Guidelines/Expectations for assignment:
1. You are to complete a Short Story Assignment for "The Dead". I will collect your typed response on Monday, October 11th.
2. You will post your level 2 and level 3 questions on the blog. Be sure that your questions are spaced well enough for people to read and understand. You need to have these questions posted by Thursday Oct 7th at midnight.
3. Next, with your level 2 and level three questions, you need to post your reflection to the story. You can either copy and paste your reflection for your SS Assignment, or simply summarize your response. This too must be posted by Thursday Oct 7th at midnight.
4. Lastly, you must respond to at least two of your peers. You can answer either their level 2 or 3 question. You must choose two different peers to respond to. Your responses must be posted by Sunday Oct 10th at midnight.
Although this is a blog, be formal in your questioning and responses. Please email me with any questions.
Carrissa:
ReplyDeleteLevel two: Why do you think Mrs. Ivors left before supper?
Level three: Gabriel begins to think that his wife always compared his love to that of her first love. Do you think that people in this day hide their past relationships to their spouses? Why?
As the night begins and all the guests begin to arrive, the mood is pleasant and happy. When Gabriel and his wife come, everyone is pleased to see them. Gabriel is portrayed as the favorite member of the family. “They (Aunt Julia and Aunt Kate) both kissed Gabriel frankly. He was their favorite nephew...” (25). Gabriel is described as a youthful and friendly young man full of confidence and is accepted by every one. However, as the story goes on, his friend, Miss Ivors, calls him a “West Briton”. He is shocked by the accusation, which leads to him feeling less confident in the speech he has to make later that night. He even feels as if taking a walk in the park may ease his mind more than being inside with his family. After his speech and the supper, when him and his wife get home, he learns of her young love, Michael Furey. I find it interesting that in one night, a man with such confidence and a light heart can change to a man that is so unsure in himself. At first he has all the reasons in the world to take pride and be happy, but later his self esteem is destroyed, and little by little, he questions more about himself and how others see him.
ReplyDeleteLevel Two: What do you think gave Gabriel the innitive to critize his own generation in light of generations past?
ReplyDeleteLevel Three: Have the "best generations" already come and gone or is there still the ability to improve?
Response:
ReplyDeleteI think this story shows how easily some people are led when it comes to there political and religous beliefs and how sometimes, they are more vocal than those with origional ideas. Miss Ivors, for example, critizes Gabriel for not being as nationalist as she, but Gabriel wonders if "she had really any life of her own behind all her propagandism"(34)., meaning that Gabriel views Molly Ivors as merely a talking head that repeats whatever its been told. Gabriel, when he speaks his own though, which are not so popular, is given the cold shoulder by others. this reminds me of society today, and how, for example, tolerance of everything is so loudly pushed on to people and porpagandosized that any one who speaks differently is shut down.
In response to CArrissa's Level Two: I think Miss Ivors either had somewhere better to be, somwhere where people thought like her, spoke like her, or had more fun, or she could not stand to be around people like Gabriel but did not want to show it and be rude. or both. She probably only came in the first place because it was tradition and the very irish-y and she was a nationalist.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Carrissa's Level Three:I think that people hide past relationships from new relationships. people usually do not speak of ex's on first or second dates. but it eventually comes out who you dated so it's no use trying to hide it from the person you are going to/are married to. people may try to hide how they really thought about their previous relationships to spare feelings, but some things cannot be hidden forever.
ReplyDelete1. Is there a connection with Gabriel’s difficulties being during the holiday of Epiphany? Can it have something to do with his state of reflection on life?
ReplyDelete2. Why do you think Gabriel’s confidence is tested by Lily snapping at him about her love life? She is just a servant girl?
1. Is Gabriel's speech applicable to today's society?
ReplyDelete2. What exactly would you say was Gabriel's epiphany?
The Dead was a very hard story to consider the meaning in what the author had to say. The character of Gabriel was almost unfathomable. He was hard for me to understand, but then I realized that James Joyce wrote about his life experiences in Dublin. This lead me to realize that the character of Gabriel is James Joyce himself and the detail put into conveying Gretta’s characteristics gave me reason to also believe that the character of Gretta was also his wife. This is not the only thing in the story that pertained to his life, the deep reflections and realizations in Gabriel’s life is the same of James Joyce. The way this author thinks of death is somewhat disturbing and discouraging. “The Dead” is not the only work of Joyce that conveys the same message. In “The Sisters” the theme of life and death affecting each other and having an interconnection is the same in “The Dead”. It seems that this story may be a true story.
