Gabriel By James Joyce Literary Devices

In the short story by James Joyce, he presents Gabriel as a husband reflecting on his wife and how much she has changed. Gabriel is a connection to the messenger angel who is probably coming down to give a message to the wife. The author portrays him as realizing the wife is no longer the same women she was when Michael Fury gave his life for her. Also, he reveals that Aunt Julie is soon to die. This idea is presented with the use of imagery, diction, and motif.
First of all, the author utilizes imagery to portray the aspects of Gabriel. For example, when he says “ he would soon be sitting in the same drawing-room dressed in black”, foreshadowing that soon in time death will come for one of them and he would be at their funeral. Additionally, when the speaker says “listening to her deep-drawn breath” explaining that she is not dead yet. Gabriel , the husband, is curious as to why the wife was mad and he tried to decipher it by looking at the clues in the messy room. The imagery of the room helps explain the amount of tension during the fight Gabriel and her had earlier. …show more content…
The story is told in third person point of view, which helps to depict Gabriel’s aspects. For example, the phrase “strange friendly pity for her entered my soul”, reflecting that Gabriel is treating his wife very coldly and it no longer seems like there is love for her. Also, the phrase “the chair over which she had thrown some of her clothes. A petticoat string dangled to the floor. One boot stood upright, its limp upper fallen down” depicts what a mess the life of the wife has been to have a person she dearly loves die for her sake. Gabriel is realizing that she is going through so much without him