THE DEAD - THE STORY
The Dead is one out of 15, originally 12 though, short stories written by James Joyce collected and published in the book Dubliners. It's a story about a gathering of people, the Misses Morkan's annual dance, occurring around Christmas-time in Dublin 1904. The hosts for the party are the two elderly sisters Julia and Kate Morkan, and also to their help their niece Mary Jane. The gathering takes place in the Morkan's house on Usher Island, where people are invited not only to a good meal but also to perform and to be performed to. The performance would be something of an artistic character, like singing, playing the piano or reading a piece of poetry. Except for the hosts, the people taking part in the gathering are the highly respected Gabriel Conroy with his wife Gretta, Freddy Malins together with his mother Mrs Malins, Miss Molly Ivors (a bright woman who recognised Gabriel Conroy's writing in the daily paper) and then a good crowd of other people. All together, the company seems to be of the size of around 10-12 people.
During one performance, the song "Lass of Aughrim", Gabriel Conroy finds his wife Gretta being totally embezzled by the song and it is clear that it is not the actual song that she likes but more the memories of the song that she thinks about. She is later, on the way back to their hotel, very quiet and Gabriel sees his wife in this state but can't understand what it is that has brought up this change of mood. Back at the hotel Gretta starts to cry and then explains that the song reminded her of a boy (Michael Furey) who used to sing it for her. Gabriel, not really eager to have that conversation though, still asks his wife why this song and these memories can bring tears to her eyes. She then tells him that he gave his life for her and that they both liked each other really much a long time ago over in Galway, where Gretta is from. The day before Gretta had to go to Dublin to come to convent, the boy had been sick but still eager to see Gretta one last time. He had gone out in the snow and cold, even though he was seriously ill and because of this he then died a week later.
This whole story about what had happened in Galway is told to Gabriel who gets kind of upset but really doesn't show it because he is not sure of what to think. This is the wife that he had lived with for quite some time now but he had never known this, nor had he ever felt that love that Gretta was talking about. He feels sad that and starts wondering about what his part in all this is and how come he doesn't feel this passionate love.
The thing that makes The Dead so unlike other short stories is that it's only in the very end that you get the core of the story and this is when it turns into a love story. Even though the topic is touched upon a couple of times in the story, the essence of it all is not shown until the true ending of it all. This is what makes it so great. It got two stories in one, one of friendship and love and getting along with your friends and family and then another, real heartbreaking story about love that can't be. The kind of love that you know can never be and that will always stay unrealised.
THE MAIN CHARACTERS
GABRIEL CONROY
A respected man in his late 40's/early 50's, married to Gretta Conroy. Gabriel is writing for a newspaper, The Daily Express, which by some people really doesn’t qualifies as being a writer. He is the one who has the led seat at the dinner table and therefor in charge of the carving of the goose, as well as for the speech to praise the hosts. Gabriel is a really intriguing man because he seems so secure and sure of himself. But really it shows that he is a little insecure about his speech, which he is constantly going over and over again and being nervous about. One could also state that Gabriel is somewhat unsure of his love to Gretta, or rather her love for him. It is quite clear that Gabriel loves Gretta, but that his love might not be of that passionate kind that is described in the story.
GRETTA CONROY
Middle aged woman, mid/late 40's, originally from Galway, married now to Gabriel Conroy. Gretta does not play such a significant role in the beginning of the story when she is more of a side character, but after Gabriel sees her listening to the "Lass of Aughrim" she grows as a character until she finally is the centre and one of the most important characters of the story, and of the story within. It can be reflected on as that the marriage between Gabriel and Gretta is more of a practical nature rather than of true love. It is also quite clear that Gretta still loves the boy she used to know over in Galway. Her showing of emotions and her acting gives her away and the describing of these actions in the story is quite remarkable and really believing. Perhaps is it that Joyce took his own wife Nora Barnacle as a model for creating this character. Nora Barnacle was also from Galway originally which just shows Joyce's reference to this has more than one meaning.
JULIA AND KATE MORKAN
The two elderly sisters, unmarried yet still looked upon with great respect. They are the centre of the gathering and it's in their house where most of the story takes place. Julia is the older of the two and by the end of the story you get the feeling that she is going to die pretty soon. Both sisters still work though, sometimes as music teachers, other times as singers. It is them who call for the gathering, which is an annual highpoint for family members and friends of the family. Again the model for the two sisters most surely is taken from James Joyce own life, this time with his own great-aunts in mind. Joyce's use of his own relatives in his work is well known and not only used in The Dead but through the whole book Dubliners.
FREDDY MALIN
The most comical of all the characters, a real drunk but with a good heart. The two sisters feared that Freddy is going to show up drunk to the gathering and sure, so he does. Freddy fears his mother who is really tired of Freddy drinking all the time. Freddy does try hard though to behave and to act and look sober, although everybody knows that he's in fact drunk. The good heart in Freddy comes across when you look at how considerate he really is to his mother and also during the discussion during dinner. The topic is great singers and the matter of racism comes across. In a crowd of middle aged, white, prominent gentlemen (and ladies) Freddy stands out and asks if one point is just not made simply on the fact that the boy in question is "black". This clearly shows that this did concern Freddy and that he probably had a good heart inside, although it was probably swimming around in whiskey.
THE DEAD - THE MOVIE
After reading the short story The Dead from the book Dubliners, I felt that I wanted to see if my own pictures and characters concurred with the ones of the famous director John Huston. I rented his Academy nominated movie by the same name and I must start off by saying that John Huston made an excellent job of portraying the characters and the mood of the Joyce story, as well as closing in on the essentials of the whole love story. Of course, it is much easier to describe a situation in a movie than if you had to write it all down but John Huston only used that to his advantage, without destroying the essence of the story. For instance, Freddy Malins comical side is extended, like the moment where he is "chasing" the drink that is being passed around the table but "some how" skipping him.
Also, on another account, it can be argued that John Huston tried to introduce at an earlier stage the notion that something was not quite what it looked like. During a poetry-reading, there are numerous shots of a troubled Gretta Conroy, deep in thoughts about something, and then cutting to shots of Gabriel Conroy seeing his wife looking all troubled and sad. As a viewer, you already at this point start to think that there is going to be something more to this story than just the gathering. You don't get what it is, just that there is something that's not quite right.
But in all, the late John Huston did a great job with his interpretation of the James Joyce classic and it should be seen a good compliment to reading the story itself.
CLOSING COMMENTS & FAVOURITE QUOTE
I must say that I really enjoyed the story and that I'm really glad that I got a chance to finally read it. I had no knowledge of James Joyce from before and I must say that I really find it a compelling and exciting story that really just pulls you in. As well as I was intrigued by the story itself, especially the love story, I was also amazed that James Joyce could write it in such a clear and well-painted matter, describing the relationships between the different characters and especially the mood, thought and feelings of Gabriel Conroy, a very complex but yet sincere man.
As for James Joyce and the majesty of his writing, I'm sure that I will read another one of his books in the near future. The Dead and the Dubliners gave me a nice introduction to James Joyce and I would like to explore this some more. Hopefully, I will make an attempt at reading Ulysses, which is really one of my new goals in life.
Now all that is left is my favourite quote from the story. Well, nothing says it better in my point of view than the words of Mr. Gabriel Conroy:
"Better pass boldly into that other world, in full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismally with age"