The Dead

It's Christmastime in Dublin. The snow is falling. And an annual Christmas party is underway. Gabriel Conroy frets over his impending speech while Gretta, his wife, wanders the affair lost in thought. The festivities are lively, the long-awaited speech is well-received; but as the Conroys are set to depart, the sound of a soft song is heard and a long lost memory is brought to light.

James Joyce (1882-1941) was an Irish author, poet, teacher, and critic. Joyce centered most of his work around the city of Dublin, and portrays characters inspired by the author's family, friends, enemies, and acquaintances. After a drunken fight and misunderstanding, Joyce and his wife, Nora Barnacle, self-exiled, leaving their home and traveling from country to country. Though he moved way from Ireland, Joyce continued to write about the region and was popular among the rise of Irish nationalism. Joyce is regarded as one of the most influential writers of the 20th century. While his most famous work is his novel Ulysses, Joyce wrote many novels and poetry collections, including some that were published posthumously.