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Style of james joyce in dubliners
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James Joyce is praised for his distinct stylistic purpose and furthermore for his writings in the art of free direct discourse. Though at times his language may seem muddled and incoherent, Joyce adds a single fixture to his narratives that conveys unity and creates meaning in the otherwise arbitrary dialogue. Within the story “The Dead”, the final and most recognizable piece in the collection Dubliners, the symbol of snow expresses a correlation with the central character and shows the drastic transformation of such a dynamic character in Gabriel Conroy. The symbol of snow serves as the catalyst that unifies mankind through the flawed essence of human nature, and shows progression in the narrow mind of Gabriel. Snow conveys the emission of the otherwise superficial thoughts of Gabriel and furthermore allows for the realization of the imperfections encompassed by mankind. Riquelme’s deconstruction of the text allows for the understanding that the story cannot be read in any specific way, but the variance in meaning, as well as understanding depends solely upon the readers’ perspective. Following a personal deconstruction of the text, it is reasonable to agree with Riquelme’s notions, while correspondingly proposing that the symbol of snow represents the flaws, and strengths of Gabriel, as well as the other characters as it effects all equally.
John Riquelme’s essay For Whom the Snow Taps: Style and Repetition in “The Dead” proposes two possible interpretations of the story. The essay describes the variations of meaning behind the recurring thematic purpose of the story, but even more so, points out the repetition of the symbol of snow. Focusing mainly on the celebrated last passage of the story, Riquelme harps on the transformat...
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...ints out that this can be read as the figurative death of Gabriel as a character, or that it is a sense of re-birth of his character.
“Gabriel resists recognizing that his own purposive, habitual actions and his desire…social and personal relations do not take the implications of the snow…Gabriel has been assimilated to the snow…and accepts as part of his thinking and his future behavior (Riquelme 232-33).
Joyce’s intentions of the snow will forever be open to interpretation, however it is reasonably evident that his intentions of the snow provide the reader with a symbol used to depict the unification and vulnerability of humanity. It is the snow that first showcases Gabriel’s dominant and superficial personality, and reciprocates itself as it serves as reasoning for the epiphany that illuminated his flawed humility.
Works Cited
James Joyce, "Dubliners"
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The story “The Dead” by James Joyce is about the Christmas party, thrown by the Morkan sisters. But it is mostly about love, lost love and incapability to forget those who have been loved and lost. “He longed to recall to her those moments, to make her forget the years the years of their dull existence together and remember only their moments of ecstasy. For the years, he felt, had not quenched his soul or hers” (145). The relationship between Gabriel and Gretta is just one of the conflicts in this story. His selfishness and focusing on himself makes Gabriel blindness as ignorance of Gretta’s past life.
Possibly one of the most fragile traits of a man is his ego. In James Joyce, The Dead, Gabriel is a controlling and sometimes insecure man with a superiority complex, which inevitably leads to a number of failed encounters and ultimately a passionless relationship with his wife, Gretta. Through the construction of narrative, Joyce illustrates Gabriel’s character and how it leads to the emotionally distant nature of their relationship.
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