The Dead Essay, Research Paper

The Dead

1) Symbolic meaning of snow?

a. Beginning when first enters Aunts house (warmth) he is out of the snow = coldness, isolation and inhumanity. But when enters the home he is surrounded with warmth and acceptance. Pages 10-11

b. Page 25 Gabriel was nervous about presenting his speech and sought comfort at a window. Looking outside at the falling snow, Gabriel he received a form of release, escape and feeling that he is unknown.

c. At the end of the story, when Gabriel is with his wife Gretta, snow symbolizes a ?new awareness?. He realizes that he looks too heavily upon himself and should look towards others and become more compassionate.

2) Characteristics of Gabriel?.

a. Pages 12-13 When contemplating speech he considers changing it because he feels that nobody will be able to understand this level of intelligence. This shows that he thinks of himself to be at a ?higher? standing than the rest, he is arrogant and vain.

b. Page 14 When the aunts and Gretta are discussing the goloshes which Gabriel insisted Gretta wear, they are pleasantly mocking him and making light of the situation. But Gabriel takes it personally, because everything deals with him, and he gets angry/heated.

c. Page 12 Gabriel gives a coin to Lily, the caretaker?s daughter, and she tried to refuse but he just keeps on walking. After leaving he was disappointed that a person would refuse his offers. He offered the coin to Lily to boost his ego.

d. Pages 21-23 while dancing with Miss Ivors, she mentions to him that she has noticed his article in a Briton paper. Henceforth she gets on his case and he admits to not liking Ireland. He believes that the Irish are of lower standing, not very educated and uncultured.

3) What is realized with Gretta? What does he realize about himself? What happens??

a. Gabriel find outs from his wife Gretta that he was not her first love, Michael Furey was. Knowing that Michael loved his wife more than he himself had at the time. This was when he noticed that he was vain and arrogant. Gabriel noticed that he has never touched the place in her heart that her lover of age 17 had, he died for her. Gabriel never asked of Gretta?s life, it never mattered to him, but now he sees how much he has never cared.

4) What is dead in the story??

a. the music which was being played was all written or performed by dead musicians – type of immortality

b. the Irish traditions are ?dying? – humanity, hospitality, kindly humor

c. the egotistical view of Gabriel

5) What died in Ireland? In America

a. Ireland – humanity, hospitality, kindly humor

b. America – prayer in schools, hospitality, sanctity of marriages