Gabriel's Epiphany in The Dead by James JoyceMany people in society feel alienated from the world and separated from their fellow human beings while others may trying to find meaning where there is none. In James Joyce's "The Dead", Gabriel Conroy faces these issues and questions his own identity due to a series of internal attacks and external factors that lead him to a revelation about his relationship to the world; this epiphany offers him a new beginning. Gabriel's progression from one who feels disconnected to one who has hope parallels Joyce's changing vision of Ireland, moving from a place of inaction to a place where hope and hope once again beauty thrive. In "The Dead", Gabriel Conroy and his wife attend a party thrown every year by two of Gabriel's aunts. All the external circumstances of this holiday draw attention to the futility and absurdity of Gabriel's life. The conversation at the party is mostly about the people who have died and how they seem to have been forgotten by the guests (Magalaner 223). This topic affects Gabriel, leading him to consider how his accomplishments will survive his own demise. The definite absence of anything meaningful from the discussion at the party also bothers Gabriel. Joyce demonstrates “the failure of politics, religion, and art to provide a meaningful outlet for the impulses that flicker across the party” (Werner, 58). Even the man who plays the piano produces “a pretentious sound without substance” (Walzl 236). The environment around him forces him to continually try to make sense of his own actions. During his aunts' party, Gabriel also notices his own inability to act. This holiday takes place every year, but instead of considering it a "traditio...... middle of paper......, 1988. 23-38.Joyce, James. "The Dead." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. MH Abrams. New York: Norton, 1996. Magalaner, Marvin and Richard M. Joyce: The Man, the Word, the Reputation Vol. 3. Detriot: Gale, 1989. , Allen. “Three Commentaries: Poe, James and Joyce.” The Sawnee Review Vol LVIII (1950): 1-15. Shiela Fitzgerald. . Walzl, Florence L. “Gabriel and Michael: The Conclusion of “The Dead.” James Joyce Quarterly Vol 4 (1966): 17-31. Gale, 1989. Werner, Craig Hansen: A Pluralistic World., 1988. 56-72.