ReplyDeleteResponse:
ReplyDeleteIn our notes, it said that James Joyce thought that the city of Dublin was the center of paralysis. Paralysis, as in the inability to live freely and fully. That is shown in Gabriel. Gabriel is paralyzed by his own self-consciousness. This is shown when he is talking to Lily. "Gabriel colored as if he felt he had made a mistake.." (23). It is also obvious that he is nervous about giving his speech. "...he began to think again about his speech and about the quotation.. Gabriel's warm trembling fingers tapped the cold pane of the window" (35). And of course, at the end when Gretta tells Gabriel about her lover who died for her; Gabriel can not sleep because he wonders if Gretta sub-consciously compares the two men, and such. Gabriel's self-consciousness seems to really get him at the end. I just thought that this story was ridiculously long and nothing happened.
Carrissa #2: I think that some people who are ashamed of their past and want to start fresh, will hide past relationships from their spouse. They might also be hiding them just because they are so insignificant now, and there's no need to even know about them.
ReplyDeleteErin's level 3: I think that as we look back at different generations and compare them to ours, sometimes we say "ahh they had it good back then". On the other hand, sometimes we look back at past era's and comment on how glad we are to not have had to live through that.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to say when the "best" generation was, there are pros and cons to each one. We're ahead in technology and all of that, but technology has started to corrupt us. I personally think that even though we have all these modern conveniences, simplicity is still the best way to go. And, I don't think that our generation, or future generations are ever going to be "simple". They're going to be convoluted by everything.
Level Two: What do you think Joyce's perception of women is according to, or through his character Gabriel?
ReplyDeleteLevel Three:What is a more impactful story to you and why: Something that tugs at your brain with subtle symbolism, or a meaning that is obvious?
Response: It’s taken me a while to get used to interpreting Joyce’s literature. It’s almost impossible to see what he is “getting at,” unless research is done on both him and the time period he lived in. Then it becomes obvious the moments he is trying to “encompass,” (i.e., what we have been practicing identifying in class), are revolving around what he sees about his own world around him. Most of these ideas are centered around the church, according to what we have read so far. I don’t like his works because they are not very applicable, in my opinion, to me. I can see how other people get a lot out of them. I’m not offended at his views on the church, but I think there’s more to be discussed on that matter and Joyce cannot bring himself to look past the hypocritical actions of the church. However, that’s not fair of me to say because, in that time period, the church could have been a bad place indeed- I wouldn’t know, I wasn’t there. That’s why I dislike reading Joyce. His stories are not boring because I fail to appreciate his “subtle symbolism,” but because I live in a different world. Now that I’ve gotten off my soap box, the significance of the title “The Dead,” is not to refer specifically to dead people, though there are dead people mentioned in the story. Rather, it points to the “emotionally dead,” especially through the main character Gabriel. His feelings about his wife before and after she tells him a story about an old flame are critical to Joyce “capturing,” a moment of self realization, even an epiphany, I would say.
erin's response to rachel's level three:because i think we have to respond to more than one person...i think a story with an obvious moral and meaning is much more effective in changing scoiety than a story with subtle symbolism. if a story's meaning is not transparent, everyone who reads it can derive a different message, and therefore cannot tale significant action substantiating from the story to improve (at least what the author would consider improvement) society. whereas is the meaning is blarent, society as a whole will understand thestory in the same way and the author's purpose in writing can be more easily achieved.
ReplyDelete2. Do you think the message in this story still applies today?
ReplyDelete3. Do you see any similarities in this story and other stories written by Joyce?
Response: I thought the story focused mainly on Gabriel's lack of emotion when dealing with people. The story seemed to center primarily on a message of self-realization. Gabriel, through a lack of emotion, was not able to connect with people beyond a surface level relationship. It took a dramatic event in his life, through his wife, to realize that emotion is a vital part of any relationship. This is his self-realization. He realizes that he has been emotionally disconnected from not only his wife, but essentially everyone in his life. It was through the death of a man that he realizes how much he takes for granted in his life.
