The Dead

         At cursory glance, James Joyce’s “The Dead” may appear sexist. Indeed, the narrative revolves around Gabriel Conroy, a male protagonist; thus it is difficult to fully appreciate the emotions of female characters. In a similar context, Gretta is continuously viewed as beauty itself and merely as a subject of lust; Conroy wishes to “master her strange mood” and feels “a keen pang of lust” as he stares at Gretta. However, at the same time, the dearth of emotions of female characters expressed in “The Dead” functions to highlight Conroy’s lack of the sympathy and builds the tension to his epiphany. The encounters with Lily and Miss Ivors rendered him conscious of his incapability and eventually enabled him to fully appreciate Gretta and her emotions. In the last scene, he is enraged when he realizes the distance between himself and his wife and that he will never be able to “master” her. However, after Gretta falls asleep, Gabriel softens; as he no longer feels jealousy, but sadness in that Michael Furey once experienced love much more intense than he himself has never known. Therefore, it is perhaps more accurate to assume that the myopic perspective of Conroy distorted the emotions of women. In this sense, “The Dead” is not sexist, as all female characters play a crucial role: to guide Gabriel Conroy, who, as his illusions are dispelled, realizes the shallowness of his love for his wife.