The Waltz of Death

I am afraid that I was mistaken about what Professor Sexon meant by the nature of "diamonds" in James Joyce's "The Dead". However, due to this mornings class I believe that I have corrected my mistake and I am better prepared to speak/write about the "diamond" that I found.

In "The Dead" Gabriel is hesitant to read some of the poetry that he had prepared for the night in fear that his audience simply was too ignorant to understand him. Joyce writes "The indelicate clacking of the men's heels and the shuffling of their soles reminded him that their grade of culture differed from his. He would only make himself ridiculous by quoting poetry to them which they could not understand. (121-22)" Here we can see how his outlook is very similar to that of his wife's when she is hesitant to tell him about a song. A song that would make her seem ridicoulous to herself. Joyce writes that "He halted a few paces from and said: "What about the song? Why does that make you cry? (149)" Gretta answers by explaining about a boy by the name of Michael who gave his life for her . What we see here is that Gabriel didn't reveal some selected poetry out of fear that it would go over his audiences head and then when he is finally told about his wife's relation to the song The Lass of Aughrim Gabriel finally realizes that despite all his intelligence that he has be in the dark for so long about so many things - especially in regards to his wife.

This is the great epiphany of the novel where Gretta finally admits the truth of her past and Gabriel realizes that he just might have, well most likely at any rate, witnessed the death of his marriage especially since her heart has always belonged to another. What an epiphany - what a shame.