Lvl 2: Why did Gretta feel the need to share her previous relationships with Gabriel at the time that she did?
ReplyDeleteLvl 3: Why did Gabriel react the way that he did after Gretta shared her relationship with Michael Furey with him?
Reflection: This was a very interesting short story. It was quite long which is contradictory to what it is. Short stories usually are a glimpse of a piece of literature that tells a specific theme. The Dead, unlike many other short stories, took a larger amount of time to reach the sought out theme. The story shows how the different social classes come out in the party. When Gabriel talks to Lily, he asks her about her love life, which leads to an uneasy situation between them. To get out of the situation Gabriel gives Lily a large tip. This shows that he is on the higher end of the social ladder and that he relies on his money to solve problems. This story was a bit confusing at times. Such as when the drunk man, Freddy Malins, shows up at the dinner party. I did not enjoy this story very much. The length was a large contribution to this, also that fact that I was slightly confused for the majority of the story. The climax of the story was not a very eventful portion of the story. It was more subtle then I like. As a result of this I did not feel that the story was brought to a close and focused in on one precise subject.
2. Do you think Greta truly loves her husband Gabriel?
ReplyDelete3. Do you think there are times in which it is appropriate to hide things from a spouse?
In Joyce's short story "The Dead" the reader can extract many different themes. The underlining message that I found in Joyce's work is the importance of living everyday as if it were your last. The main character, Gabriel, lives a life where he is emotionally distant from friends, family and even his wife, Greta. Gabriel and Greta arrive in their hotel room after a long night of celebrating at a family member’s holiday party. As the couple are about to go to bed, Gabriel questions Greta’s love for him. Subsequently, Greta talks about a former lover who perished as he was waiting for her outside her window. This disturbs Gabriel and this sparks and epiphany in which he realizes how much he took his life for granted. As he watches the snowfall outside he can't help but realize that snow will to soon fall on his grave.
1.What is the significance of the title?
ReplyDelete2. In Gabriel's speech he talks about old Irish traditions that are dying in the new generation. Are there things in today's society that our generation has lost? What are they?
I thought that there was not really a point to the story. It was very long and drawn out. A lot of the detail was unnecessary. Joyce did not do a good job of making his purpose clear. It was weird that ms. Ivors was so rude to Gabriel. I didn't understand why she made such a big deal about him not visiting his own country. The only main idea that I could find was that we need to make sure we do not lose our old traditions that shape our country.
ReplyDeleteLevel 2: What do you think Joyce's theme was? Does it change or stay consistent?
ReplyDeleteLevel 3: Remembering the author's tendency to use everyday occurances of an average person's life, do you think Joyce achieved his purpose? What message was he trying to get across to readers using isolated occurances in life?
In my response, I detailed the significance of all the main characters: Gabriel, Aunt Kate, Lily, and Mrs. Ivors. This story seemed to focus on the importance of traditions and maintaining a sense of loyalty to one country. Unfortunately, most of the detail that Joyce used was unnecessary and did not really contribute to the overall theme or message.
ReplyDeleteResponse to Kierstyn's second question:
ReplyDeleteThere are quite a few things from older generations that seem to be dying in this day and age.
One of those being respect for others. You can look at a lot of places in this world and see people that have absolutly no respect for others, let alone respect for themselves.
Level 2. If Gabriel is so fond of his own country, why would he say he is sick of it
ReplyDeleteLevel 3. Now that you know what parties and dances were like back then, would you want to go to one of those or a fancy dance in present times better.
Level 2: How does Joyce present Conroy's character in the story?
ReplyDeleteLevel 3: Has any one person had such an influence on you as Miss Ivors accusations had on Conroy?
questions:
ReplyDelete1. We see Gabriel's pride take a severe beating by Miss Ivors, Do you think that a part of him also died during this story? Maybe as a result of Miss Ivors accusation?
2. Do you think that Miss Ivors was being cruel to Gabriel when she accused him of being a West Briton? Do you think she had a right to say that at a party?
Level Two: Why does Miss Ivors attack Gabriel the way she does? And why does he say he's sick of Ireland?
ReplyDeleteLevel Three: How would you have reacted to Miss Ivors' verbal attacks?
