How Does Joyce Present Death In Dubliners

The Ancient Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu said, “Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides.” Death is an important part of all people’s lives and societies. It is a piece of the culture and how people deal with it is often a reflection of the society. Irish people and Irish society are no exception. These phenomenons and rituals surrounding death are pervasive and often leak into the mainstream literature of the time. James Joyce used his book Dubliners to express the rituals and cultural ceremonies of the time in Ireland. One major theme that is present in his book is death and how people act and treat death. In Dubliners, Joyce uses the stories “The Sisters”, “A Painful Case” and “The Dead” to show how death is viewed and treated within Irish Society. Throughout these stories, he shows how Dubliners act once people are gone, how it makes them question their
Once she recalls the story “She stopped, chocking with sobs and, overcome by emotion, flung herself face downward on the bed, sobbing in the quilt. Gabriel held her hand for a moment longer, irresolutely, and then, shy of intruding on her grief, let if fall gently and walked quiety to the window” (159). This emotional outburst by Gretta and how Gabriel responds is an important contrast to how the young adult copes with death according to Joyce. Gretta is overcome with emotions, while Gabriel’s actions are unsure and almost passive. He does not remain with Gretta in her grief, but leaves it behind to be on his own. His actions are passive in dealing with the death. Gabriel’s actions then spiral in to a existential moment where he contemplates his life and death itself. This scene is a sharp contrast to how the narrator from “The Sisters” deals with