Gabriel's Epiphany in The Dead by James Joyce Many people in society feel alienated from the world and separated from their peers while others may try to find a meaning where none exists. 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 an epiphany about his relationship with the world; this epiphany guarantees him a new beginning. The progression in Gabriel from a person who feels disconnected to a person who has hope parallels Joyce's changing view of Ireland as a place of inaction to one where hope and beauty once again thrive. In "The Dead" Gabriel Conroy and his wife attend a party thrown every year by two of Gabriel's aunts. The set of circumstances outside this party focuses attention on the futility and meaninglessness of Gabriel's life. The conversation at the party is mostly about the people who died and how they seemed to be forgotten by the party guests (Magalaner 223). This topic affects Gabriel, making him consider how his successes will survive his own death. The definitive lack of anything meaningful in the discussion at the party also disturbs Gabriel. Joyce demonstrates “the inability of politics, religion, and art to provide a meaningful outlet for the impulses that flicker through the party” (Werner, 58). Even the man who plays the piano produces "a pretentious and insubstantial sound" (Walzl 236). Gabriel's surroundings force him to continually try to make sense of his actions. During his aunts' party, Gabriel also sees his own inability to act. This party takes place every year, but instead of seeing it as "traditio... middle of paper...", 1988. 23-38.Joyce, James. "The Dead." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. MH Abrams. New York: Norton, 2345-2373. Magalaner, Marvin and Richard M. Joyce: The Man, the Word, the Reputation 1956. Rpt in Short Story Criticism. Shiela Fitzgerald. Vol. 3. Detriot: Gale, 1989. 216-224.Tate, Allen "Three Commentaries: Poe, James and Joyce" Vol LVIII (1950): 1-15 Criticism of History. Ed. Shiela Fitzgerald. Vol. 3. Detriot: Gale, 1989. 203-204. Walzl, Florence L. "Gabriel and Michael: The Conclusion of ?The Dead.¹" James Joyce Quarterly Vol 4 (1966): 17-31. in Short Story Criticism. Ed. Shiela Fitzgerald. Detriot: Gale, 233-239. Werner, Craig Hansen: A Pluralistic World, 1988. 56-72.