Level 2. Why do you think Gabriel exclaims that he is sick of Ireland if he is a native.
ReplyDeleteLevel 3. Given the time period and situations in the story, would you act the same as Gabriel or would you be different?
2: What does the last story about Michael Furey told by Mrs. Conroy have to do with the rest of the short story?
ReplyDelete3: Do you think that Gabriel lived in a different way and with a different point of view after hearing his wife's story?
I absolutely did not like this story. It was so pointless, long and boring! There was no action at all. I don't understand why Miss Ivors accusations cut Conroy so deep, or why Miss Ivors even cares if Conroy visits his own country or not. I think the fact that Conroy gives Lily a coin as an apology is outright lame, not to mention the fact he thinks he has to impress everyone with a big speech. Overall I hated this story and would not recommend it to anyone.
ReplyDeleteCarrissa level 3:
ReplyDeleteI think that people do hide past relationships from their present significant other. Whether that significant other is a spouse, fiancee, or they are just dating. People dont bring up the past because they feel that the past is the past, so why bring it up?
They especially would not want to mention a previous relationship if it ended badly,(for whatever reason) then they probably wouldnt want to talk about to anyone anyway.
Not gonna say this story was the best. It was a simple night that had a couple of "events" happen, like Miss Ivors attacking Gabriel on his pride for Ireland. It seemed pointless to me and I didn't really enjoy it at all. I did wonder, though, why Gabriel said he was tired of Ireland. IT was just really drawn out and boring. Not the best short story.
ReplyDeleteresponse to story:
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with everyone that has called it pointless and boring. I had a hard time following it and I still dont understand what point Joyce was trying to get across, if there even was one.
This story was very long and drawn out and to me it honestly didnt make sense. Why did Miss Ivors call Gabriel a West Briton just because he was publishing a book review? What was her problem with him wanting to go cycling in Europe? To me it just says that he wants to visit places and be able to truthfully say that hes been there. There is nothing wrong (at least not that I can see) with wanting to visit other places.
2. What prompts Miss Ivors to leaves so abruptly before dinner?
ReplyDelete3. What significance does snow present in this story? How does it relate with the mood and tone of the text?
In the story of “The Dead” the author James Joyce stays true to his style. He presents a rather intriguing plot and builds upon that until a climax is reached how ever immediately after that he lets the reader down by not concluding or giving any further thought to that climatic moment. I liked this story for all the unique and accurate summaries of situations that would have been similar at that time. James does a very good job of simulating conversations and actions of guests gathered at such party. It is very realistic. He also is very good at manipulating the mood and tone of the story that is being told. By doing this he gives the reader a unique feel while probing into his narratives. The thing I do not like about Joyce is that he refuses to write in a normal story layout. Most stories have a beginning, the rising action, climax, and then resolution but not “The Dead” or any other story written by Joyce. This is extremely frustrating to me because every time I get excited for possibly a decent story, but nope just another flat line plot without a real climax or ending. I know it was discuss that Joyce was trying to convey life at that time in a accurate manner, but quite frankly I believe that this is just a cop out to cover up for the less than acceptable writing that he writes. The fact of the matter is if I wrote something like this in school or on the A.P. exam I would get shot down and be told how awful of a writer I am just like James should be.
ReplyDeleteLevel 2: What do you think Gabriel's initial encounter with Lily tells the reader about his personality?
ReplyDeleteLevel 3: If you were in Gabriel's shoes, would you be upset or jealous upon finding out that your significant other is dwelling on a past relationship?
While I cannot say that short stories are my favorite, I have found some of them interesting due to how they give you a glimpse into a scene, rather than presenting all the pieces as in a novel. This story did not catch my interest probably due to it's sheer length. I don't think the length was a problem as much as the ratio of events to the overall length. It just seemed like not much happened and yet it was drawn out significantly. I think it was mildly interesting seeing Gabriel's reaction upon finding out what his wife was actually thinking about. It made me wonder about if it would be hard to go on and date again if the one you love happened to meet an untimely death. It was also interesting that the author set it at an annual party that was the "Feast of Epiphany" as it seems like Gabriel is having an epiphany of his own. I think his speech is an example of how some public figures can sound good and pump people up, but then really don't believe in or "practice what they preach". Overall the message didn't hook me much, and I'd probably prefer if the short stories remained short.
