Language and Identity in the Dead

8/3/2019 Language and Identity in the Dead

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1Megan Applegate

Language and Identity in James Joyce's "The Dead"

Often heralded as one of the greatest short stories in the Western Canon, James Joyce's

complex narrative "The Dead," which serves as his final chapter in the collection of stories

making up the bookDubliners, explores the intricate issues of identity and power through the

lens of language, patriarchy, and imperialism. These issues are directly tied to the longstanding

political turmoil of his native Ireland and the social questions of his day. Joyce, through his text,

asserts that words have a power all their own and although the protagonist seeks to align himself

with what he views as the superior and powerful identity of a British man he is, in fact, impotent.

Despite the intense effort to separate himself from what is Irish and what is feminine,

Gabriel Conroy finds that he ultimately fails as he is unable to effectively communicate, relate to

or impress his peers, or even to woo his own wife. Joyce draws a parallel between this antihero

and the problematic national identity of his native Ireland. The underlying themes of colonialism

and patriarchy inherent in the story are highlighted by the tale of a simple holiday party that is

laced with the juxtaposition of the archetypal conflicts: "male vs. female," "Irish vs. British,"

"old vs. young," and "success vs. failure." These oppositional forces create a world in which

Gabriel Conroy cannot be truly sure of himself as an Irishman or as a husband.

Gabriel arrives at his aunts holiday party as the potential hero of the tale. He is well-

educated, well-off, and the favorite nephew. Joyce informs the reader immediately of where

Gabriels values lie. He appears in the doorway and answers his aunts who have been searching

for him: Here I am as right as the mail, Aunt Kate! Go on up. Ill follow, called out Gabriel

from the dark. (Joyce 153). Gabriel has yet to fully enter onto the scene. He is still standing in

the dark and yet the reader is informed that Gabriel has deep British ties. In his essay Empire

and Patriarchy in The Dead Vincent Cheng argues that issues of gender and imperialism are


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clearly intertwined. The Royal Mail was a notoriously imperial institution (often vandalized by

colonial insurrectionists) (Cheng 349). Not only does Gabriel invoke a Royalist institution from

the dark hallway, but the synonyms are in play as well: both the empire and the male ego are

employed in the activity (the masculist-imperialist ideological formation) of making judgments

and hierarchical distinctions between what is central (as rightas the mail/male) and what is

marginal (Cheng 349). If Gabriels self-righteousness is alluded to upon his arrival at the party

it is only furthered by his initial interaction with Lilly, the serving girl. As she is clearly beneath

him socially and is in keeping with stereotypical gender roles, Gabriel feels sure of himself in her

presence. He flippantly suggests that she should be getting married because she has finished

school. Lillys responds harshly: The men that is now is only all palaver and what they can get

out of you (Joyce 154). Lilly refuses to play the role of the demure feminine voice, by

laughing off his tactless assumption and flattering his ego. It is a role reversal that Gabriel is

unprepared for: Gabriel coloured as if he felt he had made a mistake (Joyce 154). While he

insists on giving her a tip as a method of achieving the final word, it is her statement that haunts

him. He was still discomposed by the girls bitter and sudden retort. It had cast a gloom over

him which he tried to dispel by arranging his cuffs and the bows of his tie (Joyce 155). She has

had the greater impact; her words have carried more weight. Gabriel begins to be increasingly

concerned over finding the right words as the means to regaining his position of authority.

It is no surprise that Gabriel believes that language is the key to attaining a sense of

power for himself. His status is secured by the fact that he is a published author, a teacher, and

has the honor of presenting the speech for the evening. He considers himself far more educated

and well-read than many of his peers attending the gala, and this fact serves as both a source of

pride and concern for him as he crafts his party speech: He would only make himself ridiculous


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of Ireland and Michael Fury who are the true heroes of "The Dead." Gabriels desire to provide

himself with a more authoritative identity has in fact stripped him of any real power in his

relationships. In his fear of becoming a failure, he has become one. He stands ineffective and

ridiculous at the end of the story.

Joyces subtle and haunting story of lost love, heritage, and self is a fixture in classrooms

and libraries because while it emphasizes the uniquely Irish experience of the author, it also taps

into our universal experiences as human beings. Hero or not, Gabriels struggle with self-

definition is commonplace. We all have been guilty of trying to identify with the popular social

and political trends of our day in an effort to feel that we are people of substance: people who

matter. Joyces story reminds us that we often achieve what we sought to avoid by pretending to

be what we are not.


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Works Cited

Joyce, James.Dubliners, edited by Margot Norris, ANorton Critical Edition, W.W. Norton &

Company. New York/ London. 2006

Cheng, Vincet J. Empire and Patriarchy in The Dead.Dubliners, edited by Margot Norris, A

Norton Critical Edition, W.W. Norton & Company. New York/London. 2006

Saussure, Ferdinand de. A Course in General Linguistics.Ed. Peter Simon. The Norton

Anthology of Theory and Criticism. W.W. Norton & Company. New York/ London 2001

Documents

Language and Identity in the Dead