Dubliners and The Living DeadIn his work "The Dead", James Joyce uses his character Michael Furey, Gretta Conroy's late love from her youth, as an apparent symbol of how the dead have firm and continuous power over the living. The dominant power that Michael holds over the protagonist, Gabriel Conroy, is that Gabriel is faced with the intense question of whether his wife, Gretta Conroy, loves him and whether he loves her honestly. Joyce provides substantial information to persuade one to believe that Gabriel truly loves his wife. Even though it is evident to the reader that Gabriel possesses such devotion and adoration for Gretta, Michael diverts Gabriel's trust in his love, causing Gabriel to come to terms with his realization that his life is not what Gabriel once thought it would be. is. Through this process of misguided realization, Gabriel has allowed himself to become one of the many living dead in his community in Dublin. During the taxi ride from his aunts' party to their hotel, Gabriel reminisces about his and Gretta's life together. Joyce reinforces the passion of Gabriel's thoughts: "The moments of their secret life together burst like stars into his memory" (Joyce 173). Joyce continues to fill his readers' thoughts with examples of the Conroys' wonderful life: "He then felt proud and happy, happy that she was proud of his grace and wifely bearing... after the rekindling of so many memories, the first the touch of her body, musical, strange and fragrant, gave him a sharp pang of lust” (Joyce 175). Gabriel holds Gretta in a passionate embrace and delves into her thoughts. Gretta hesitates at first, then proceeds to explain the tragic story... in the middle of the paper... convinced that they consider themselves irrelevant as living beings. Gabriel Conroy, through his hypocritical concern for others, has created an internal paralysis. Because Gabriel dwells on the events of the past, he is unable to move forward with satisfaction in his life. Although Gabriel unquestionably loves his wife, the elusive curse created by Michael Furey's unremarkable existence, long before he and Gretta became involved, has instigated rebellious thoughts in Gabriel's favor. This vague and mischievous being breaks down Gabriel's ego; he questions the validity of his and Gretta's love for each other and the meaning of his own life. These thought processes lead Gabriel to believe that it is better to be dead than alive, relegating him to a life of eternal discontent. Works Cited Joyce, James. Dubliners. New York: Bantam Books, 1990.