1) When you read the second paragraph of Gabriel's speech, could you compare/relate it with your own life?
ReplyDelete2) Do you feel that Gabriel is a two-faced lying twit for writing to the anti-Irish magazine and then talking about independence in his speech?
Response: James Joyce touches on a very good subject in "The Dead". Past relationships have always enthralled people of every kind, and this story throws some more light onto the subject. I feel that Gabriel has the completely wrong reaction to his wife's sudden revelation that she liked some little boy when she was younger. She married him, didn't she? He should've realized that if she still loved this dead boy she would not have married him. The story, or what I got out of it, seemed to be just some round-about way of getting to this one point. I did not really like the story, but it was better than "A little Cloud", and it had a much better story line, and a greater message at the end.
I thought that Joyce's short story "The Dead" was a little random. People's moods throughout the narrative seem to consistently change abruptly. Gabriel goes from being nervous about his speech and unhappy to being nostalgic and joyful. Mrs. Ivers is enjoying the party and leaves all of a sudden , and nobody knows why. Mrs. Conroy is happy and then is gloomy after the party. This story was kind of an emotional roller coaster. The length of the narrative was annoying, not just because it was long, but since Joyce does focus on every-day events, the read did not keep my attention. It is kind of like Mary Jane's piano piece in the story, that may be well done, but after a few minutes of listening to it there is no interest in it at all.
ReplyDeleteLevel 2: Was Miss Ivors really joking with Gabriel, when she mentioned him writing the column?
ReplyDeleteLevel 3: Is the song the guests sang ironic how it says unless he tells a lie? Since Gabriel does write that column does this relate?
Response: This story was boring and didn't hold my attention at all. The way it was written was hard to follow. How he indented with a dash everytime someone would speak made it hard to follow who was speaking at that time. It was too long for a short story, which made it hard to focus on it. Drawing this story out as he did was not a smart idea. All in all this story was and is most deffinatly not a favorite.
Corey level 2: At the time that this story was written many people had discontent for many things. Therefore Gabriel having discontent for Ireland is not very surprising.
ReplyDeleteNoah level 3: I would never want to go to one of those fancy dinner parties that they had. They seem boring and the conversations seem to revolve around issues of the time. I wouldn't call them parties but more of a social get together.
Carissa's Level 2: I believe that Miss Ivors left after before supper because of her interaction with Gabriel. She probably figured since he was one of the main figures of this party many of the other members of party would also reflect the same views. Thus she reasoned that it would be best to skip out on the remainder of the night because it would not worth her time to stay when she would most likely conflict with the majority or others views.
ReplyDeleteIan's Level 3: Gabriel is two face in this story. And does contradict himself by writing against freedom when he gives a speech about getting freedom. He most defaintly is two however there is a reason Joyce made his character this way. He did this because he wanted to show the level of despration of the time period. Gabriel although advocating freedom writes the article because he must make a living. You can tell the money is important to him because he mentions it when he talks of the article. He is desperate for a living he works for the enemy this is why he does this.
In response to Corey level 2: I believe Gabriel said that he was sick of Ireland even though he was an Ireland native because he was tired of all the political and religious tyranny that was going on at the time. I believe that he is still proud of his heritage but wishes his country was moving in a more positive direction.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan 3: It is impossible to be in a current relationship and not even think for a second about a former lover. However I believe there is a big difference between occasionally thinking about an ex and reminiscing continually about a past relationship. Therefore I would not be upset if I found out that my lover thinks about his past relationships every once in a while. Many things can be learned from a previous heartbreak but it is important not to be so caught up in remembering about the past that one forgets to live and be thankful for the present.
In response to Brittney's question, what do you think Joyce's theme was, does it change or stay consistent, I believe the theme is one that continues to develops throughout the story and even through Joyce's past stories that make up the “Dubliners”. “The Sisters” are another work that portray the same message as “The Dead”, that death will always be a part of life, it will have a way of affecting those that are living. He connects the two states of life and death as being the same, I got the impression that he believed that some people may be living, they may be breathing, but their life is just as if they were dead, having no purpose or excitement for living. Though this message is most prevalent at the end of “The Dead” it builds its presents in the story the more the pages turn.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan Weems' question do you think the message in this story still applies today, I believe that this message will apply forever as long as there a humans living on earth. I know that this message still applies today because there are time when I personally fell that I am just going through the motions of life, not really living on the inside, having no excitement for living. I get so caught up in my normal everyday routine that when change comes around I am immediately brought back to life and realize the excitement of living. As death will always be a part of life, then it will always affect the living. There is nothing that can be done to stop this for death is a result of life.
