasborninRathgar,asuburbinthesouthofDublin,onFebruary2,1882.Hewasthefirstoftenchildren.HisparentswereJohnStanislausJoyce,animprovidentratecollector,andMaryJaneMurray.JameswasbaptisedinRomanCatholicfaithatthechurchofStJoseph,Terenure,onFebruary5.In1887theJoycefamilymovedtoBray,aseasidetownfifteenmilessouthofDublin.From1888to1891JamesstudiedatClongowesWoodCollege,Sallins,CountyKildare,awell-knownJesuitschool.In1891thefamily,whohadfinancialproblems,movedfirsttoBlackrockandthentoDublin.AfterabriefinterludewiththeChristianBrothersonNorthRichmondStreet,JoycefinishedhisJesuiteducationatBelvedereCollege.In1898heenteredUniversityCollege,Dublin,wherehereadFrench,ItalianandEnglish.In1902,JoyceleftforParisinordertostudymedicine,buthesoonreturnedtoDublininAugustof1903becauseofhismother’sdeath.BackinDublinJamesJoycestartedworkinganthefirstdraftof‘StephenHero’.In1904hefellinlovewithNoraBarnacle,agirlfromGalwaywhoworkedinahotel.Inthesameyearhealsopublishedthefirststoryofthecollection‘Dubliners’.HedecidedtoleaveforZurichtogetherwithNora,wherehetaughtattheBerlitzschool.AyearlatertheymovedtoTriestewherehissonGiorgowasbornon27July1905.Sixmonthslater,JamesJoycesenttwelvestoriesof‘Dubliners’tohispublisher,whohesitatedelevenyearstopublishthesestories,becausehewasafraidofcensorship.In1907Joycepublished‘ChamberMusic’,acollectionofpoems.InthesameyearhisdaughterLuciaAnnawasborn.ThefollowingyearsweremarkedbythebeginningofJoyce’seyeproblems.In1914‘APortraitoftheArtistasaYoungMan’waspublished.Joyce’splay‘Exiles’waspublishedin1918inLondonandNewYork.In1920thefamilyJoycemovedtoParisandtwoyearslaterthefulltextof‘Ulysses’waspublishedinbookform.Hissecondcollectionofpoems,‘PomesPenyeach’,waspublishedin1927.On4July1931JamesandNoraweremarriedinLondon‘fortestamentaryreasons’.Inthesameyear,Joyce’sfatherdiedinDublin.By1933Joycehadbecomenearlyblind.TwomoreofJoyce’sbookswerepublishedinthethirties:his‘CollectedPoems’(1936)and‘FinnegansWake’(1939).In1940thefamilyJoycefledtoSwitzerland.JoycediedinZurichon13January1941,ofaperforatedulcer.AbouttheStory‘TheDead’isthelaststoryof‘Dubliners’.JamesJoycewrotethisstoryinTriestein1907.‘TheDead’wasfirstpublishedwiththerestofthecollectionin1917.‘TheDead’hastheusualdivisionintothreeparts,indicatedbyJoycehimself:arrivaloftheguestsandfirstdances;Gabriel’sowndancewithMissIvors,supperandspeech;lastsong,departure,hotelscenewiththerevelationofGretta’spastlove.SummaryPart1ThestoryissetatthehouseoftheMorkanswherethesistersMissKateandMissJuliaandtheirnieceMaryJanehavetheiryearlyChristmasparty.Everybodywhoknowsoneofthethreehostessescomeseachyeartotheirdance-party.Thisyeartheguestsareworriedatfirstbecauseitwasafterteno’clockGabrielConroy,thenephewofMissJuliaandMissKate,andhiswifeGrettahavestillnotcome.Whentheyfinallyarrive,everybodyisverypleasedbecauseGabrielisgoingtogiveaspeechthisyear.GabrielwantstogiveLily,whodoesthehouseworkforherauntsandhercousin,atip,butsherejectsit.Gabrielgoesupthestairsandstopsoutsidethesittingroomdoorinordertogothroughhisspeechagainbecauseheisnotreallycontentwithit.Hethinksthatitmightbetoodifficultforhisaudience,andhedoesnotwanttomakeanothermistake(afterofferingLilyatip).Afterthathegreetstheotherguests.Atthesametime,FreddyMalinswhoisalwaysdrunkarrives.GabrielistoldbettertolookafterFreddywhentheotherpeoplegobackintotheroomwheretheycanhaveadrinkordance.MaryJanestartsplayingthepiano,butGabrieldoesnotlistenbecausehedoesnotlikethemusic.Part2AfterMaryJanehasfinishedplaying,GabrielfindshimselfstandingclosetoMissIvorsasthenextdancebegins.Sheisayoungwomanwithhonestbrowneyeswhotalksalot.TheystartaconversationandGabrieltellsherthathewillnotbeabletocometotheAranIslesbecausehewantstogoonabicycletourtoFranceorBelgium.She,however,cannotunderstandatallwhyhedoesnotwanttovisithisowncountry,butGabrielarguesthathewantstopracticetheforeignlanguages.Whenthemusichasfinished,theystoptalkingaswellandsheevencallshim‘WestBriton’.Afterthedance,GabrielConroyspeakstoFreddyMailins’motherinordertoforgettheconversationwithMissIvors.Theneverybodysitsdowntohavesupper,andGabrieltakesaseatattheheadofthetable.AfterthesupperGabrielmakeshisspeech.Part3Thelastguestsarestandingatthefrontdoor.Thecoldmorningairblowsintothehouse.GabrielputshiscoatonandwaitsforhiswifeGretta.Hegoestothebottomofthestairsandlooksup.Heseesawomenstandingintheshadownearthetop.Itishiswifewhoislisteningtoamelody.Someoneisplayingthepianoandamanissingingtothemusic.ItisMrBartellD’Arcywhohasnotwantedtosingatfirst.Afterthat,allgotothedoorandsaygoodbyetothehostesses.GabrielandhiswifeGrettagobackhometotheirhotel.Grettaisverythoughtful.ShetellsGabrielthatshekeepsthinkingaboutapersonsheknewalongtimeagowhenshewaslivingwithhergrandmotherinasmallvillage.HisnamewasMichaelFureyandhewasherboyfriend.Hediedwhenhewasonlyseventeen.Andshebelieveshediedforher.HewasillandhevisitedherbecauseshewantedtomovetoDublin.Theweatherwashorrible,itwasrainingandastrongwindwasblowing.Hediedoneweeklater.Afterthisrevelationhethrowsherselfdownonthebed,crying.WhileGrettais