what do you know about james joyce's story "the dead"? What are the main themes?

Question

especially why is it important?

Answer 1

The Dead is the last story in "The Dubliners" and the books is about people living in Dublin, Ireland. It takes place in the 19th century, so the mores are much different than now. The finally part of this story is when a husband discovers as they go home from the party that his wife still remembers her boy friend who was prior to the husband. The boy in waiting and watching for her in a heavy rain storm, caught pneumonia and died. For the husband, this was something he had not known before and now must wonder and think about what happened, how his wife still cares for the dead boy, and the story ends at that point.

It is difficult to write so little on a long story about a family having a winter party with any number of relatives, all of whom are different and add to the people who the reader gets to know as the evening goes on. Well worth reading.

Answer 2

The main theme is that most people are actually just going through the motions of life. The revelation that the protagonist receives when told of his wife's first love makes him realize that intense love is the only thing worthy of accomplishment.

To paraphrase the line from the story; it is far better to burn brightly and quickly than to slowly slip into shadows.