ReplyDeleteLevel 2: When Gabriel hears of his wife's story, do you think his initial reaction is symbolic of his character as a whole? In other words, does his jealousy represent who he really is or only what he thinks at the time?
ReplyDeleteLevel 3: By quoting Browning in Gabriel's dinner speech, he seems to think that he's better than everyone else because he thinks they don't understand what he's saying. Is this common in today's generation, and during what situation(s)?
Response: The story made sense in the way it was written, but it was hard to follow due to the dashes instead of quotation marks whenever anyone spoke. Joyce did a great job of describing the characters as well as what was happening at any given moment. I was able to depict the story as a movie in my head as I was reading. Though the story was easy to understand, I found it to be a let down in the end because, as Mark said, we don't have any further information relating to the climatic moment in the story. As to why Joyce didn't include any additional information I'm unsure of, but this story was pretty decent.
Response to Carissa's level three question:
I do believe that people today TRY to hide their past relationships from current spouses, but inevitably, they can't. Secrets can't always be kept away unless it's something really dark and personal which isn't usually the case for most people in terms of relationships. So even though someone may try to hide something from their spouse, it'll most likely come out into the open in the long run.
Response to Ryan's level 2 question:
I believe that Gabriel's initial encounter with Lilly reveals that he's very confrontational, and from what I understood, thinks he's better than everyone else. The way he made the crude joke shows that he doesn't think before he speaks. I also got the gist, from what Gabriel said throughout the story, that he was a rude kind of guy. Joyce mentions that he 'laughed nervously' from the women making simple jokes, which suggests that he can dish the jokes out but can't take them.
Mark level 3: The snow is significant in that it sets up the time of year as around Christmas time or New Year's Eve. The snow also sets the tone in a backwards way, because it makes the inside of the house where the party is seem even more cozy and jolly. The snow could also be foreshadowing of the drama of the night as Gabriel himself says at the beginning of the short story, "I think we're in for a night of it" (Joyce 23).
ReplyDeleteRyan level 2: Through the initial encounter between Lily and Gabriel, the author portrays Mr. Conroy as one who is very insecure and unsure of himself on the inside, but wants to appear as together and confident as he possibly can on the outside. He is also portrayed as a generous man. Whether this is out of the goodness of his heart or an attempt to keep up his confident image, I do not know.
In response to Alicia's level 2: i think that his speach is very applicable. it took so much for him to speak up at all, similar to how most of us feel living in today's society. we can feel supressed especially if we have differing opinions from the societal norm.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Carissa's level 3: people hide things in their past because they would like to think that that experience hasn't changed them. ever noticed that the things people hide are most often the things that people are ashamed of?
In response to Carrissa's level 3: I think people today do still hide their past relationships from their spouse. They may feel ashamed about what may have occurred in the past and do not want this knowledge to come to the surface.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Sarah's level 3: I do not think that there is ever an appropriate time to hide something from your spouse. As hard as this sounds, a relationship should be open and honest on both sides. However, I recognize that this is easier said than done and rarely ever happens in our society. I think people rationalize that there are appropriate times to hide something from their spouse. People will say that they are just trying to protect their spouse when in reality, they are trying to cover up what they have done to protect themselves.
2) Do you think Gabriel has been altered by his wealth and fortune in his life?
ReplyDelete3) Is Gabriel just overreacting to the situation or are things as bad as they seem?
