“The man of many faces.”
In “the dead” tale, Gabriel has many faces depending on the situation he finds himself in. Gabriel seems to be a happily married man until he attends a party when he displays lack of confidence. The tale portrays him as a fashion icon, although he seems to have issues with his physical looks. Gabriel is a person who is easily distracted because, during the party instead of him paying attention to the ongoing activities, he thinks about the discourse. ‘Gabriel laughed nervously and patted his tie reassuringly….He coloured and was about to knit his brows…’ Gabriel tried to cover his agitation by taking part in the dance with great energy’ (Joyce 131). This is a statement that shows Gabriel lacks confidence in himself.
Gabriel’s encounter with Lily shows that he is a mean but caring man. He does not think before talking, and that is why he says hurtful words to Lily. When Gabriel says that he hopes to attend Lily’s wedding one day, Lily states that men in the present era want stuff from females and nothing serious. Gabriel shows that he cares because after realizing that he has upset Lily, he grabs a coin from his pockets and states, “O Lily, it’s Christmas-time. Just… here’s a little” (Joyce 129). During Gabriel’s encounter with Miss Ivors on the dance floor, he displays his inability to appreciate his heritage when he is asked about his disconnection with his legacy. Gabriel responds, Oh, to tell you the truth, I’m sick of my own country, sick of it!”(Joyce 136)
Gabriel believes he is a smart man compared to the guests in the dinner event. ‘He was undecided about the lines from Robert Browning, for he feared they would be above the heads of his hearers’ (Joyce 140). This statement shows that Gabriel is considering other people’s emotions, and that is why he scared of showing off his scholastic ability since he does not want to hurt the guests. In the last scene, Gabriel refers to himself as a self-centred and selfish man after seeing his wife’s distress (Joyce 223). He cares less about his wife’s past relationships, but when he realizes that other men loved his wife more in the past, he is ashamed.
Works Cited
Joyce, James. Dubliners. Wordsworth Editions, 1993.