Symbolism in "The Dead" by James Joyce

James Joyce is lauded for his distinct style of writing in cost-free direct discourse. Even though his style may appear chaotic and disjointed, Joyce adds a single fixture to his narratives that conveys a unity and connects the otherwise haphazard dialogue. In The Dead, the final story of Joyce’s masterpiece, Dubliners, the symbol of snow unites the characters and is trigger for a drastic transformation in the dynamic character, Gabriel. Snow is the catalyst that unifies mankind by way of the flawed essence of human nature, and expands Gabriel’s narrow thoughts as he escapes from a superficial mindset and enters a world of imperfect humanity.

Snowflakes are random, exclusive and fragile, and hence symbolic of human nature. Humanity overflows with faults and quirks, which constitute life. The versatility and volatility of snow mirrors the human disposition. For example, melting snow becomes weak and transparent water, exemplifying the pathetic, but widespread characteristics of humanity. Frozen snow becomes tough, robust, and unshakable ice this represents the domineering qualities of humanity. Joyce makes use of snow to illustrate each the weak and the powerful traits of water and ice, therefore snow represents the fissures and cracks, as effectively as the strength and beauty, that embody life.

Just as falling snow covers all of nature, Joyce’s snow unifies humanity with the imperfect uniqueness of human nature. The snow impacts each guest arriving at Julia and Kate’s party, Freddie the watery drunk, D’Arcy the icy tenor and the many characters in between. Humanity is connected through the flawed traits of the human predicament, personified in the ubiquitous blanket of snow.

Gabriel is a man obsessed with a superficial perfection, which in the starting of the party causes him to worry the harsh reality of human nature. The moment that Gabriel enters his elderly aunt’s party, his actions speak alone for his mightier-than-thou attitude. Upon his arrival, Gabriel’s curt remark towards his wife for causing their late arrival, completely sets his tone as he initially tries to escape from the snow. Gabriel, “stood on the mat scraping the snow from his galoshes…He continued scraping his feet vigorously… A light fringe of snow lay like a cape on the shoulders of his overcoat and like toecaps on the toes of his galoshes” (2497). His pointed comment towards his spouse uncovers his self-conceived dominance in the connection, and the force he makes use of to rid himself of any snow shows how difficult Gabriel works to seem sophisticated and free of the troubles of humanity. This is the first instance that Gabriel comes into get in touch with with the symbolic snow, and the most pertinent, for his hurry to shed the snow that unifies the party guests, directly detaches him from the rest of the group and from the flaw that befalls them all. Later once again galoshes are the topic of conversation when Gretta, Gabriel’s wife, makes mention of her husband’s demand that she put on galoshes in the snow. She jokes, “Tonight even he wanted me to place them on, but I wouldn’t. The subsequent thing you know he’ll be getting me a diving suit” (2499). Not only does this exemplify the extremes he will go by way of to defend his wife and himself from the snow, but the mention of the diving suit relates to the snow in the kind of water Gabriel is petrified of snow in any type. Again, this discourse shows the distinct variations among him and his wife, which is furthered when Gabriel jokes that Gretta would walk house in the snow if he would let her. Gretta immerses herself in accurate humility, in this case the snow. This serves as ironic juxtaposition to the superficial and arrogant planet of her husband. The entrance of the couple right away sets Gabriel apart from the guests, due to his reaction towards the unifying snow.

Adding to his arrogant entrance, Gabriel’s superior feeling is further unfurled when he nervously rehearses the speech he will give at dinner, deciding that the topic matter is “above the heads” (2498) of the guests. He toys with speaking of something on their level and less intellectual by his requirements. Once again he feels no unity with, in his estimation, the reduce class guests who possess an abundance of faults. Like Gabriel’s reaction towards the snow upon his arrival, his attitude towards the guests reveals he does not wish to share a unity with his fellow man, and he disguises any signs of a weak nature.