When first reading the story it made me think about all the things Gabriel took for granted. He was never truly thankful for all the gifts he received and the only reason he had them was to be the best in his mind. I think he lacked self-esteem and had hade an ego for himself. When his ego was broken at the party he blames it on what is going on around him. The reality is that all his successes are to make up for what he does not have as a public figure. He views himself as better than everyone as evident by his awesome galoshes. The party not only revealed certain things he had never known about himself but also gave him an epiphany on the world around him. He thinks of his wife not as a lover but something he had control over and feels bad about the marriage. The dead he enters at the end of the story is his solitude I think. All of these things he battles in his mind are caused by his own jealousy. Michael has the passion for his wife he never had. Always looking back on life just makes him less content and not able to enjoy the moment which is a party, everyone has fun at parties. His past is also another center of importance and he wants to be remembered after his death. The point is if you live in the past you are dead. The question is are you great if your dead?
response to noah lvl 2: He is so fond of his country he has found the flaws in the system and as an aristocrat he dislikes the nationalists
ReplyDeleteresponse to carrissa lvl 3: I say yes because sometimes we are ashamed to tell even the one we love about our past
In response to Sarah's level two question: I do think that Greta loves Gabriel. It is not like people are specifically "made" for only one person in their life. They are compatible with different people in different ways. I believe that her first love was more infatuation, and since she has been married for a while to Gabriel perhaps she misses that spark of infatuation and just at that time that she heard the song it made her long for a relationship based completely on emotions. Although I do not think that because she longs for that attention at that moment that she loves her husband any less.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Tayler's response and question: There are so many times when people dedicate monuments and so forth to those who are truly dead. But when we look back on such monuments like the pyramids, I feel like it does not make the dead any greater. Just like a person who is so caught up in the past that they are dead to their current life. People who hold grudges and do not drop events that have already passed are hard to be around, and for them it is hard to enjoy life. Getting caught up in your own wealth and blessings, as Gabriel did, distances you from the people around you and the relationships you share. That could be why Greta brought up Michael, because it was hard for her to have a relationship with Gabriel. In that case perhaps Greta was living in the past as well.
ReplyDeleteTo Xcylar's lvl 2: i think that his reaction was very spur of the moment. he probably did not think about it much and just blurted out what he thought.
ReplyDeleteTo Ryan's lvl 3: i wouldn't really care that much about what my wife did in the past. everyone these days goes through life with unwanted baggage from their past. there is nothing we can do to change that.
@Alex Level 2 - I think that as a couple, Gretta and Gabriel share what is on their mind with each other. It was obviously bothering her and it probably felt good to get it off her chest.
ReplyDelete@Ryan Weems Level 3 - I definitely felt like his stories were all written in a similar way, and I can't say I am a huge fan of it. The Dead, like his previous stories, just seemed to go on without much purpose or action. I had then same "Huh that's it?" feeling after each of his short stories.
Level 2: what do you think Miss Ivors real reason for leaving was?
ReplyDeleteLevel 3:Do you think that Gabriel's wife was upset at the fact that Gabriel had words with Molly Ivors? and maybe that was part of her reason for how she acted at the hotel? Could this be a sign that Gebriel and Molly Ivors had a relationship in the past?
Resopnse: James Joyce's story "The Dead" was yet another weird story but this one seemed to have a more obvi point to it. there could even be two themes or points to this story. the first could be that James Joyce is trying to say, through Gabriel, that the traditions of Irealduing and are slowing dying away as the gernerations pass. the other point could be that even though past relationships are now over they are never really dead because you still find things through out life tat remind you of those past relationships. i didnt like how the characters moods were constantly changing. but overall it wasn't a bad story better than past stories.
in response to noah's level 1: i think that Gabriel says that he sick of his country because he is tired of all the old traditions or that he doesn't like the fact that all the old tradtions that make Ireland Ireland are slowly slipping away.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Noah's level 3: i would want to go to both and then compare the two and see which is better.
In response to Tayler's 2- I think that becoming materialistic can numb a person to certain emotions, yes. Priorities can become different when one gets used to being wealthy. It can lead to being self absorbed easily (though this is not always the case, income does not rank one on a "jerk," level always). Perhaps his epiphany was so impactful because he realized he was wrapped up in himself, basically, and wealth could have contributed to that.
ReplyDeleteP.S. Those galoshes were pretty stellar, yes.
In response to Molly Jo's 3:
I don't think the exchange between Ivors and Gabriel was necessarily evidence of an old flame- I do think Gabriel's wife's annoyance is partially due to his attitude that is portrayed in the story- it has existed for a long time. Maybe there was some jealously that he had that ecounter with Miss Ivors, true. Good observation.
