He becomes more disaffected, when he tells his wife of the encounter, and she expresses an interest in returning to visit her childhood home of Galway. The encounter ends awkwardly, which bothers Gabriel the rest of the night. He thinks this charge is highly unfair, but fails to offer a satisfactory rejoinder. Gabriel points out that he gets 15 shillings a week, and 'the books he received for review were almost more welcome than the paltry cheque'. She teases him as a ' West Briton', that is, a supporter of English political control of Ireland. When Freddy Malins arrives drunk, as the hosts of the party had feared, Aunt Kate asks Gabriel to make sure he is all right.Īs the party moves on, Gabriel is confronted by Miss Ivors, an Irish nationalist, about his publishing a weekly literary column in the Unionist newspaper The Daily Express. Gabriel worries about the speech he has to give, especially because it contains academic references, which he fears his audience will not understand. After an awkward encounter with Lily, the caretaker's daughter, Gabriel goes upstairs, and joins the rest of the party attendees. Gabriel and his wife, Gretta, arrive late to an annual Christmas party, hosted by his aunts, Kate and Julia Morkan, who eagerly receive him. The story centres on Gabriel Conroy, a teacher and part-time book reviewer, and explores the relationships he has with his family and friends. Gabriel Conroy, Gretta Conroy, Kate and Julia Morkan, and Bartell d'Arcy are all alluded to in James Joyce's later work, Ulysses, though no character from 'The Dead' makes a direct appearance in the novel. Freddy Malins – an alcoholic and friend of the family.Mr Browne – only Protestant guest at the party.Molly Ivors – a long-time acquaintance of the family.Mary Jane Morkan – niece of Kate and Julia Morkan.They are elderly sisters who throw a party every year during Christmas time. Kate Morkan and Julia Morkan – Gabriel and Mary Jane's aunts.The statue of William III of England on Dame Street, Dublin, appears in a story told by Gabriel about his grandfather Patrick Morkan.

The dead by james joyce