James Joyces the Dead - Essay Example

James Joyce’s, “The Dead” While there are quite a few several examples of modernist short stories, “The Dead” by James Joyce is certainly one of the best. There are several ways in which the reader can see it as a clear example of modernist literature which not only make the story easy to read but also to get the message which Joyce was trying to get across. Despite its difficulty, there are several layers of meaning attached to the story which only become clear once a person is aware of both the nature of the modernism movement and the events in the story itself. In fact, without a background regarding modernism and modernist literature, it would be more or less impossible to understand and enjoy this work. The various symbols and the abrupt changes in the thoughts and actions of the characters can only be explained by viewing the story with the lens of modernism. Additionally, the feelings and moods evocated by the characters can only be understood by applying the principles of modernist thought which show why the characters feel and react as they do. Insofar as modernism is concerned, it is the name given to the literary movement which lasted from 1900 to the end of World War II. It is exemplified by poems like Elliot’s Wasteland and The love song of J Alfred Prufrock. It can also be seen in works like Hemingway’s The Old Man and the Sea and Virginia Woolfs Kew Gardens. Despite the many different forms of writing, there are certain underlying factors which can be used to identify a piece as modernist writing (Wikipedia, 2006). Using The Dead as an example, the story focuses on events which are best described as mundane, it is decidedly pessimistic for the most part, and the hero of the story has been alienated from his culture, his loved ones and even himself. At the very end of the story, the focus also shifts towards the changes and realizations which the characters have had to face. It seems obvious that despite the relatively good life the hero has, he is not content and seeking something more to keep him going. That thing is never actually discovered by the hero and is also difficult to be discovered by the readers. All of the items mentioned above figure prominently in Modernist works and Joyce’s The Dead has these in ample supply. For example, when Gabriel arrives at the party, he makes small talk with lily but manages to upset her. He then tries to calm her down with a large tip which does not help matters much and makes him regret his words. It also shows that he thinks he can fix things with someone of a lower class than him by simply offering them money to counter the pain he has caused them. In terms of his relationship with the family he seems irritable and not completely interested in what they have to say or the advice they give him throughout the party. Speaking of advice, he reacts sharply when Miss Ivors talks to him about having some sympathy for the Irish cause. Miss Ivors loves being a part of the Irish culture and tries to convince Gabriel to visit the Isle where only Irish is spoken, he declines and when probed further he declares that he has become sick of his country. Later on he feels troubled by his words but does nothing to remedy the situation and is very pleased when Miss Ivors leaves the party. The party itself is centered on a speech made by Gabriel where he discusses how hospitality is an Irish strongpoint and people should not think about the dead or the past rather they should enjoy the present. This is certainly ironic since the title of the story itself is “The Dead” and Gabriel commendation of Irish hospitality comes soon after he has made the declaration that he is sick of Ireland. More importantly, while he wants others to live in the present and not think of the dead, he spends a lot of time thinking about Michael Furey who died a long time ago and should not matter as per his speech. Gabriel also talks about the horse named Johnny which represents the never changing social structure and the habits of his family. The party itself is a party of the dead since they are dead on the inside while they keep an outward appearance of life and happiness. Like the horse, even when they have the chance to walk differently, they choose to do the same things over and over again since they are comfortable with those things. It does not look like the mere force of habit but rather more like a desperation and loss of hope for something better than what they have. Gretta also tells a story about the love she lost and that has a profound affect on Gabriel. He finds it difficult to accept that he was not her first love and realizes that he has never felt love at all. The final paragraph of the story shows how he is numbed by the thought and not only him but all of Ireland which is covered in snow just like the grave of Michael Furey. At the same time, Michael is alive since Gretta remembers him and he is dead since he will never feel the passion which Michael felt when he was alive. This is another element of alienation which is present throughout the story. Alienation from the world, the country, and the person one loves even one’s own self. In conclusion, I believe that an understanding of modernist elements is important because with it we can understand modernist literature and through that we can experience what the people of the time felt. This understanding can give us insights into many other fields including history, sociology, even music (Mosely, 2002). History can give us the bare facts of what happened where and when but it does not give us the emotional backdrop or the grounds to understand why things happened as they did. When we understand the modernist literature, we can clearly see its influences on post-modernist writings and get to a better understanding about the present situation of the world. Works Cited Joyce, J. Dubliners. New York: Penguin, 1967. Mosely, D. “Music and Language in Joyces "THE DEAD".” Goshen College. 2002. Goshen.edu 4 Apr. 2006. Wikipedia “Modernist literature.” Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. 2006. Wikipedia.org. 5 Apr. 2006. Word Count: 1,092 Read More