The Dead Imagery

James Joyce’s short excerpt, The Dead, depicts the deranged thoughts a human can posses in his brain. Through motif, imagery, and point of view, Gabriel, the protagonist, portrays his riot of emotions and their aftermath. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; however, what if the beholder, who held a precious place in one’s heart, crumbled one’s self image? Motif, one of the devices in this excerpt, plays an important role with the concept of love and beauty. According to the text, “He did not like to say to himself that her face was no longer beautiful.” While facial features deteriorate, love acts as a mask and deludes a lover into thinking that their spouse, although elderly, resembles Aphrodite. In addition, Gabriel states that “they …show more content…
While his wife is asleep, Gabriel mentions her appearance as she lays in bed. According to him, her hair was “tangled” and her mouth was “half-open.” Moreover, “her petticoat string dangled to the floor,” her “boot stood upright,” and “the fellow” of her boot “lay upon its side.” Such minuscule details contain evidence that Gabriel is a tremendously observant person as he recites every detail with precision. While sceneries tend to be detailed, men usually disregard minute characteristics in such a state of agitation. However, Gabriel, unlike most men, provides the reader with information that depicts his personality. Although the reader knows details from Gabriel’s marriage and self-identity, the excerpt is only perceived from Gabriel’s thoughts and actions. A myriad of quotes from the text commence with the subject “he” or “Gabriel.” Based on common knowledge, one can conclude that because of the word selection, the story is told from a third person limited point of view. The dead, an ironic piece, is the epitome human destruction not only of oneself, but those around as well. Poor Gabriel! As if. Men like him whom put up a façade in order to conceal their monstrosity are never victims; in fact, they’re the devil