Joyce's Use Of Monotony In The Dead By James Joyce

The characters in “The Dead” are not actually living at all, as one can see in the narrator’s descriptions of the events and traditions that are continuously brought up, and in how those and the characters are predictably and monotonously described. The first example of monotony is the mention of the dance, “It was always a great affair, the Misses Morkan’s annual dance,” (21). The description of the dance indicates that it has been going on for “Years and years” for “as long as anyone could remember,” telling the reader that this annual dance is a strong tradition with the Morkan sisters and all who know them (21). The over explanatory nature of the event’s description shows the tedium of their lives and how they depend heavily on this routine which further reinforces their spiritual paralysis by repeatedly accepting the routine (Billigheimer). This theme of routineness is also seen in the mentioning of Freddy Malins, who “always came late” and whom everyone is afraid will “turn up screwed,” (22). Joyce includes this exaggeratory language to highlight the fact that— although this annual event seems successful in relation to how many people show up— this dance is unnervingly predictable for all involved, and the …show more content…
The reader will be able to fully appreciate the significance of both life and death in “The Dead” after reading the story with an understanding of the central theme which will allow a more personal and spiritual level of clarity. Joyce wrote “The Dead” in order to allow the reader to come to an understanding of the story on the deep level of thought and transparency in which he intended. The theme of death and life is clearly seen throughout “The