Joyce almost screams at the reader how difficult it was or is rather difficult for the men to return home after the war and re-enter normal life. In this case, Gabriel wants to be alone and not waste his time on unimportant chatter. He has desires that he is unable to express because of his clumsiness. When his wife admits that she loved another man before him, his world stops and he looks at her as if they never knew each other. He completely distances himself due to the lack of understanding from those around him. This commentary on the social changes made after World War I, new lines were drawn on the map and an empire was destroyed..