I'm going to ever so briefly mention that I loved the Pride and Prejudice reference on page thirty three. I am quite a big fan of that book and couldn't help but grin like an idiot as I read over the reference to Mr. Darcy.
On to "The Dead" itself though. I loved how, even a little over a hundred years later, I felt like I was part of this 1900's Dublin world. The historical context is everywhere and reveals exactly what the society is like. It stresses gender roles, the importance of religion, the impending threat of England, and just how much pride the Irish have. "The Dead" even uses specific references to people, important happenings (like the Pope banning women from choirs), and specific locations in Dublin. It pulls you in and doesn't miss a beat, making sure that even readers of future generations would understand his context.
I also loved how it made me sympathize with Gabriel. One differing opinion about the English threat and everyone seemed to treat him poorly, like he was suddenly of a lower standard. On page thirty three Miss Ivors calls him a "West Briton," one who isn't as nationalist as everyone else, and Gabriel freaks out as if being called a "West Briton" was the worst fate imaginable. Seeing Gabriel as a reflection of Joyce makes this term pretty accurate and all the more scary. As stated in the introduction, Joyce was clearly in favor of the English taking over Ireland. If he had straight out told people about his differing opinion, people would have reacted poorly. Gabriel was called a "West Briton" just on the assumption of being in favor of an English takeover because he wrote reviews for a conservative newspaper. Joyce would have probably been ripped to shreds. The same can be seen today. Abraham Lincoln was shot because he tried emancipating the slaves. Martin Luther King Jr. was shot trying to lessen the gap of inequality between whites and blacks. This just made me feel bad for Gabriel, like he had to keep everything inside because there was no other choice. If he didn't he would have been killed.
So what do you guys think? Do you think Joyce did a good job placing you into the world of 1900's Dublin? Did you take pity on Gabriel's character?
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ReplyDeleteI really loved the fact that the story referenced cultural aspects of Ireland. I did wonder why Gabriel wasn’t up for travelling his own country and learning his own language, but he seemed to be fine with travelling to Germany and France to keep up with their languages. I wonder why Gabriel didn’t feel as patriotic in this novella as someone like Miss Ivors, for example. I never really thought about being sympathetic with Gabriel – maybe I didn’t think so because it wasn’t as extreme as MLK Jr. or Abraham Lincoln. Though I do think Joyce did a great job describing Dublin during this time period. He made me feel like I was there and using so many cultural and historical references strengthened that feeling.
ReplyDeleteI was not able to take pity on Gabriel's character. I did not dislike his character, but I felt that his opinion of himself was more than what he actually was. He seemed to try and control certain aspects of Gretta's life, but in turn he learns that he never truly understood as much as he thought he had about his wife. I also appreciated the references in the story. Overall, I felt the story lacked a little but was not too bad.
ReplyDeleteNo I did not pity Gabriel at all. He took offense to the term "West Briton" only because in my opinion, his secret admirations were alluded to. I also believe he may have a little self-hatred. It is not a derogatory term to anyone but the Irish. I believe he has a great admiration of the British people. The appreciation of English history and traditional English culture shows in the text. He probably was an English major in college. Remember, he is a journalist and how he thought of the poem in the speech he was preparing for in his head. I wanted to know more about the term "West Briton" and this what I found out. West Brit, an abbreviation of West British, is a pejorative term for an Irish person who is perceived by other Irish people as being too anglophilic in matters of culture or politics. An Anglophile is a person who admires England, its people, and its culture. Gabriel is a lover of literature, and I am a Anglophile too according to the definition.
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