Gabriel in the beginning of the story sees himself as an educated intelligent man above everyone else at the party and makes this obvious to the reader. What made Gabriel say " His own identity was fading out into a grey impalpable world.." How does finding out his wife had a previous lover affect the way he views himself?
Why did Joyce include Lily in the very beginning of the story? What is the significance of the contrast between Lily (youthful, pretty) and many of the other characters that are old and death-like?
Marina Angelopoulos What is the significance of Miss Ivors leaving the party alone? She insists that Gabriel does not walk her home and leaves before dinner, saying goodbye in old Irish. Is she leaving hell? or possibly traveling deeper?
Shelby What is the significance of the party happening each year? If they are all stuck in hell, why would they not be stuck at the party (assuming the party is hell) similar to how the characters in "No Exit" were stuck in the room?
How does the scene with Gretta and Gabriel at the very end of the story tie into the scene at the party/does it even tie in at all? What is the significance, and what importance does it hold?
What was Joyce's intention in including political figures/ controversies of that time? We see this brought up in the coversation between Gabriel and Miss Ivors along with the repeated reference to the Wellington Monument.
How was Gretta able to keep her "secret" of loving Michael Flynn for so long? Was the song "The Lass of Aughrim" so significant to her? Does the storyline of the song have anything to do with how Gretta and Gabriel live?
How does Gretta's delivery of the news of Michael Furey parallel the story of Dante's journey? How does Freddy Malins also help to shatter the illusion of happiness of the characters in the story?
In the end of the story, the lines "His soul had approached that region where dwell the vast hopes of the dead" and "the time had come for him to set out on his journey westward" seem to foreshadow Gabriel's death. Was this Joyce's intention? If so, why does "the west" represent death? Is Gabriel finally accepting death, and his place among the dead, in deciding to take the journey west? What prompts this?
(Jared Bour) Towards the end of the story, the allusion to Inferno becomes much more overt and less metaphorical. Why is this? Why does Joyce choose to reveal what was carefully hidden before?
What is the deal with Freddy Malins, why if he was so drunk did he seem intelligent and argue African American Civil Rights with people? I'm pretty sure drunk people don't do that and don't seem so intelligent. What was Joyce trying to say with Freddy?
Gabriel seems to have little respect for women, despite presenting himself to be an honorable man to the guests. Is his need to assert control over women simply a characteristic of the time (when patriarchal ideal were more dominant), or does this trait have a larger significance? Why is he so insecure and selfish to the point that he disregards all of the values he preaches?
What is the significance of the statue that Gabriel sees and the background that was behind it in terms of relating it back with the rest of the story and the outside sources that were used to write it?
Gabriel attends the gathering year after year. The same endurances are made each time and Gabriel cycles in this sort of ‘hell’. News that someone he thought ‘worshipped’ him actually always hid an unforgettable lover in her heart changes how Gabriel sees himself. Perhaps the only way to get out of hell is to actually feel for once that even dead people might be a threat to you? To fear to the extent of fearing something that one has no reason to fear (dead people) is to save yourself (from hell)?
Gretta explains her previous relationship with Gabriel. In class, we discussed that the party can symbolize hell and outside of the party symbolizes heaven. Was Gretta's previous relationship spent in heaven and is now in hell?
Why exactly does Gabriel feel the way he does about Greta having a relationship with someone before him?
ReplyDeleteIf Freddy Malins was seemingly such an insignificant character why was he In the story? What was he put there to prove?
ReplyDeleteGabriel in the beginning of the story sees himself as an educated intelligent man above everyone else at the party and makes this obvious to the reader. What made Gabriel say " His own identity was fading out into a grey impalpable world.." How does finding out his wife had a previous lover affect the way he views himself?
ReplyDeleteWhy did Joyce include Lily in the very beginning of the story? What is the significance of the contrast between Lily (youthful, pretty) and many of the other characters that are old and death-like?
ReplyDeleteHow closely does Gabriel seem to resemble Dante? What are their similarities and differences?
ReplyDeleteWhy does it take Gabriel so long to have this moment of self realization?
ReplyDeleteDoes Gabriel’s name have a symbolic meaning in The Dead? Is it possibly a biblical allusion to the Angel Gabriel?
ReplyDeleteMarina Angelopoulos
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of Miss Ivors leaving the party alone? She insists that Gabriel does not walk her home and leaves before dinner, saying goodbye in old Irish. Is she leaving hell? or possibly traveling deeper?
What is the significance of Gabriel seeing himself in the mirror while Gretta is telling him about Michael Furey?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of the guests being referred to as the "victims" of the hospitality of the ladies? Do the laddies represent the Fates?
ReplyDeleteShelby
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of the party happening each year? If they are all stuck in hell, why would they not be stuck at the party (assuming the party is hell) similar to how the characters in "No Exit" were stuck in the room?
How does the scene with Gretta and Gabriel at the very end of the story tie into the scene at the party/does it even tie in at all? What is the significance, and what importance does it hold?
ReplyDeleteWhat was Joyce's intention in including political figures/ controversies of that time? We see this brought up in the coversation between Gabriel and Miss Ivors along with the repeated reference to the Wellington Monument.
ReplyDeleteHow was Gretta able to keep her "secret" of loving Michael Flynn for so long? Was the song "The Lass of Aughrim" so significant to her? Does the storyline of the song have anything to do with how Gretta and Gabriel live?
ReplyDeleteHow does Gretta's delivery of the news of Michael Furey parallel the story of Dante's journey? How does Freddy Malins also help to shatter the illusion of happiness of the characters in the story?
ReplyDeleteIn the end of the story, the lines "His soul had approached that region where dwell the vast hopes of the dead" and "the time had come for him to set out on his journey westward" seem to foreshadow Gabriel's death. Was this Joyce's intention? If so, why does "the west" represent death? Is Gabriel finally accepting death, and his place among the dead, in deciding to take the journey west? What prompts this?
ReplyDelete(Jared Bour) Towards the end of the story, the allusion to Inferno becomes much more overt and less metaphorical. Why is this? Why does Joyce choose to reveal what was carefully hidden before?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the deal with Freddy Malins, why if he was so drunk did he seem intelligent and argue African American Civil Rights with people? I'm pretty sure drunk people don't do that and don't seem so intelligent. What was Joyce trying to say with Freddy?
ReplyDeleteGabriel seems to have little respect for women, despite presenting himself to be an honorable man to the guests. Is his need to assert control over women simply a characteristic of the time (when patriarchal ideal were more dominant), or does this trait have a larger significance? Why is he so insecure and selfish to the point that he disregards all of the values he preaches?
ReplyDeleteWhat is the significance of the statue that Gabriel sees and the background that was behind it in terms of relating it back with the rest of the story and the outside sources that were used to write it?
ReplyDeleteGabriel attends the gathering year after year. The same endurances are made each time and Gabriel cycles in this sort of ‘hell’. News that someone he thought ‘worshipped’ him actually always hid an unforgettable lover in her heart changes how Gabriel sees himself. Perhaps the only way to get out of hell is to actually feel for once that even dead people might be a threat to you? To fear to the extent of fearing something that one has no reason to fear (dead people) is to save yourself (from hell)?
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteGretta explains her previous relationship with Gabriel. In class, we discussed that the party can symbolize hell and outside of the party symbolizes heaven. Was Gretta's previous relationship spent in heaven and is now in hell?
ReplyDeleteWhy is Gabriel so shocked when Gretta says Furey died for her? Instead of being angry, he says he is terrified. Why?
ReplyDelete