James Joyce’s “The Dead” is a great short story that tells of a story about a man that is very much looking forward to an annual party held by his aunt. At the end of the night he hopes to get lucky. From the very beginning the night is going all wrong, with a series of confrontations with female characters. The night ends with Gabriel learning of a secret from his wife Gretta that will change his outlook on his entire life. After all of his confrontations with the opposite sex, the author may be showing how Gabriel has never really felt something true with a female. The author used extraordinary imagery to show how Gabriel was feeling. As Gabriel and his wife show up to the party fashionably late he has his first encounter with Lily the caretaker’s daughter. It starts out ok then he kind of runs out of things to talk about and brings up her relationship status. “I suppose we’ll be going to your wedding one of these fine days with your young man, eh? The girl glanced back at him over her shoulder and said with great bitterness: The men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get out of you.” (557) Gabriel immediately regrets what he said and by trying to make up for it he offers her money. Lily is …show more content…
Gabriel is very pleased the night is coming to an end after all the confrontations and knowing that he and his wife would be all alone, hoping he could get lucky. When they get back to their room before Gabriel can make a move his wife seems tired and upset when she finally confesses the song that she was listening to made her upset. She continues to tell him about a former lover who she believes had given his life for her. Gabriel is shocked with the amount of love she felt for this young man Michael Furey. He has never felt this way for someone like she felt for him, he then realizes that he may have never loved someone before he just sees girls as