Furthering his detachment is a surprising confrontation with his dance companion, Miss Ivors, which separates Gabriel even more from the snowy blanket of commonness and imperfections that envelopes the other guests. Twice Miss Ivors confronts Gabriel: about writing for a paper that represents the opposition as well as asking him to holiday close to his wife’s hometown in Northern Ireland. His angry reply to each situations is curt, specially to the holiday provide, “O, to tell you the truth, retorted Gabriel all of a sudden, I’m sick of my personal nation, sick of it!” (2504). This outburst, incited by Miss Ivors’ provide, breaks any remaining unity that Gabriel has with the celebration guests. Throughout the dialogue, Miss Ivors is described in the following manner, “Miss Ivors promptly took his hand in a warm grasp”(2498) and “Miss Ivors mentioned warmly”(2499). What tiny human nature and unity with fellow guys Gabriel had left, Miss Ivors’ warmth melted away, like it was snow. Miss Ivor’s capability to melt the unifying snow is created clear by means of her political obsession. This breaks her unity with the group and sets her up to additional Gabriel’s fleeting ties to his peers. Miss Ivors’ character and Gabriel’s reactions towards her serve as tools that are employed to entirely isolate Gabriel from the snow and what it represents.

Midway by way of the celebration, Gabriel’s superficial outlook begins to thaw. Gabriel, as a human being, lacks the warmth that comes from the friction of ordinary humanity. He is a cold person who is maybe afraid that becoming covered by snow will certainly freeze him. However a transformation starts when he finds himself reflecting upon life as he stares out the window and the pure omnipresent snow draws his consideration, as is observed when, “Gabriel’s warm trembling fingers tapped the cold pane of the window. How cool it should be outside! How pleasant it would be to stroll alone, initial along by the river and by way of the park… how much much more pleasant it would be than here at the dinner table” (2505-2506). Gabriel is drawn to the snow and his yearning to leave the table and stroll by way of it is the very first sign that he wishes to cast aside his condescending demeanor and find the meaning in his life, buried under the ice. Gabriel feels no emotional connection with any person from the celebration, and right here he appears prepared to drop his haughty facade the flaws of humanity appear far more attractive.

When lastly exposed to the snow once again he is overcome with an awareness that is unmistakably human. For instance, during their walk property from the celebration, Gabriel is overcome by the beauty in his wife and feels a love that he has not noticed considering that their matrimony it is a sentiment that is strange and new to him. Though physically brisk, walking in the snow melts the protective layers Gabriel has built up. Gabriel discovers that he should open his inner self and let out the friction of his correct struggles. It is only now that Gabriel is vulnerable to human emotion. At the hotel, Gretta reveals a secret that prevents her from reciprocating her husband’s newfound enjoy. To some, this scandalous information may appear to have a reverting impact on Gabriel’s self-revelations, however in spite of the news, his brand new consciousness permits him to feel more alive than he ever was when he was hidden amongst superficiality. Greta’s saddening story makes it possible for him to feel true human discomfort, and for the 1st time he puts up no guard against the agony of humanity and he feels sincere humility. The truth and reality behind Greta’s confession only aids to immerse him in the snowfall of compassion. He falls asleep at peace with the snow that has fallen more than his universe, fully uniting him with humanity: “His soul swooned slowly as he heard the snow falling faintly through the universe and faintly falling, like the descent of their last finish, upon all the living and the dead”(2524). Gabriel undergoes an epiphany that the idiosyncrasies of human nature are unavoidable, and by immersing himself in the snow, he shares a unity that tends to make him feel alive.

Joyce defines modest elements of humanity by way of the vulnerable forms of snowfall, and unites mankind with the snow’s omnipotence. It is the snow that Gabriel initially shuns, and it is the snow that finally opens Gabriel to the thought of humanness. Joyce’s purposefully chaotic writing style truly mirrors the muddled feelings of Gabriel, before he is swallowed by the blizzard of humility and human imperfection.