Dieing to Live

There were several texts this week that I absolutely loved and I had the hardest time deciding what text to analyze this week. But, after putting aside T.S. Eliot and W.B. Yeats, I decided to look into a short story written by James Joyce entitled "The Dead."

Here is a link to the text: http://www.online-literature.com/james_joyce/958/

The funny thing about titles to books or poems is that we automatically assume that the title will be a give away as to what the story is about immediately at the beginning. This story doesn't proove the value of its title until the last few paragraphs of the story. That information does not mean you are allowed to skip to the end of the story and see how it turn out...hold out - it's really good!

"The Dead" is based around different types of people but it's main character is Gabrielle Conroy. He is an influential man in his circle of friends...one that has gained much prestige by traveling around, having good family connections and being academically smart. Each of these characteristics of Gabrielle are emphasized throughout the novel. He had it all! He had a beautiful wife, money, family, friends and an overall great life. He should be happy...and he is happy, to an extent.
The extent that he is happy, seems to be a dim shadow compared to the larger picture of how Gabrielle longs to be found and noticed. Different incidents brings this awareness to light. One is with the servant Lily - he is disturbed by her brutish attitude about marriage and is rattled by it, so he decides to give her money to relieve his heart cry to understand her. Another encounter is his preparation for the speech he is to give at the dinner, he is nothing but nerves because he is analyzing how everyone is going to judge the way he talks and says things...all of this being based on his "better education." He can't seem to put this reality out of his mind throughout the evening. A third encounter is when he is talking about his traveling habits, how he wants to be in other places and see new people; whereas those around him at the ball don't seem to understand his point of view. He also has a ringing conscious about Miss Ivors and how she sees things in her older generation versus how he sees things in his younger generation.
Each of these encounters are like building blocks for the reader to see how insecure this affluent man really is and he is doing everything to be something to everyone and yet, he really isn't getting anywhere.
At the end, his wife throws on him this story about a young man she used to love named, Michael Furey. Michael died for Gretta, his wife. She can't seem to put this scene out of her mind and as she graphicly describes it to Gabrielle...we see his demeanor change. Gabrielle realized that dying for someone and loving them fully is actually something worth being and something worth understanding. He sees how he has done nothing but pretend all his life..."better pass boldy into that other world, in the full glory of some passion, than fade and wither dismal with age." He no longer wants just a great name that his mother named him...but rather he wants to boldly pass on saying that "he did not wish to live" all because of love. Gabrielle has not experienced this and it seems is puzzled as to what he should do by the end of the story. Should he forget the someone he "used-to-be" and throw his life into one passion and purpose? To die?

This story relates alot to me and it should to everyone else who reads it. Gabrielle is a figure of a man searching for meaning and answers to life. And once the "story" has been told about a man dieing all for love for his wife, he no longer sees things the same. He wants to understand the love Michael had and he also wants to understand why his wife, Gretta, is so enraptured with this passion the young man had.
It connects so easily with my life because I too was searching for answers and meaning to life. Who isn't? But,, I was told a story once about a Man, Jesus Christ, who died for me. All because He loved me and wanted me to be with Him for all eternity. I embraced the story - I accepted what Jesus Christ did on the cross for my sins and he rose again in three days to prove that death did not have dominion over Him! Jesus conquered death for me and you! Once I accepted this truth, I had to come to the conclusions that only Jesus Christ matters now...my desires, my passions, all who I am is found in Christ alone. "I have been crucified with Christ, it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." Galations 2:20
There is dieing in order to really live...Gabrielle is grappling with this truth and hasn't made a decision, but we see that just as the snow falls everywhere around him, "upon all the living and the dead," we have an imagery of purifying and cleansing with the snow falling outside. Perhaps Gabrielle has embraced the fact that this life is not worth living unless we have a purpose. And we all were created for a purpose...to KNOW GOD. Thus the snow falling about him gives a "cleansing" affect and reminds me that I was lost in my mirky, dark and cloudy sins until I let Jesus Christ cleanse me from my sins.
Just as Gabrielle comes to face the fact that dieing is really living...
I too must face the fact that "for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Philippians 1:21