Gabriel adamantly refuses the designation, but seemingly has no arguments to back his position, especially after declining a summer visit to the Aran Islands for a trip to “France or Belgium or perhaps Germany.” She scolds him for publishing a weekly literary column in the “The Daily Express,” a Unionist newspaper, embarrassing Gabriel by labeling him a “West Briton,” i.e., someone who supports the cause of an English-ruled Ireland. The party moves on, and, during the piano performance of Mary Jane Morkan (Kate and Julia Morkan’s niece), Gabriel is paired up in a dance with Miss Ivors, an Irish nationalist. Soon after, Freddy Malins, a friend of Gabriel, arrives, and – as everybody is all but sure even before his arrival – he is drunk.Īunt Kate asks Gabriel to help him and make sure that he is all right Gabriel obliges. He is a bit anxious about the speech he is obliged to give, especially in light of the fact that he has opted for using some academic references he fears may be too much for his audience. Gabriel has a rather awkward encounter with Lily, the caretaker’s daughter, after which he goes upstairs and joins the party.
Īt the beginning of the story, the couple arrives late to the annual Christmas “dance and dinner” party, traditionally hosted by Gabriel’s aunts, Kate and Julia Morkan, who all but adore their nephew. The main protagonist of “The Dead,” Gabriel Conroy is a professor and a part-time book reviewer, married to Gretta. His short story collection, “Dubliners,” (from where “The Dead” comes) is also universally revered. He is best known as the author of “Ulysses,” but his other two novels, “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man” and “Finnegans Wake,” are critically acclaimed as well, the latter one still an untranslatable puzzle for numerous fascinated readers. James Joyce was an Irish author, widely regarded as the most important modernist and the most influential writer of the past century. And we don’t think we’ll ever be prepared for that. (We’ve never read “Finnegans Wake” either. If that’s the case, then move on to reading the rest of the short stories in “Dubliners,” after which you should be all but prepared for “A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man.”Īnd then – on to the mountaintop: “ Ulysses. If you’re keen on high literature, we’re almost certain that the story will get you hooked up on Joyce!
If you have never read anything from Joyce – shame on you if that’s the case! – then “The Dead” ( available here ) is the best place to start. Read it – and we guarantee you that you’ll end up listening “The Lass of Aughrim” on repeat.Īlready curious? Who Should Read “The Dead”? And Why? The Dead by James Joyce is one of the most haunting short stories ever written.
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