Response to Carrissa's level two uncertainty: Possibility is that she didn't want to sit through a dinner party with somebody whom she thought was against Irish nationalism. Being in the same room with him would have rubbed her the wrong way, and it might have been better that she did leave. What might she have shouted to him as he spoke of Irish freedom?
ReplyDeleteResponse to Erin's level three query: Each generation considers themselves to be superior to others. That would be a whole nuther research project to find all the pros and cons of each generation. It is true that some are better than others (compare the Black Plague to the Roarin' Twenties). Is it possible to improve? Very much so. It is possible for a single person to build a road across Colorado. The question that then is asked is "Is the will to make our generation greater present, or is it lacking?"
In response to Ryan's level 3: Of course I would be upset. I think that would be one of the hardest things to realize is going on in a relationship. I would feel as if he/she had never loved me in the first place, and would be extremely upset. That would be tough.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Ryan W.'s level 3: I did see a lot of similarities between this story and the others Joyce wrote. As we already knew, Joyce depicts the life of common folk, and there is no change with this short story. He uses a lot of dialect and a lot of detail to explain and tell simple stories that could take one or two pages to tell. It was written in the exact same manner as his others were.
2. Why do you think Miss Ivors left before Dinner?
ReplyDelete3. Was it healthy for Gretta to get it out in the open that she was thinking that, or should she have left it alone? Why?
A party is being thrown by two sisters who are awaitig the arrival of their favored nephew Gabriel. He arrives late but they are happy nonetheless. He seems to be an honored guest as he speaks and is the head of the table. James Joyce does a good job in changing the mood and tone in the story because even as the dinner goes well, something so trivial as a song leads to a somewhat catastrphic ending of the night.
Ryan 3. No i wouldn't be upset. It's hard to hear things like that but in the long run it's probably better that it's out in the open. also, if people are honest with themselves and each other, they probably all have some sort of baggage. No one is a saint.
ReplyDeleteNoah 3. I think that because we are accustomed to dances and parties today we find them more enjoyable. But it would be interesting to attend one like in the story nonetheless. I think the fact that the style o9f parties has changes so much, it is clear to see which kind our generation finds more enjoyable.
Noah's level 3: I think I would go to a party in the times of the story. I have always wanted to go back to the early 1900's and go to a ball. I think that party's today are overrated and it is not the same as it was then.
ReplyDeleteCorey's level 2: I don't think that he is actually sick of his country. I think that he has alot of pride for it and he is dissappointed in the way that things are changing. I don't think that him wanting to travel to another country says anything about the way he feels about his own country.
Elissa level 2: I believe that Miss Ivors wasn't joking when she mentioned him writing the column. She may have said it because there are those kinds of situations where one says something and they say they were joking to cover it up in case the other might get angry with them. I believe that she was actually curious, and angry at him at the same time. But knowing that he was a relative of the host, and that he was a respectable man, she had to bite her tongue and take back whatever she said with a small cover-up. And it seems like Gabriel most likely saw that slight cover up when she mentioned it again a little bit later.
ReplyDeleteIan's level 3: It seems that he could be one. But then, one doesn't HAVE to believe in what he works for. He said that he wasn't a West Brit did he not? Even in his supposed "thoughts" it said he wasn't, he was just writing in the column for the money. One can write something and not believe it one bit. So maybe, just maybe he wasn't a lying twit so to say.
Response to Weem's level 2. Yes, I can personally relate. It often takes an event or story or loss for reality to hit you and for you to fully understand life. There have been many events in my life that have caused me to self analyze myself and make me want to change certain things.
ReplyDeleteGrace's level 2. Yeah definately. There are those events that really hit home with certain people. i think this is one of those times for Gabriel and he will probably try to relate to people more and be a better person.
SO it looks like everyone wrote their response on here. i thought that was just for the SSA due tmr in class?? well anyways i guess i'll respond since everyone else did.
The story took forever and was not enjoyable. You had to search for the meaning, but i did kind of like it. I could relate to Gabriel. Sometimes I go through things and I react how i think i should instead of how i feel. It just kind of puts your emotions aside and thinks with logic. Not the way to go.. i hate when i do that