The Dead: Mood 1 key example

For example, the first sentence—“Lily, the caretaker’s daughter, was literally run off her feet”—could be read as a humorous description of Lily’s busyness, but it also underscores the disorderliness of the evening, hinting at darker themes (namely, mortality and the tragedies of the past) that will become evident by the end of the story. Amid descriptions of the preparations and amicable greetings are brief glimpses of unease and disarray. Freddy Malins’s arrival at the house, for example, provokes anxiety among the hostesses, who fear his drunkenness may be disruptive, and Gabriel has terse exchanges with several other attendees, including Lily, Miss Ivors, and even his own wife, Gretta.

From here, the mood of “The Dead” becomes more irregular, rather than neatly shifting or progressing throughout the story. Gabriel, though mainly consumed by his own anxiety, doubts, and critical thoughts about the other guests, also experiences periodic moments of wonderment, often tied to music—as when Aunt Julia performs a song, which offers “the excitement of swift and secure flight,” or when Gabriel sees Gretta, transfixed by Mr. Bartell D’Arcy’s singing, and is struck by her “grace and mystery.” These episodes of transcendence, however, are often followed by sudden spells of darkness. For example, in the final scene, as Gretta and Gabriel prepare for bed, Gabriel’s “fever of rage and desire” for his wife fades into frustration, becoming “the dull fires of his lust, glow[ing] angrily in his veins.” These quick, surprising reversals have the effect of creating both suspense and realism. Just as in real life, in which emotions and atmospheres can suddenly change—and the true tenor of events is rarely what it seems on the surface—“The Dead” moves through a wide array of moods.