Upon his arrival, Gabriel’s curt remark towards his wife for causing their late arrival, perfectly sets his tone as he initially tries to escape from the snow. The moment that Gabriel enters his elderly aunt’s party, his actions speak alone for his mightier-than-thou attitude.

Gabriel is a man obsessed with a superficial perfection, which in the beginning of the party causes him to fear the harsh reality of human nature. Humanity is connected through the flawed traits of the human situation, personified in the ubiquitous blanket of snow. The snow affects every guest arriving at Julia and Kate’s party, Freddie the watery drunk, D’Arcy the icy tenor and the many characters in between. Just as falling snow covers all of nature, Joyce’s snow unifies humanity with the imperfect uniqueness of human nature. Joyce uses snow to illustrate both the weak and the strong traits of water and ice, thus snow represents the fissures and cracks, as well as the strength and beauty, that embody life. Frozen snow becomes hard, strong, and unshakable ice this represents the domineering characteristics of humanity. For example, melting snow becomes weak and transparent water, exemplifying the pathetic, but common characteristics of humanity. The versatility and volatility of snow mirrors the human disposition. Humanity overflows with faults and quirks, which constitute life. Snowflakes are random, unique and fragile, and thus symbolic of human nature.

The dead james joyce analysis