The Dead James Joyce Analysis

James Joyce is known for using symbolism in his works: In “The Dead” and “Portrait of the artist as a young man” he uses themes which refer to Irish history, Greek mythology, etc. To begin, both of these texts are” Modernist” in nature and the text distinguisher is the fact that the text begins in the middle; (in medias res). Both the texts have a third person limited approach as they have one focalizer and the text peeps through one person’s thoughts, perceptions and feelings. This is done through the help of Stream of consciousness which moves in and out of the person’s head.
Music plays an effective role in highlighting the mood of the story. Music also adds a certain sense of eeriness which can’t be explained through words. The discussion of Julia losing her place in the choir shows how Julia is removed by the Irish Catholic Church i.e. influence of Catholic church over the people of Ireland. Gabriel Conroy also uses “Distance Music” to describe the music playing in the background when he sees Gretta‘s shadowy figure standing on the top of the staircase. The lass of Aughrim sets in a different mood and casts a gloom over Gretta who is reminded of her dead lover Michael Fury.
Goloshes: Gabriel’s obsession with galoshes also signifies the theme of death as galoshes were said to protect oneself from Snow, which is seen to be a symbol of death. Galoshes are also quintessential of an artificial effort to protect oneself from the natural or the supreme universe. Therefore